The Vital Role of Young People in a Regenerative Food Systems Transition
6 March 2025
Bernard Loolasho (back row, second on right) with members of Kenya’s Indigenous Youth Network. Photo sourced from: https://ajws.org/blog/unity-is-our-strength-inside-kenyas-growing-movement-of-indigenous-leaders/
Bernard Loolasho is an Indigenous leader, with a focus on conservation and food systems. He currently serves as a Co-ordinator for Kenya’s Indigenous Youth Network, an organisation that aims to meaningfully include youth in decision-making. He’s also the Founder and Executive Director of the Laikipia North Community Conservation Initiative (LANCCI), which champions the protection and conservation of flora and fauna, and educates communities on effective and sustainable land use practices.
In 2024, Bernard spoke at our convening in Nairobi, Kenya – co-hosted with ECI-Africa – about the barriers to getting indigenous young people involved in regenerative and agroecological food systems, and how we can address them. He shares some of these insights in this blog.
Young people make up around 18% of the global population, and in Africa this figure is even higher – reaching around 40%. With figures this high, young people will likely represent a significant proportion of regenerative food consumers and can therefore play an important role in influencing the regenerative food systems of the future.
Youth not only play a vital role in ensuring the food they consume is healthy, but also that it is harmonious with nature. They have the potential to support and drive sustainable food systems that have minimal impact on the environment. But despite having a considerable role to play, young people currently face significant and unique barriers that prevent them from participating effectively in the design and scaling of regenerative food systems.
One of their biggest barriers is limited land access, with very few young people having access to the land required for sustainable, regenerative farming. Improved access to land would allow young farmers to implement regenerative and agroecological practices that can improve soil health, increase biodiversity, and enhance ecosystem resilience, as well as providing positive economic outcomes such as improved yields, agritourism and educational initiatives. This can be achieved in a number of ways, including repurposing underutilized or degraded lands, creating government-supported leasing schemes where youth can lease public or private land at affordable rates for agricultural use, and providing low-interest loans and grants to help young people purchase land for farming.
These economic benefits could have a knock-on effect, making farming more attractive and viable for young people and encouraging them to pursue it as a career. A recent report from Regen10 and PELUM Kenya also shows how regenerative transitions can drive long-term economic growth in Kenya’s farming communities, inspiring younger audiences to pursue a career in regenerative and agroecological farming.
To unlock these benefits, young people also need access to affordable finance – this is a ‘golden goose’ that can transform interactions that young people have within regenerative food systems. Policies need to get local young people and communities engaged in sustainable practices, including by promoting funding streams and supporting start-ups in regenerative agriculture. Governments can help young people by providing direct financial support through subsidies and grants specifically aimed at young farmers. Tax incentives and low-interest loans can also reduce the financial burden presented by the costs of land acquisition, equipment, and initial set up.
However, young pastoralists that are already practicing agroecology and regenerative agriculture also face unique challenges in Kenya, particularly around food security. These farmers must often first focus on meeting the food needs of their communities before they consider commercialization, which prevents them from investing further in sustainable and more-resilient food systems, and affects their livelihoods.
This is why, at Kenya’s Indigenous Youth Network, we are working on a number of initiatives that can strengthen food security, such as beekeeping – thriving bee populations and their pollination can boost yields and improve the quality of many different crops. By addressing the issue of food security, we can help ensure that young regenerative farmers and their communities receive economic, social and environmental benefits for their vital work.
Organizations such as Regen10 and Kenya’s Indigenous Youth Network can play a vital role in addressing the barriers that young people face. Developing evidence-based advocacy and research tools with support from governments, the private sector and investors will increase engagement in regenerative agriculture to transform public viewpoints and institutional policy. These changes can, in time, encourage inclusive and just transitions that incorporate the needs of young people.
