Youth Co-operatives Participation Gap:

Abstract

Youth engagement in agriculture and co-opera-tive ventures in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remains low, de-spite the sector's potential for economic and community de-velopment. This study investigates whether low youth partic-ipation is attributable to insufficient factors of production or a lack of innovative strategies, or a combination of both, within coffee-based co-operative supporting organisations in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania. A multiple case study de-sign was employed, involving four cases. Data were collected qualitatively using key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and observations, guided by the principle of de-scriptive saturation. Thematic analysis was utilised to identify and interpret recurring themes through the review of tran-scripts, generation of initial codes from transcripts and litera-ture, and visualisation of patterns. Themes were reviewed for commonalities, clearly defined, and labelled. Interpretations and implications were drawn in accordance with the study's theoretical framework and research questions. The findings affirm that limited youth participation in agricultural co-op-eratives stems from restricted access to land and financial cap-ital, compounded by a lack of innovative engagement strate-gies from supporting organisations. The absence of youth-tar-geted programmes and comprehensive support structures, including mentorship and entrepreneurship training, was also identified. It is concluded that limited youth participation results from both restricted access to essential factors of production and a lack of innovative strategies tailored to engage and motivate youth. Coffee-based co-operative support or-ganisations should develop collaborative initiatives to facilitate youth access to land and establish spe-cialised training hubs and clubs to provide education, innovations, mentorship, and support within the coffee farming value chain and co-operative practices.