Challenges

Tanzania and Uganda face serious food security issues caused by low farm productivity, poor infrastructure, climate shocks, and high post-harvest losses — up to 40% of food is wasted. Poverty, rising food prices, and ongoing malnutrition make access to food even harder. These problems are getting worse with climate change. At the same time, both countries have fast-growing youth populations, but too few decent jobs.

Many young people turn to entrepreneurship, but often without the skills, support, or resources to succeed. To tackle the linked challenges of youth unemployment, hunger, and climate change, it is vital to give young people hands-on training in agribusiness, value addition, and climate-smart farming. They also need mentoring, coaching, and support to attract investment. With the right help, youth-led businesses can grow and offer solutions that improve food systems and support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Toward a Solution

The Innovate4FoodSecurity (I4FS) project responds to the intertwined challenges of youth unemployment, food insecurity, and climate change in Uganda and Tanzania. It empowers young people to build scalable businesses along the agricultural value chain, contributing to the achievement of SDGs 1 (No Poverty), 2 (Zero Hunger), 4 (Quality Education), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), 13 (Climate Action), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

The project is a collaboration between StartHub Africa (Uganda) and Ennovate Ventures (Tanzania), supported by the Norwegian Agency for Exchange Cooperation (Norec). Its approach is built on the belief that if youth are equipped with practical knowledge in agribusiness — such as value addition, smart farming practices, and entrepreneurship — they can become key drivers of economic and social development.

The programme begins by exposing participants — mainly university students and recent graduates — to systemic issues and untapped opportunities in the agricultural value chain. Using design thinking, they explore these challenges from the perspectives of smallholder farmers and food system actors. This user-focused phase is followed by hands-on training based on the Lean Start-up method, where young people develop and test ideas, build minimum viable products (MVPs), and iterate based on real market feedback. After training, participants continue to receive mentorship and coaching to further refine their business ideas and build market-ready ventures.

The programme was delivered through a strong partnership between Ugandan and Tanzanian organisations. From the initial feasibility study to curriculum design and delivery, both teams worked together, ensuring the content was region-specific and relevant. Universities and industry experts were also involved, adding local knowledge and academic insight.

A key part of the initiative was the creation of a shared learning platform that allowed for South-South knowledge exchange. Participants from both countries learned from each other’s agricultural contexts and market realities. For instance, a Tanzanian participant, Jeremy, identified high demand for cashew nuts in Uganda and began exporting surplus from Tanzania, showing how cross-border insights can lead to new business opportunities. These exchanges helped both implementing partners grow their capabilities and foster regional collaboration.

The programme achieved notable outcomes:

• SDG 4.4 — 275 young people received entrepreneurship training.
• SDG 8.3 — 120 prototypes were developed by participants.
• SDG 8.6 — 27 businesses were launched and began generating income.
• SDG 9.3 — USD 15,000 was raised in total by participant-led businesses in one year.
• SDGs 17.6, 17.9, 17.16, 17.17 — Partnerships were formed with 9 universities and 7 private companies, including Makerere University and the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology.

One innovative aspect of the programme was the “50k Challenge”, where participants were given the equivalent of USD 20 and tasked with making a profit in one day. This exercise reinforced key entrepreneurial principles: starting small, acting fast, and learning quickly. It also helped boost confidence and problem-solving skills.

The initiative fostered a shift in mindset — from seeing agriculture as unattractive to recognising its potential for innovation and growth. Participants learned to see raw materials as inputs for higher-value products and to explore how local resources could be used creatively. This not only reduced dependency on imports but also encouraged youth to view their local economies with new eyes.

Sustainability is built into the initiative through long-term partnerships with universities, where incubation centres are being established to support ongoing innovation. Embedding the model within academic institutions helps ensure its continuity beyond the project life cycle.

The model is also highly replicable. Its modular approach — blending international exchange, entrepreneurship training, and post-programme support — makes it adaptable to other contexts in the Global South. Key success factors for replication include strong local partnerships, tailored training content, and active mentoring. The approach has already inspired similar interventions, such as in Namibia through RUFORUM.

Key lessons include the importance of contextual learning, peer collaboration, and small-scale experimentation. Youth-led entrepreneurship, when supported strategically, can be a powerful driver of change across borders.