Background
AGRA is a not-for-profit organization that collaborates with African governments, other donors, NGOs, the private sector, and farmers to enhance the productivity and incomes of resource-poor smallholder farmers in Africa. AGRA aims to catalyze an inclusive agricultural transformation in Africa by increasing incomes and improving food security for millions of smallholder farmers across the continent. For more information about AGRA, please visit www.agra.org.
AGRA’s strategic plan (2023-2028) focuses on catalyzing sustainable food systems in Africa by influencing and leveraging partnerships to build a robust enabling environment where the private sector thrives, and smallholder farmers are empowered to produce sufficient, healthy food. This strategy will be implemented through targeted interventions in agricultural input supply, extension services, and output marketing systems.
The Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) program seeks to reach 10 million youths across the continent and create over 3 million jobs, of which 50% are dignified and fulfilling. In Burkina Faso, the program is being implemented in Hauts Bassins, Cascades, Boucle du Mouhoun, Centre-Ouest, and Sud-Ouest regions. This program aims to train a new generation of young agricultural leaders by encouraging entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainable agricultural best practices.
Agriculture and the agri-food sector play a central role in African economies, particularly in Burkina Faso, where they represent a strategic lever for the creation of sustainable jobs, especially for young people. Smallholder farmers make up a large part of the actors in this sector, contributing to food security and local economic development.
However, despite this potential, the incubation ecosystem dedicated to young agribusiness entrepreneurs in Burkina Faso remains limited and insufficiently structured. These entrepreneurs face many major obstacles, including limited access to financing, technical support, entrepreneurial training, and business networks. This situation hinders the creation and sustainability of innovative companies in the sector, thus limiting the expected socio-economic impact.
In addition, young women, in particular, face specific constraints related above all to access to land, capital, training and markets, in a context marked by often unfavourable social and economic norms. A gender-responsive approach is therefore essential to ensure inclusive and equitable participation, valuing both women and men in agricultural transformation.
Therefore, it is crucial to carry out an in-depth analysis of the agri-food incubation ecosystem to better understand the current state, identify key actors, existing support mechanisms, as well as structural challenges and opportunities for improvement. This study will make it possible to fill a significant knowledge gap, and to guide relevant and effective interventions to strengthen the support of young agri-food entrepreneurs, by integrating a strong and adapted gender dimension.
Thus, based on the strategic objectives of AGRA and the YEFFA program, this analysis will not only contribute to better structuring the agricultural incubation ecosystem in Burkina Faso, but also to promote a sustainable, inclusive agricultural transformation that will provide decent jobs for Burkinabe youth.
General objective
This consultation aims to carry out an in-depth analysis of the incubation ecosystem of agribusiness for young people in Burkina Faso in order to identify key actors, existing support mechanisms, challenges and opportunities to strengthen the creation and sustainability of young agri-food businesses.
Specific objectives
Required Skills, Competencies and Experience
Required Profile (Individual Consultancy)
