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Including conflict-affected youth in agri-food chains: agribusiness in northern Uganda

2014; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 14; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/14678802.2014.902188

1478-1174

Sarah Drost, Jeroen van Wijk, Diederik de Boer,

Agriculture, Land Use, Rural Development

AbstractFarming and agribusiness could help employ and reintegrate conflict-affected youth in regions recovering from civil conflict. This study addresses the constraints for youth to engage themselves in agribusiness in the worst conflict-affected regions of northern Uganda. Specifically, it explores to what extent beekeeping and honey business offer viable socio-economic opportunities to formerly displaced youth. Using a value chain approach, the study draws on in-depth interviews with 23 (young) key stakeholders in the honey value chain, document analysis and focus group discussions. The results suggest that apiculture business can create employment for conflict-affected youth in northern Uganda due to the relatively low entry barriers, a young enthused vanguard and higher returns per unit input compared to other agricultural sectors in the region. However in order to succeed, this group requires support from community elders, government and business facilitators, because, due to their age and war background, these youngsters face the common constraints to farming and agribusiness, but at higher degrees of severity. AcknowledgementsThe authors would like to thank the IS Academy 'Human Security in Fragile States' for sponsoring the research and Dr Basil Mugonola, lecturer at Gulu University in Uganda, for providing logistical support.Notes 1. The New York Times, 'African Rebel Leader Said to be Considering Surrender', 21 November 2013. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/22/world/africa/african-rebel-leader-said-to-be-considering-surrender.html?_r = 2& [Accessed December 2013]. 2.CitationAnnan et al., 'Civil War, Reintegration and Gender'; CitationBaines et al., 'Death is Painful'; CitationBorzello, 'Challenge of DDR'. 3.CitationAnnan et al., 'State of Youth'; CitationAnnan et al., 'Civil War, Reintegration and Gender'; CitationBlattman and Annan, 'Consequences of Child Soldiering'. 4. Acholi definition of youth derived from CitationAnnan et al., 'State of Youth': 'young people between the ages of 14–30 years'. Generally across Africa, a marriage marks the transition from youth to adulthood. 5.CitationIsmail and Alao, 'Youths in the Interface'. 6.CitationAnyidoho et al., 'Young People and Policy Narratives', 11. 7.CitationSID, 'Being Young in the GHEA'. 8.CitationAhaibwe et al., Youth Engagement in Agriculture; CitationBitzer et al., 'Partnering to Facilitate'; cf. CitationCramer and Richards, 'Violence and War'; CitationDe Boer and Tarimo, 'Business-Community Partnerships'; CitationVan Wijk and Kwakkenbos, 'Beer Multinationals'. 9. Cf. CitationBray, 'Role of Private Sector Actors'; CitationDCED, 'Private Sector Development'; CitationUSAID, 'Analysis of the Fisheries Sector'; CitationUSAID, 'Conflict-Sensitive Approaches'; CitationUSAID: 'Synthesis of Practical Lessons'. 10. BBC News, 'Uganda Fights for Honey Sales', 26 November 2002. Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2499465.stm [Accessed December 2013]. 11. See Hussein, Beekeeping in Africa. Available at: http://www.beekeeping.com/apiacta/beekeeping_africa.htm [Accessed 7 January 2014]. 12. Acholi subregion refers to the region traditionally inhabited by the ethnic group Acholi. It is composed of the present-day Ugandan districts of Gulu, Kitgum and Pader, as well as the newly created districts of Amuru, Nwoya, Lamwo and Agago. 13. See CitationAllen and Vlassenroot, Lord's Resistance Army for a complete overview of the LRA insurgency. One source of deep-seated grievance among some Acholi is the ignorance of the peace agreements signed in Nairobi between Uganda's President Yuweri Museveni and Tito Okello. See CitationAllen and Vlassenroot, Lord's Resistance Army, 7. 14.CitationAllen and Vlassenroot, Lord's Resistance Army; CitationDoom and Vlassenroot, 'Kony's Message'; CitationVan Acker, 'Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army'. 15. One interpretation is that Kony—faced with a deficit of volunteers, unwilling population and a number of different enemies—relied on increased violence against civilians of his own tribe for his group's material and social survival. See CitationAllen and Vlassenroot, Lord's Resistance Army, 18. The internal cleansing between—in the eyes of Kony—'genuine' and 'false' Acholi is another interpretation. See CitationAllen and Vlassenroot, Lord's Resistance Army, 40. 16. 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