La place des jeunes africains sur les périmètres irrigués dans un contexte de libéralisation et de partenariat public privé : le cas des jeunes agriculteurs du delta du fleuve Sénégal

Abstract

This article analyzes different approaches to establishing rural youth in irrigation areas in the Senegal
 River delta in the context of new hydro-agricultural developments and massive land acquisitions by agrobusiness.
 Government-led irrigation projects introduced in the 1960s distributed free 0.2-hectare plots of
 land to young workers from the surrounding region. However, in the 1980s, Senegal took a liberal turn
 that led to a shift from public-sector to private-sector initiatives. As a result, young workers, who often
 lack the means necessary to acquire land, have found it much more challenging to pursue farming in
 irrigation areas. Since 2006, few young farmers have acquired any of the 5,000 hectares of new irrigated
 farmland developed through programs based on the public-private partnership model. At the same time,
 agro-industry growth has provided young people with many temporary and precarious employment
 opportunities.
 
 Based on surveys of farmers and agricultural workers in the Senegal River delta, we show how young
 people find it increasingly difficult to acquire land or secure adequate employment in the agricultural
 sector. In addition, we demonstrate that access to irrigated land, as opposed to salaried agricultural work,
 represents the most effective strategy for poverty reduction.