Strengthening rural livelihoods in the face of rapid urbanisation

20 March 2017. Brussels. CTA Brussels Development Briefing. Strengthening rural livelihoods in the face of rapid urbanisation in Africa. Strengthening rural-urban linkages in terms of infrastructure, transport, market access and exchange of information, ideas and innovation can catalyse economic development in rural areas and provide future perspectives for rural population and especially youth. Rural development strategies should therefore consider some of the following opportunities:

• New income-generating opportunities in food systems as a result of changing urban consumption patterns
• Investing in towns and intermediary cities as hubs for economic growth and service delivery for rural areas
• Boosting agricultural productivity and attracting youth to farming
• Supporting job creation in the rural non-farm economy and enabling diversified and multi-local livelihood strategies

Programme and Background Note
Biodata of the speakers
Resources

Panel 1: Potential of closer rural-urban linkages for rural transformation and job creation

• Fostering Rural-Urban links and the implications for the rural economy Steve Wiggins, Senior Researcher, ODI
• Employment opportunities in West African food systems Thomas Allen, Economist, Sahel and West Africa Club Secretariat, OECD SWAC
• Agri-Business-Led Employment for Youth in African Agriculture: new opportunities Edson Mpyisi, Principal Agricultural Economist, Coordinator, Agropoles and Agro-Industrial Parks, Agriculture and Agro-Industry Department, African Development Bank Group
• Applying a territorial lens to rural development: West Kenya portfolio Petra Jacobi, Project Manager, GIZ

Panel 2: Creating opportunities for rural youth in transforming food systems

• Fostering employment through territorial development, Denis Pesche, sociologist at CIRAD and member of the Research Unit ART-Dev “Actors, Resources and Territories in Development’ (Montpellier University)
• Opportunities for young entrepreneurs in serving urban or semi-urban markets, Nono Dimakatso Sekhoto, African Farmers’ Association of South Africa
• Adding value to local products for urban markets, Omar Ouedraogo, Fédération des professionnels agricoles du Burkina (FEPAB)