Youth (Un)employment and Large-Scale Agricultural Land Investments: Examining the Relevance of Indigenous Institutions and Capacity in Tanzania

Abstract

Africa’s agricultural transformation through large-scale agricultural land investments (LALIs) aims at increasing production; create employment opportunities, and enhance infrastructure development. After years of ‘experimentation’ and incentives to investors to boost this transformation process, the expected transformation has not translated adequately to increased job opportunities for the active population, particularly the youth. This study engages the Living Standard Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) to provide empirical insights to this disconnect. Using the Tanzania case study, the study shows that the occurrence of LALIs has not effectively delivered on its expectations of employment creation for the youths mainly influenced by the framework and capacity of indigenous institutions. The chapter presents some recommendations on how informal institutions and local capacity can be harnessed to ensure that LALIs create youth employment opportunities in Tanzania.