Factors Influencing Youth Participation in Agricultural Co-Opearative Societies in The Northern Region, Burundi

Abstract

Youth participation in Agricultural Co-operative Societies (ACS) is crucial for both cooperative development and socio-economic progress. However, their involvement in ACS remains limited. This study aimed to assess the factors influencing youth participation in agricultural co-operative societies within the northern region of Burundi. Specifically, the study sought to assess the level of awareness among youth regarding ACS in the study area, to examine the cultivation related co-operative activities in which youth are involved, to establish the costs and benefits associated with their participation and examine the socio-economic factors influencing their engagement in ACS. The research adopted a cross-sectional research design, involving a sample of 332 respondents selected through purposive, simple random and convenience sampling. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected using questionnaires, interview guides and focus group discussion guides. Through IBM SPSS version 25 and Excel, descriptive statistics analysis was used for quantitative data while content analysis was employed for qualitative data. The study applied Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) analysis to evaluate the costs and benefit of youth participation in ACS while a binary logistic regression model was used to examine socio-economic factors influencing youth participation in ACS. Results indicated low awareness level among youth regarding ACS with an average mean index of 2.23 and aligning standard deviation of 1.35. Notably, crops like beans (42%), vegetables (15.6%), rice cultivation (13%) and maize (9.3%) were the most cultivation related co-operative activities in which youth are involved. The BCR demonstrated a positive return on investment in ACS (BCR=1.6), indicating a viable venture. Socioeconomic factors such as access to market (p= 0.020), access to credit (p=0.049), access to land (p=0.034), education level (p=0.037) and profitability (p=0.027) emerged as key predictors influencing youth engagement in ACS. In conclusion, youth's limited membership in ACS stemmed from lower level of awareness, negative perceptions and adherence to traditional co-operative models. Recommendations include increasing awareness among youth through initiatives by different stakeholders in ACS. Additionally, changing from traditional model to entrepreneurial model, the study recommended to government establishing a Ministry of Co-operative and Small and Medium Enterprises, along with a co-operative university.