Expanding Youth Opportunities in Zambia’s Soybean Value Chain

Zambia is one of the youngest countries in the region, with nearly 77 percent of its population under 35 years of age. Yet millions of young people remain outside formal employment and much agricultural work is informal and low-paid. Turning this demographic reality into an economic dividend requires deliberate investment in sectors that can generate sustainable opportunities for youth, with soybean identified as a high-potential value chain. 

Under the Integrated Country Approach for Boosting Decent Jobs for Youth in Agrifood Systems (ICA-4), youth engagement is growing steadily. 

Key milestones achieved: 

• 44 youth groups, youth cooperatives, and youth-led enterprises onboarded across 15 districts in Eastern and Central Provinces; 33 groups engaged in certified seed multiplication;
• 5 groups in mechanization services; 
• 9 groups in soybean processing and value addition; 
• Several youth groups progressing toward matching grants. The initiative is backed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) through FAO and the Government of Zambia. 

ICA-4 is strengthening business incubation and enterprise development through partnerships with Jacaranda Hub Zambia and Restless Development Zambia by providing youth with business development services, entrepreneurship training, financial literacy support, market linkages and targeted training in seed multiplication, mechanization and processing to support contract farming and value addition, while promoting sustainable growth and a more inclusive soybean sector through coordination led by the Ministry of Agriculture and FAO.