The report, titled “Mechanization for Africa: Innovative Financing for Agricultural Transformation and Job Creation for Youth”, examines the role and benefits of agricultural innovation, mechanization and funding in empowering smallholder farming communities in Africa, while creating new opportunities in agriculture for Africa’s youth. “Small farmers are the backbone of Africa’s food systems, accounting for up to 80 percent of food production in sub-Saharan Africa,” said Adesuwa Ifedi, Senior Vice President of Africa Programs at Heifer. “Equipping them with the right tools and resources, including adequate and sustainable mechanization, is essential to increasing productivity,” she added. The report shows that access to tractors increased smallholder farmers’ incomes by 227 percent.
