Youth and Women In Agriculture Role Models and Champions November 2013 2014 Youth and Women in Agriculture role model Awards contest, as one of TGFA initiative which need to recognise, share and then awarding best practices initiatives made by youth and women Champions in Agriculture transformation and sector performance in Tanzania. Concept Note
A Concept Note for: Awarding Youth and Women in Agriculture Role Models Champions 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background information Embracing Farming as Livelihood business Agriculture is a source of income of many Tanzanians especially in rural area and it is the major economic activity of the larger population. Smallholder agriculture has enormous potential to make significant contributions to economic development and poverty reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa Tanzania being among them. It is the largest single source of economic livelihoods, employing up to 80% of the rural population as estimated in recent World Bank and FAO assessments (World Bank, 2012). There is a number of projects and programs targeting agriculture productivity in order to address food security and youth unemployment. However agriculture is considered as informal sector and it is characterized by low and sporadic pay and underemployment. Yet its potentiality has remained unrealized, largely because women and youths who constitute the majority players in smallholder food production remain unrecognized and unsupported by agricultural policy and development interventions. The potential role played by women and those emerging role of Youths in Agriculture is crucial and need to be accounted. Therefore Youth and Women in Agriculture role model Awards contest, as one of the initiative which need to recognise, share and then awarding best practices initiatives made by youth and women Champions towards Agriculture transformation and sector performance in Tanzania. 2. THE RATIONALE AND ORGANIZATION OF THE INNITIATIVE Following the declaration of 2014 as the UN "Year of Family Farming" and by AU as the "Year of Agriculture and Food Security in Africa" and recently launching of #DO AGRIC It PAYS campaign, Tanzania Youth in Agribusiness Forum (TYIAF) with support from key stakeholders, brings more attention to key players especially Youth who are many and a working labour force in Tanzania as well as and women who are mostly involved in small scale farming. Prior to the increasing number of small scale farmers and youth supporting projects initiatives made by government, private and civil society organisations still there is a need to recognize, advocate for and applause their contribution in agriculture development in Tanzania as far as Africa is concerned. Tanzania Graduate Farmers Association (TGFA) through its youth support program develop this initiative which will involve other players as the way towards recognizing the role played by youth and Women in Agriculture as food security is concern while sharing the success, challenges and suggested solutions for creating conducive environment for involving and including youth and women in Agriculture development programs.
Doing so it requires documenting the success, achievements, challenges and suggested solutions to development of the Agriculture sector while embracing 2014 year of Agriculture and bringing more attention to Government and other stakeholders to support Youth and Women Champions in Agriculture who are key references to attract local and foreign investors in the sector. Many of Youth and women are involved in Agriculture value chains and many doing it in small scale despite of facing so many challenges some of them has able to succeed by realising profits and expansion which enable the society to be assured with food stuffs and employment. A number of interesting opportunities supported by multi-prolonged approaches such as advocacy, social events, competitions, resource and technical assistances which provide a wide range of opportunities for agriculture sector development to address food security as well as the creation of decent jobs for youth. It is expected that this contest will act as a motivation to the existing youth and women led agriculture enterprises while challenging their level of administration and operating environment such as policy and regulation arena. Also it will result in creating social awareness for practical advantage in usage of internet especially social media as the way to communicate, connect and networking leading into strengthening awareness of promoting science and technology in marketing which will attract potential customers, partnerships, collaborations and media relations. The initiative hosted by Tanzania Graduate Farmers Association in collaboration with Growing Together, The real voice business Inspiration Forum, Ziggy supermarket, Fresh From Shamba andyouth in Agribusiness Blog expecting to get support and sponsorship from different stakeholders include government ministries, departments, authorities, agencies, private sector organizations, International Organizations, NGOs, CBOs, FBOs as well as Individual support so as to enable meet the objectives. 3. AIM OF THE INITIATIVE The initiative seeks to excite youths and women who are in Agriculture and farm related value chains and those with interest in Agribusiness about best practices to Agriculture value chains which can provide unique and workable solutions to challenges facing youth and women such as unemployment, food security and broad livelihood options. It will also provide opportunity to develop and maintain productivity, product quality, capturing and growing new markets, connect with stakeholders, understanding the capacity to move up the value chain, developing profitable enterprises, financing businesses and mobilizing policy and institutional support. Also projects and programmes such as CAADP, ASDP, SAGCOT and Now BRN have the potentials for opportunities to invest in due to availability of local markets, regional markets such as EAC, SADC EU Everything but Arms, AGOA, as well as increase of Nutritional and Food awareness thus resulted from education and/or trainings, project supports, e- marketing and e-commerce the initiative will assist in addressing challenges of Marketing and Promotions, Customer Relations as well as reduce importation of food products and inadequacy.
3.1.1 General Objective To promote and acknowledge the role played by successful youth and women who are directly involved in Agriculture value chains in Tanzania and Africa at large. Specific Objectives: 1. To collect, share, measure and assess the best practices of profitable farm business managed and operated by youth and women in Tanzania. 2. To identify the best practices which have the potential to replicated by youth and women in their respective communities and increase agricultural productivity and ihence improve livelihood condition. 3. Promote youth and women decent job creation through agribusiness farming. 4. To embrace farmers entrepreneurship and role played by women in food security. 5. Improve the communication of science, technology and innovation issues, as it relates to economic development and specifically agriculture and value addition. 6. To embrace and acknowledge the role played (initiatives) by different youth and women in promoting and develop the agriculture sector. 7. Increase media interest in, and coverage of, agricultural and rural development issues and more specifically their relevance to self employment, entrepreneurship, science and technology in Tanzania. 4. Overall Outcome Specifically to bring all the youth and women champions and role models in Agriculture by recognizing their niche contribution in Agriculture and enterprise development that to share their success, achievements, challenges and suggested solutions for replication which can be taped by interested groups and individuals in making farming as a livelihood business. It will also bring key players and stakeholders around the table so as create and strengthening the coordination of supporting small scale farmers stressing youth and women. It will also provide the chance to influence partnerships, recognize the role of youth and women in agriculture that to motivate and reward them through competition for their performance, while advocating for youth promote youth resource centres and research works. The initiative will also be one of the way for embracing 2014 year of Agriculture and Food security as to push for Youth and women inclusion while addressing the pan African campaign of Do Agric. 5. CATEGORIES: There will be two categories one for youth aged 16-32 years and women aged 16-50 years and thus youth women will have two opportunities to be contesting for this award. All the information will be submitted in online platforms through web based which will be shared to blogs and social media pages.
Criteria s ranges from Agriculture related chains that has and or will have the chance to be replicated by youths or women whether in groups or individually and can have positive impact in the society etc thus in sectors for inclusive value chains are to be based on: 1. Horticulture 2. Cereals 3. Innovation ( Science and Technology) 4. Aqua culture 5. Diary Farming 6. Poultry 7. Leadership (Institutional Support) 8. Green Economy (Inclusive Business, Recycling 5.1 Value chains sub sectors 1. Production (Quality and Quantity) 2. BDS 3. Input Supply 4. Marketing 5. Technical Assistance 6. Promotion and Advertisement 7. Leadership 8. Value Additions 9. Sustainable Techniques 10. Green Economy 11. GAP 12. Bloggers 13. Content creators 6. ELIGIBILITY AND GUIDELINE FOR PARTICIPATION All youth between 16-32 years and women between 28-50 years who led business enterprises/ projects whether operated in individual or group (registered or unregistered (must state) & location as well as Group or local operated company (rural or urban). The application form has to be filled and submission to be done by group leader, director, communication, volunteer (collect stories and help in submission), interview, content creators, bloggers. Youth and Women and Role models can nominate and submit their details independently while those who will have no chance to do so ( due to incapacity to internet use and software) they can be able to do so through nomination and volunteers submission followed by phone call interview if necessary. The submitted information s will be used as the criteria to select the best business enterprise which can have the potential to be replicated by other interested youth and women in the society so as to bring their attention and attracting them in investing and self employment in Agribusiness. This initiative for collecting and identify Youth and Women role model champions in Agriculture which their enterprises will have the potential to be replicated by interested youth and women in the society has specialized in Agriculture and Farm related subsectors which include value chains operated in Rural and urban Cereal and Cash crop, fruits and vegetable, Poultry and apiculture, agro forestry, BDS, Advisory services, promotion and advertisement etc. TGFA and its partners will recognize by awarding certificates to participants/ contesters, volunteers and promoters while give the chance to promote and advertise products and services offered by top 5 regional best performing youth and women agribusiness enterprise. It is also envisage that as more partners will be interested in this initiative prizes like money, machinery, business development and managerial capacity building will be provided to best enterprise that will have the potential to be replicated. Deadline for nomination is 15/5/2014 and details submission is 15/6/2014.
Thus the initiative is organized in the framework of the TGFA Youth support Program, which aims to mobilize and raise youth awareness and improve their capacity to enterprising in agricultural as farming is concerned. TGFA approach using social events, inspirational talks, financial and business management, business concept and idea competition using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) packaged in user friends manuals so they can tap into agribusiness opportunities available. TGFA in collaboration with Growing Together, The real voice business Inspiration Forum, Ziggy supermarket, Fresh From Shamba andyouth in Agribusiness Blog looking to promote and award successful agribusiness enterprises owned youth and women as Youth and women role model/ champions in Agriculture as the way to voluntarily recognizing the role they play in the development of the sector which is one of the engine of the economic growth for the nation. The agriculture Role Models and champions in Agriculture will be identified in three ways using online platforms. One can participate in this interesting initiative through: 1. Voluntary nomination by key stakeholders and key players 2. Self submission by role model (youth or women) 3. Youth volunteers who will get the chance to interview and document the Youth and Women role model information TGFA and its partners will recognize by awarding certificates to participants/ contesters, volunteers and promoters while give the chance to promote and advertise products and services offered by top 5 regional best performing youth and women agribusiness enterprise. It is also envisage that as more partners will be interested in this initiative prizes like money, machinery, business development and managerial capacity building will be provided to best enterprise that will have the potential to be replicated. Deadline for nomination is 15/5/2014 and details submission is 15/6/2014. Contact person for this initiative are: Juma Bruno Ngomuo Ernest Thomas Likoko Hemedy Juma Msofe TGFA-Project Coordination TYIAF Representative FFST Volunteer jumabngomuo@gmail.com erneyliko@yahoo.com hemedijmsofe@gmail.com cc: tgfa_tz@yahoo.com +255 753 843 321 +255 787 024 645 +255 767 657 275