Determinants of youth participation in agriculture in Tanzania Southern Highlands: evidence from a GEE model

In Tanzania, the growing participation of the youth in agricultural activities is critical for achieving food security, reducing unemployment levels among the youth in the rural areas, and achieving sustainable development. Yet, despite the fact that the agricultural sector is a major economic sector in the Southern Highlands, including the Iringa and Mbeya areas, the participation rate of the youth is very low. The aim of this study was to evaluate the participation rate of the youth in agricultural production and the major socioeconomic and infrastructure variables that drive the participation rate. The study adopted the Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) model using the Integrated Labour Force Survey 2020/2021 data collected by the National Bureau of Statistics, focusing on the youth belonging to the age bracket of 15 to 35 years old. The GEE method accounts for within-cluster correlation and produces robust population-averaged results. The study established that the participation rate of the youth in agricultural production is affected by age and sex demographic variables and socioeconomic variables like sector, access to water sources and distance.