Agricultural productivity in sub-Saharan Africa remains low, with millions of rural households facing food insecurity. Crop yields have seen little improvement in the last decade, while poor soil fertility and climate change worsen the situation. Despite effective techniques like integrated soil management and climate-smart agriculture, adoption rates are low.
SBAE addresses this by using youth as change agents, accelerating the diffusion of improved farming practices within families and communities. Young people are more open to new ideas, and through SBAE’s experiential learning model, they gain hands-on experience with modern techniques. As parents see the benefits of these innovations, they adopt them on their own farms.
SBAE’s approach has proven highly effective in encouraging technology adoption. A Randomized Controlled Trial in Liberia found that SBAE was 2-3 times more successful in promoting the adoption of improved farming methods among adult farmers.
