Rethinking Agriculture in Malawi and Beyond: Why land ownership is not the barrier—It is opportunity

For decades, the narrative around agricultural development in Africa has centered on one key issue: land ownership. Policymakers, NGOs, and development experts have often argued that without secure land rights, smallholder farmers especially the youth cannot thrive. But what if we have been focusing on the wrong problem?

In a thought-provoking interview on The Hard Questions by Solomon Serwanjja at AYuTe NextGen 2025 conference in Kampala, Adesuwa Ifedi, Senior Vice President for Africa Programs at Heifer International, challenged this conventional wisdom. She argued that land ownership is not the primary barrier to youth participation in agriculture. Instead, the real issue is opportunity, sustainability, and redefining what it means to be part of the agricultural ecosystem.

Adesuwa Ifedi’s insights hold profound significance for agrarian economies like Malawi, where over 80% of the population depends on farming yet faces systemic challenges, chronically low productivity, minimal mechanization, and accelerating rural-urban migration. Her perspective disrupts conventional thinking by reframing youth disengagement from farming not as a lack of interest, but as a rational response to an agricultural system that fails to deliver economic viability or dignity.

Ifedi’s perspective compels us to confront difficult questions that reframe Africa’s agricultural narrative. When a young person chooses to sell their ancestral land to purchase a motorcycle, should we interpret this as a rejection of farming, or rather as a rational response to an agricultural system that fails to value their labor and aspirations? Why does the development discourse remain obsessively focused on land ownership when the sector’s most transformative opportunities like agri-tech, processing, logistics, and digital marketplaces exist beyond the boundaries of farmland? Most crucially, how can nations like Malawi fundamentally reimagine their agricultural sector to attract youth participation across the entire value chain, not just at the production level? These probing questions challenge conventional wisdom and form the foundation for a radical rethinking of African agriculture where land ownership becomes merely one component in a much broader ecosystem of opportunity, innovation, and economic mobility. This article seeks to explore these critical issues while presenting an alternative vision for agricultural transformation that aligns with the aspirations of Africa’s youth and the realities of 21st century agribusiness.

The notion that land ownership serves as the primary barrier to agricultural transformation represents a fundamental misunderstanding of contemporary rural realities. Ifedi's astute observation about farmers selling land to purchase motorcycles or relocate to urban centers reveals not ignorance, but rather a calculated economic choice made within constrained circumstances. In Malawi's agricultural landscape, smallholder farmers face a trifecta of systemic challenges that render traditional farming increasingly unsustainable. Chronic low yields persist due to deteriorating soil fertility exacerbated by climate change impacts, while inadequate infrastructure and market linkages force farmers into exploitative relationships with middlemen who dictate unfair prices. Compounding these challenges are the prohibitive costs of quality inputs - improved seeds, fertilizers, and equipment - which farmers often purchase on credit without any assurance of sufficient returns. When viewed through this lens, the decision to sell land emerges not as a rejection of agriculture per se, but as a pragmatic response to an agricultural system that fails to provide economic viability or upward mobility. This reality underscores a critical disconnect between conventional development narratives focused on land tenure and the actual lived experiences of smallholders who increasingly view land as an underperforming asset rather than a guaranteed livelihood solution. The true barrier isn't land ownership itself, but rather the absence of supportive ecosystems that could make agricultural land truly productive and profitable for its holders.

The global agricultural landscape reveals an important paradigm shift: land ownership is no longer the primary gateway to sector participation. In advanced economies, the majority of agricultural professionals contribute without owning farmland, instead operating in specialized roles across the value chain. These include agri-tech specialists developing drone mapping and precision farming systems, logistics experts managing cold storage and food processing operations, and financial innovators creating digital lending platforms for smallholders. This model presents a crucial lesson for Africa's agricultural transformation rather than producing more subsistence farmers, the continent needs to cultivate a new generation of agripreneurs, data analysts, food scientists, and supply chain specialists who can modernize the sector through technology and innovation without the prerequisite of land ownership.

Adesuwa Ifedi's transformative vision reveals a fundamental truth: modern agriculture has evolved far beyond the boundaries of farmland. For Malawi's ambitious youth, this represents nothing short of an economic revolution. The sector is no longer defined by who owns the soil, but by who can innovate across the entire value chain and young Malawians are seizing these opportunities with remarkable ingenuity.

Across the country, a new generation of agricultural innovators is rewriting the rules of engagement. Tech-savvy entrepreneurs are launching soil testing labs that use AI-powered analysis to help farmers maximize yields without ever touching a hoe. Drone operators are providing aerial mapping services that help smallholders optimize planting patterns, while app developers are creating farm management platforms that bring precision agriculture to rural communities.

But the revolution extends far beyond field operations. Young processors are adding unprecedented value to raw harvests - transforming soybeans into high-protein flour, converting milk into shelf-stable dairy products, and turning groundnuts into premium cooking oils. These ventures aren't just creating wealth; they're generating quality jobs in local communities. Recognizing the perennial challenge of post-harvest losses, innovative startups are rolling out solar-powered cold storage units and building efficient transport networks that connect farmers directly to urban markets. Digital pioneers are disrupting exploitative middleman systems through platforms like AgriShare Malawi and eMlimi, which use mobile technology to ensure fair prices for farmers and reliable quality for buyers. Perhaps most transformative are the financial innovators developing flexible agri-loans, weather-indexed insurance products, and crowdfunding models that are making agriculture financially sustainable for the first time. These young fintech experts are removing the traditional barriers that kept smallholders trapped in cycles of poverty.

The new reality is that Malawi's agricultural transformation will not be measured in acres owned, but in value created. The future belongs to this new generation of agripreneurs, engineers, and problem-solvers who see every challenge in the value chain as a business opportunity. They understand that while land may be the foundation, innovation is the true currency of modern agriculture. As these young pioneers continue to redefine the sector, they're proving that in today's agricultural economy, the most valuable asset is not soil - it's vision.

The Bottom Line is that the question is no longer "who will farm the land?" but "who will transform the harvest?" Malawi's youth are answering loudly through their innovations - and in doing so, they're building a more prosperous, food-secure future for the entire nation.

The exodus of Malawi's youth from villages to cities stems from deeper issues than mere job availability. It is a crisis of dignity and aspiration. Young people do not just leave rural areas because opportunities are scarce; they flee because traditional farming has become culturally and economically unattractive. Generations have come to view agriculture as grueling, unrewarding labor and a backbreaking endeavor with unpredictable returns, where a season's work can be wiped out by drought or price fluctuations. The sector suffers from a damaging social stigma, often perceived as work for those who could not pursue "better" careers, reinforcing the false dichotomy that education should lead away from farming rather than into modernized agribusiness. Unlike stable urban employment with regular paychecks and social status, small-scale farming offers neither financial predictability nor professional prestige. This perception gap explains why even unemployed urban youth often prefer precarious city jobs to returning to family farms. To reverse this trend, we must transform agriculture from a last-resort livelihood into a tech-enabled, profitable career path that offers young Malawians not just income, but pride, innovation, and a sense of future. The solution lies not in forcing youth back to hoes and rain-fed plots, but in rebranding the sector to encompass the full spectrum of modern agricultural careers from drone operators and food scientists to agricultural engineers and farm-to-table entrepreneurs. Only when agriculture becomes aspirational will urban migration pressures ease.

To stem the rural exodus, Malawi must reimagine agriculture as a dynamic, aspirational sector that speaks to youth ambitions. The transformation requires three fundamental shifts: First, profitability must be prioritized not through subsistence farming, but by fostering value addition. Imagine rural hubs where young Malawians process soybeans into protein-rich flour, transform mangoes into export-ready dried snacks, or package groundnuts into branded consumer goods. This shifts agriculture from a struggle for survival to a viable business opportunity.

Second, technology must become the backbone of rural livelihoods. Solar-powered irrigation, mobile-based marketplaces, and drone-assisted crop monitoring can reduce drudgery while increasing productivity. When a 22-year-old in Malingunde operates a digital soil testing service or manages a hydroponic strawberry farm via smartphone, agriculture becomes a cutting-edge career.

Most crucially, we must rebrand farming as an innovative profession. Kenya’s Twiga Foods offers a compelling model. By digitizing fresh produce supply chains, they’ve created thousands of tech-enabled jobs in logistics, quality control, and sales, attracting urban youth back to agriculture-adjacent roles. Malawi could replicate this through: Agri-startup incubators in rural colleges; "Day in the Life" campaigns showcasing young agripreneurs and Tech-enabled extension services where youth train farmers via apps.The goal is not just to keep youth in villages but to make rural areas centers of innovation where agriculture means operating drones, analyzing big data, and building food brands. When farming becomes synonymous with opportunity rather than obligation, migration patterns will reverse organically.

Malawi and other African nations must fundamentally rethink their agricultural policy frameworks by moving beyond the narrow focus on land redistribution. While secure land tenure remains important, governments should prioritize investments that modernize the entire agricultural ecosystem; building reliable rural electricity grids, expanding internet connectivity, and improving transport infrastructure to connect farmers to markets. Policy incentives must shift from blanket fertilizer subsidies to targeted support for agricultural technologies like drone mapping, soil sensors, and irrigation systems that boost productivity sustainably. Equally crucial are financial mechanisms like tax holidays for youth-led agribusiness ventures and startup grants for young innovators developing solutions across the agricultural value chain. These structural changes would create an enabling environment where land becomes just one asset among many in a diversified rural economy.

The transformation of Africa's agricultural sector must begin in classrooms and communities through a radical reimagining of what farming represents. School curricula should integrate comprehensive agribusiness training that goes beyond basic farming techniques, teaching financial literacy, supply chain management, and agricultural technology applications. At higher education levels, agriculture needs to be repositioned as a cutting-edge STEM discipline encompassing biotechnology, agricultural robotics, and data science, fields that appeal to tech-savvy youth. Perhaps most impactful would be a coordinated national effort to elevate successful young agripreneurs as cultural icons through media campaigns, speaking tours, and mentorship programs. When a 22-year-old soil scientist appears on television explaining precision agriculture or a young woman's food processing startup is featured in national news, it sends a powerful message that agriculture offers exciting, prestigious career paths for Africa's brightest minds. This dual approach of policy reform and perception change could finally align agricultural development with youth aspirations.

The transformation of African agriculture is breaking free from its historical tether to land ownership and this represents one of the continent's most promising economic evolutions. We are entering an era where young data analysts use satellite imagery to advise smallholders, where agricultural engineers design solar-powered processing units for rural communities, and where fintech innovators create blockchain solutions for fairer commodity trading. This shift does not diminish farming's importance, but rather elevates the entire ecosystem; from soil health monitors using sensors to urban-based food scientists developing nutrient-dense products from traditional crops. As Heifer International's Adesuwa Ifedi astutely observed, "Land has transitioned from being the primary barrier to becoming just one of many access points in agriculture's sophisticated value chain." This paradigm shift opens unprecedented opportunities for Africa's youth to engage with the sector through technology, innovation and specialized expertise rather than land inheritance

Malawi and Africa at large stands at a crossroads. The tired debate about land ownership must give way to a revolutionary vision where agriculture transcends dirt and hoes to become a dynamic, tech-driven ecosystem of infinite possibilities. Our youth are not abandoning farming, they are courageously chasing dignity, innovation, and wealth creation in smarter ways. The pivotal question has changed: It is no longer about parceling out plots, but about unlocking a universe where a young Malawian with a smartphone can optimize crop yields better than her grandparents’ generation ever imagined where tractor operators earn more than office clerks, and where food scientists transform traditional crops into global superfoods.

This is the radical future taking shape: one where agriculture merges with artificial intelligence, where blockchain secures farmers’ incomes, and where vertical farms in urban centers reconnect cities to their rural roots. The true potential of African agriculture does not lie buried in soil, it sparkles in the eyes of the young graduate developing drought-resistant seeds, the hustler building a cold chain logistics network, and the village teen who codes the next agri-marketplace app. When history looks back on this moment, let it record that we did not chain our youth to outdated models, but set them free to redefine an entire sector. The land will always matter but the minds working it matter infinitely more.

The End

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are solely the author's and do not represent any affiliated organizations. This content reflects personal analysis only. Readers should verify information independently before applying any ideas discussed. For official positions, consult the relevant organizations directly.