Youth Agri Champions Demand Paper 2023

YOUTH AGRI CHAMPIONS 

DEMAND PAPER 2023 

Smallholder Farmers and Capacity Building for 

Climate Change Adaptation 

November 2023

With this goal, at the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global 

Citizens we facilitated the development of a 

demand paper by a selected group of Youth 

AgriChampions from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, 

Rwanda, and Zambia. This group consists of 17 

smallholder farmers and farmer representatives as 

Foreword 

As smallholder farmers are the amongst the most 

impacted, it is crucial that capacity building 

well as agri-preneurs, all under the age of 35. 

occupies a central role in climate adaptation efforts. 

I strongly support the Youth AgriChampions and 

During my tenure as Secretary-General of the 

United Nations, I worked tirelessly to bring together 

their demands focusing on investment to reach 

smallholders on the ground, provide them with 

world leaders to address the awaiting impacts and 

destructive effects of climate change. This resulted 

resources and knowledge as well as to bridge the 

in the landmark Paris Climate Agreement signed in 

gap between policy, science and farmers. 

2015 by 196 countries. However, in discussions 

Their invaluable young voices must be brought to 

since, the overwhelming focus has been solely on 

the decision-making table and their demands must 

climate mitigation efforts. 

be taken into consideration, most importantly by 

world leaders heading the climate negotiations. 

Without urgent action now on climate adaptation, 

the world will fail to adapt to the impacts of climate 

change as needed and further billions of people will 

I hope that these explicit demands play a role in 

go hungry. Amongst the most impacted are 

influencing the global discussion on agricultural 

smallholder farmers. They are the least to 

adaptation, shaping the agenda on a worldwide 

contribute to the causes of climate change and play 

scale. 

a crucial role in our global food systems. Despite 

this they only receive 1.7% of total climate finance. 

If smallholder farmers are to continue to feed our 

BAN KI-MOON 

communities, we have the responsibility to 

change by ensuring that they are continuously 

8th Secretary-General, United Nations 

Co-Chair, Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens 

strengthen their capacity to adapt to climate 

trained on climate change adaptation practices. 

Youth AgriChampions Demand Paper

Introduction 

Why Do Smallholder Farmers 

Need More Support? 

Smallholder farmers like us produce a third of the 

world’s food on their 500 million farms. In some 

African countries, we are responsible for over 90% 

of food production [1], 

and demand for our 

products is rising rapidly as populations grow. 

However, the impacts of climate change have 

become a severe threat to our crops and livestock, 

Solutions exist that would allow us to increase our 

and are forcing more and more smallholders to 

yields despite the changing climate. These include 

switching to resilient crop and livestock varieties, 

abandon their land, increasing food insecurity in 

already vulnerable populations. 

using modern technology for purposes such as 

better forecasting and efficient irrigation, and 

improving practices to prevent soil degradation and 

Resilient, productive smallholder farmers are crucial 

for the success of the United Nations 2030 Agenda 

reduce reliance on pesticides and fertilizers. 

Agricultural extension services and capacity 

and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in 

building programs disseminate these solutions to 

particular SDG 2, Zero Hunger. 2023 marks the 

midway point of the implementation of the SDGs, 

smallholders. They also serve as a platform to gather 

but due to climate change, conflict, and the 

further input and feedback from smallholders, 

forming an important link between policy, science, 

aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of food 

insecurity and malnutrition are on the rise [2]. 

and practice. But they are not always effective, and 

they do not reach everyone. Below, we have 

Support for smallholder farmers is more important 

than ever to turn the tide and achieve zero hunger 

identified three specific challenges and formulated 

sustainably. 

three demands to address them. 

[1] https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP-0000133644/download/?_ga=2.98642845.2007065547.1695132276-478443392.1693819407 

[2] https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/40ebbf38f5a6b68bfc11e5273e1405d4-0090012022/related/Food-Security-Update-XC-July-27- 

2023.pdf 

Youth AgriChampions Demand Paper 1

DEMAND 1 

STRENGTHENED EXTENSION 

SERVICES 


The Challenge: 

Extension services are not as effective 

as they could be 

The Demand: 

Invest in extension services 

We ask the international community to support the 

Many extension services suffer from inadequate 

funding and insufficient staffing, leading to 

establishment of farmer field schools to provide 

training on practices and the use of technologies 

overburdened extension workers who lack the 

necessary travel budget to reach all smallholders, 

that enhance smallholders’ resilience to climate 

change. This requires the training of star farmers 

particularly those residing in remote regions. In this 

and the establishment of their farms as local centers 

case, they are often forced to spend their own 

money to prevent the most remote communities 

of excellence, where other farmers can receive 

training. This methodology has proven highly 

from going unserved. Furthermore, farmers are not 

always able to make the most of the training 

successful because it circumvents language barriers 

and allows farmers to see climate-smart practices 

opportunities extension services provide. 

and technologies in action, and witness their 

Not all farmers can afford to leave their fields for a 

impacts on yields first-hand. The farmer field 

schools should be designed to involve young 

day or travel without being compensated. When 

they do attend and learn useful new techniques, 

farmers, who tend to have the technical knowledge 

and forward-looking mindset required to advance 

farmers often lack the means to implement them, 

due to lack of access to credit or the technologies 

climate-smart agriculture. 

required. Finally, in many countries, the capacity 

building landscape (which includes extension 

In addition, we ask governments to develop 

consistent national strategies and messaging on 

services and trainings organized by other actors) is 

fragmented. As a result, farmers receive piecemeal 

issues such as monocropping and excessive 

training rather than a comprehensive curriculum 

and may be overburdened by too many trainings 

fertilizer use. Both are inconsistent with climatesmart 

agriculture principles but continue to be 

promoted by other organizations, undermining the 

held as part of different programs. 

effectiveness of our capacity building efforts. Based 

on the latest evidence, governments should 

develop regulations to ensure consistent messaging 

across organizations. 

BKMC staff meet the AgriChampions from Kenya during a field visit 

on one of their farms in September 2023 


DEMAND 2 

WOMEN AND CAPACITY BUILDING 



Capacity building does not reach 

enough women 


Tailor capacity building to women’s 

needs 

We ask governments and development partners to 

Women make up half the world’s smallholder 

farmers, and in Africa they produce 70% of all food 

commit to closing gender productivity gaps by 

ensuring more women farmers benefit from 

[3]. Due to various factors, such as lower access to 

agricultural inputs, technologies, and high-quality 

capacity building related to climate-resilient 

agriculture. To make trainings more accessible to 

land, their yields are on average lower than those of 

men. Capacity building could help close this gender 

women, training providers should use information 

productivity gap, but trainings often fail to reach 

dissemination channels that reach women; women 

are still less likely than men to have access to mobile 

women effectively. Women tend to have less 

reliable access to information than men and may 

phones and the internet [4]. 

not know that trainings are taking place. If trainings 

Times and locations of training sessions should fit 

are provided in mixed-gender groups, they may feel 

unable to speak up or take initiative. 

around women’s schedules, childcare should be 

provided, and compensation should be available for 

both women and men to make up for lost work 

Women are more likely than men to lack the 

resources and ability to travel to attend trainings, or 

time. 

to leave their farms and households for extended 

periods of time due to significantly higher 

Where possible, women should have the option of 

attending women-only trainings, provided by 

household and care taking responsibilities. 

Trainings are usually scheduled at times that are 

female trainers. For occasions when that is not 

feasible, extension workers should be trained to 

convenient for men, which do not always work for 

women. Finally, women often lack decision-making 

understand and manage gender dynamics in mixed 

groups. 

power over how to use the land they farm and are 

therefore unable to put their learnings into practice. 

Trainings must include information on how gender 

equality benefits everyone, and how closing the 

gender productivity gap will increase yields overall 

[5]. They should also seek to increase support for 

women as decision makers within communities. 

[3] https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/03/women-farmers-food-production-land-rights/ 

[4]https://www.itu.int/en/mediacentre/backgrounders/Pages/bridging-the-gender-divide.aspx 

[5]https://africa.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Field%20Office%20Africa/Attachments/Publications/2016/03/tech%20for%20rural%20 

women%20policy%20brief-web.pdf 


DEMAND 3 

CONNECTING POLICY, SCIENCE AND 

PRACTICE 


policies are designed to decarbonize economies 

As 

improve the resilience of agrifood systems, 

and 

farmers too often do not get a seat at 

smallholder 

decision-making table. This is a missed 

the 

as smallholders and policymakers have 

opportunity, 

to learn from each other. Greater 

much 

of smallholder farmer groups in policy 

participation 

and the design of implementation 

formulation 

could help ensure that policies adopted 

frameworks 

evidence-informed, needs-oriented, and 

are 

No decisions should be made 

implementable. 

smallholders without their involvement. 

about 

the challenges smallholder farmers face are 

Though 

at the same time, rapid scientific progress 

growing, 

technological innovation are unlocking new 

and 

for smallholders everywhere, not just to 

possibilities 

to climate change, but to increase their 

adapt 

food security and quality of life. 

production, 

it often takes a long time for new 

However, 

and innovations to reach smallholder 

knowledge 

the same time, smallholder farmers hold 

At 

traditional knowledge on crops and 

invaluable 

methods, and from their position on the 

farming 

of climate change, they are better able 

frontline 

most to keep track of its impacts. This 

than 

is not yet widely used in academia. 

knowledge 

engagement between scientists, innovators 

More 

smallholders could further accelerate the pace 

and 

agricultural innovation, ensure that new tools 

of 

approaches are fit for purpose, allow for shorter 

and 

loops, and support more rapid 

feedback 

dissemination. 

capacity building on climate resilient 

Effective 

must create stronger links between 

agriculture 

farmers and agricultural policy, science, 

smallholder 

technological innovation. We ask governments 

and 

development partners to actively pursue and 

and 

in strengthening these links. Trainers and 

invest 

farmer groups must be empowered to 

smallholder 

as conduits between policy/academia and 

serve 

farmers, to disseminate new policies, 

smallholder 

and technologies; and to convey 

practices, 

observations, and genderdisaggregated 

knowledge, 

data from the field back to 

and academia, to facilitate evidencebased 

policymakers 

decision making and practice-oriented 


Policy, science, and practice remain 

disconnected 


Strengthen links between policy, 

science, and practice 

farmers. 

research. 


achieve this, governments should consider 

To 

platforms for regular exchange and 

establishing 

between smallholder farmer groups, 

collaboration 

policymakers across different relevant 

trainers, 

academia, and other stakeholders. For 

departments, 

policy issues, such as water management or 

specific 

promotion of off-grid energy solutions in 

the 

agriculture, task forces should be 

smallholder 

including farmers, trainers, academics, and 

created, 

associations, to support the development 

industry 

institutions should commit to 

Academic 

their links with smallholder farming 

strengthening 

facilitating engagement between smallholder 

by 

and students and faculty in relevant 

farmers 

such as agricultural sciences, land and 

disciplines 

management, environmental policy, 

water 

should initiate further joint research projects 

They 

farming communities and encourage students 

with 

spend time with smallholder farmers and delve 

to 

agricultural innovation. This would ensure that 

into 

policymakers, project managers, and 

tomorrow’s 

have a deeper understanding of the 

academics 

of smallholder farming, and of the practical 

realities 

of their policies and projects. 

implications 

should put their innovation 

Governments 

to work for smallholder farmers, 

ecosystems 

start-ups that provide new technological 

supporting 

facilitating affordable loans, tax incentives 

solutions, 

pay-as-you-go business models to make those 

and 

more accessible to smallholder farmers, 

solutions 

launching initiatives such as hackathons and 

and 

challenges to overcome common 

innovation 

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and BKMC staff meet the AgriChampions from Kenya 

8th 

the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya - September 2023 

during 

of effective policies. 

problems. 

environmental and biosystems engineering. 


services are not 

Extension 

effective as they could be 

as 

building does 

Capacity 

reach enough women 

not 

capacity building to 

Tailor 

needs 

women’s 


Policy, 

disconnected 

remain 

links between 

Strengthen 


policy, 

the demands in this paper are based on our 

While 

and experiences, we believe that the 

knowledge 

and initiatives outlined would 

interventions 

enhance the resilience of smallholder 

strongly 

beyond our countries. Our demands are 

farmers 

interconnected and will have the greatest 

closely 

if they are implemented as a comprehensive 

impact 

package. 

the demands include many entry points 

Moreover, 

allow practitioners to start small if budgets are 

that 

Simply adjusting the timing of trainings to 

limited. 

around women’s schedules, for instance, will 

fit 

greater participation by women 

facilitate 

farmers and contribute to closing 

smallholder 

are convinced that our demands will guide 

We 

in securing better opportunities for 

action 

farmers to adapt to a changing climate 

smallholder 

that is why we forcefully demand that 

and 

international organizations, NGOs 

governments, 

the private sector uphold initiatives that 

and 

investment in extension services, tailor 

increase 

building to women´s needs, and forge 

capacity 

links between policymakers, scientists, 

stronger 

and smallholder farmers. 

innovators 

Summary 

Strengthened Extension Services 

Conclusion 

Challenge: 

Demand: 

Invest in extension services 

Women and Capacity Building 

gender gaps. 

Challenge: 


Undersigned, 

Connecting Policy, Science and 

Practice 

Challenge: 

The Youth AgriChampions 

Aaron, Annat, Esther, Everlyne, Felix A., 

Felix T., Halima, Helene, Irene, Lubona, 


Hafiz, Mubanga, Opeyemi, Quinter, Segun, 

Suleiman, Venacious 


Youth AgriChampions 2023 are a group of 

The 

smallholder farmers, agripreneurs, and 

young 

representatives from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, 

farmer 

and Zambia, convening under the 

Rwanda, 

of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global 

auspices 

(BKMC) as part of its Elevating Agricultural 

Citizens 

program. The group came together for 

Adaptation 

series of workshops during the summer of 2023 to 

a 

challenges smallholder farmers face, 

discuss 

in relation to capacity building. Based 

particularly 

their knowledge and experiences, the Youth 

on 

developed a set of demands 

AgriChampions 

towards the international community to 

directed 

capacity building for smallholder farmers 

improve 

provide them with the tools and means to 

and 

to current and future climate change impacts. 

adapt 

Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens’ mission 

The 

to foster leadership for the implementation of the 

is 

Development Goals and the Paris 

Sustainable 

Agreement by inspiring current leaders - 

Climate 

makers and empowering the next 

decision 

of leaders – change makers. 

generation 

with governments, civil society, academia, 

Working 

international organizations, the BKMC has 

and 

more than 770,000 people around the 

reached 

to date. Located in Vienna, Austria, the BKMC 

world 

co-chaired by the 8th Secretary-General of the 

is 

Ban Ki-moon, and the 11th President of the 

UN, 

Reithuber, Program Manager 

Angela 

Rocca, Administrative & Program Associate 

Beatrice 

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP SERIES 

THE YOUTH AGRI CHAMPIONS 

Aaron Nanok, 32, Kenya 

Annat Shittu, 23, Nigeria 

Esther Kamasa, Kenya 

Everlyne Ngugi, 27, Kenya 

Felix Atamba, 21, Kenya 

Felix Tetteh, 26, Ghana 

Halima Sadiya Ahmad, 23, Nigeria 

Helene Uzayisenga, 35, Rwanda 

Irene Kagera, 34, Kenya 

Lubona Annie Mwale Chifita, 30, Zambia 

Mohammed Hafiz Musah, 26, Ghana 

Mubanga Sampa, 34, Zambia 

Opeyemi Elujulo, 32, Nigeria 

Quinter Chemutai, 25, Kenya 

ABOUT THE BKMC 

Segun Adegoke, 29, Nigeria 

Suleiman Dawud, 26, Nigeria 

BKMC FACILITATORS 

Venacious Tembo, 26, Zambia 

LAYOUT DESIGNER 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

Katre Olmez, BKMC Chief Communications Officer 

Gabriela Rueda 

BKMC CONSULTANT 

Republic of Austria, Heinz Fischer. 

Maria van Veldhuizen 

Youth AgriChampions Demand Paper

P.O.B. 0018 1037 Vienna, Austria 

office@bankimooncentre.org 

www.bankimooncentre.org 

@bankimooncentre 

https://bankimooncentre.org/youth-agri-champions/

Youth Agri Champions Demand Paper 2023

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