At the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is the ambition to achieve Zero Hunger through the transformation of food systems. Africa’s youth population has often been described as a double-edged sword—a curse if the continent fails to address poverty, hunger, and rising youth unemployment, but a blessing if their energy is harnessed to drive local, national, and global goals.

I have sat in high-level meetings where the issue of youth engagement has featured prominently. In Lusaka, Zambia, during the review of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy 2025-2034, which was approved in Kampala early this year, youth engagement was a central theme. In Kigali, Rwanda, during the 2024 Africa Food Systems Forum, youth participation was equally prioritized. However, the process of building a strong coalition of young people in food systems has yet to fully take shape—partly due to institutional silos and lack of coordination.

In the Africa Continental TVET Strategy 2025-2034, one of the key challenges identified is the lack of skills anticipation and forecasting to account for emerging trends in the world of work. Yet, as envisioned in the strategy, TVET institutions are meant to be the drivers of Africa’s development. In Kenya, the TVET Act 2013 established technical institutions in each of the 290 constituencies. Given that many young people do not attain the prerequisite grades to transition to universities, TVETs remain crucial hubs for acquiring technical skills.

From a systems approach perspective, every technical skill obtained contributes to food systems transformation. A food system is a continuum of different activities and actors—from production to consumption.

Take, for example, the water sector. As I have previously written in this column, water is both an essential element and a catalyst for agri-food system transformation. One of the major challenges in food systems across Kenya and Africa is an overreliance on rain-fed agriculture. Establishing and enhancing irrigation systems could significantly improve food production while also serving as a climate change adaptation strategy.

However, achieving this requires bold investments in technical skills. That is why, in last week’s column, I called for enhanced investment in TVETs to address climate change.

Given that Kenya is heavily reliant on the agri-food sector, TVET institutions must be placed at the centre of food systems transformation. Their role is especially critical because they house a large population of young people who can drive this change.

TVETs have traditionally been seen as a fallback option, but this perception is changing. More and more young people—including those who qualify for university—are choosing technical education because of its direct impact on livelihoods and development.

To ensure that TVETs effectively contribute to food systems transformation, we must actively showcase how various technical skills apply to solving sustainable development challenges. This is why I have initiated and am actively advocating for #TVETMovementKe—a call for a nationwide shift in mindset, investment, and collaboration to position TVET institutions as engines of sustainable development in rural areas.

— The writer is a UN global food systems Youth Leader, Vocational and Technical Trainer, and Communication Consultant