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Government officials, youth leaders, development partners, private sector representatives and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have validated the Zimbabwe Youth in Agrifood Systems Investment Plan (ZYIASIP) 2026–2030, a major step towards expanding opportunities for young people across the country’s agrifood sector.
Validated in Bulawayo on 1 June 2026 under the theme “From Validation to Action”, the plan seeks to transform youth from marginal participants into entrepreneurs, innovators, employers and leaders driving agricultural transformation and rural development.
Zimbabwe’s youthful population represents one of the country’s greatest assets. More than 72 percent of the population is below the age of 35, yet many young people continue to face significant barriers to participating meaningfully in agrifood systems. These include limited access to land, affordable finance, mechanization, markets, technical skills and productive assets. Many youths remain trapped in low-productivity activities or leave rural areas altogether in search of alternative livelihoods.
The newly validated investment plan directly addresses these constraints through targeted investments in youth-led agribusinesses, value addition, climate-smart agriculture, digital technologies, mechanization, market access and financial inclusion.
Developed with support from FAO through the project Technical Assistance to Enhance the Country’s Capacity to Support Youth Participation in Agrifood Systems, the plan outlines an estimated investment portfolio of USD 78 million across priority value chains including livestock, poultry, horticulture, traditional grains, agro-processing and apiculture.
The investment framework is expected to create nearly 130 000 employment opportunities for young women and men while strengthening food security, increasing incomes and contributing to national economic growth.
Youth at the centre of Agrifood Transformation
Opening the validation workshop on behalf of the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, Acting Director for Infrastructure Planning and Environmental Management Norah Mupaza said Zimbabwe’s future agrifood systems depend on empowering young people to become drivers of change.
“The future of our agrifood systems depends on our ability to deliberately position young people not merely as beneficiaries of development, but as drivers of transformation, investors, employers, innovators and leaders,” she said.
She noted that the investment plan provides a framework that supports youth participation across the entire agrifood value chain, from production and processing to logistics, aggregation, marketing and export development.
“The true measure of our success will not be the quality of the document we validate today, but the extent to which it translates into real investments, thriving youth enterprises, increased productivity, employment creation, food security and sustainable economic growth,” she added.
Addressing barriers facing young agripreneurs
Participants at the validation workshop highlighted persistent challenges limiting youth participation in agriculture, including difficulties accessing start-up capital, limited ownership or control of land, inadequate mechanization services, weak market linkages, climate-related shocks and limited representation in decision-making processes.
The investment plan proposes practical solutions to address these barriers, including the establishment of youth agribusiness hubs, youth business units, dedicated financing mechanisms, digital extension services, mentorship programmes and stronger integration of youth into agricultural planning structures.
The framework also seeks to increase youth access to government-leased agricultural land, promote youth-led agro-processing enterprises and strengthen skills in climate-smart agriculture, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Youth Endorse the Plan
Young participants who contributed to the validation process welcomed the investment plan as a practical roadmap for creating opportunities and transforming perceptions about agriculture.
“For many young people, agriculture has often been seen as a sector with limited opportunities. This investment plan changes that narrative by showing clear pathways for youth to access finance, technology, markets and profitable enterprises,” said Getrude Chambati, Secretary of the World Food Forum Zimbabwe Youth Chapter.
Another Youth Agripreneurs, Clever Garirofa and Phinias Shonayi who participated in the consultations added, “We appreciate that young people were involved throughout the development process. The plan reflects the realities we face and gives us confidence that our ideas, businesses and innovations can become part of Zimbabwe’s agricultural future.”
Strengthening partnerships for implementation
Government representatives emphasized that successful implementation will require coordinated action among ministries, development partners, financial institutions, the private sector, academia and youth organizations.
A representative from the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training (MYEDVT), Osward Mudhunguyo, noted that, “Validation is only the beginning. The next step is mobilizing resources and partnerships that can translate this investment framework into tangible opportunities for young people across the country.”
Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development, reaffirmed government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment that supports youth entrepreneurship, innovation, value addition and participation across agrifood systems.
FAO supported the development of the investment plan as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen youth participation in agrifood systems and contribute to more inclusive, resilient and sustainable food systems in Zimbabwe.
As stakeholders endorsed the final document, participants agreed that the focus must now shift from planning to implementation, ensuring that investments reach young people and enable them to play a leading role in transforming Zimbabwe’s agrifood systems.
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