From Latin America to West Africa, young people are redefining cocoa and coffee sectors 

The average age of cocoa and coffee farmers worldwide is above 50 years old. In cocoa and coffee growing areas, young people keep turning away from agriculture due to limited access to land, financing and living incomes. In our Sustainable Cocoa and Coffee programme, we are actively responding to these challenges, placing youth empowerment and leadership at the heart of our strategies.  

While each of the regions we work in presents its own realities, a common thread runs through our approach: adapting to local needs while staying true to inclusive, sustainable development.  

Three regional cases from Latin America, West Africa, and East Africa showcase how we are cultivating inclusion through tailored strategies that address local needs and attune to voices that are all too often left unheard. 

Developing the next generation of coffee leaders in Latin America  

In many coffee-growing regions in Latin America, young people don’t always know much about coffee. They often grow up around it but have little interest on the production activities or understanding on why quality is so crucial. To bridge this gap, Rikolto created the Generation 20.30 initiative, which was launched in 2022 across Honduras, Guatemala, Ecuador, and Peru.This initiative is designed to teach young people about the entire coffee value chain.   

The introductory course “from seed to cup” covers all aspects of coffee production, with six modules in which participants explore each step of the coffee production process, from planting the seed to brewing the perfect cup of coffee. For those who already have some experience in the coffee industry, Rikolto offers specialisation courses and workshops. These advanced training sessions include diploma courses, barista certifications, and workshops on developing business plans. Some participants even receive training to become internal coffee inspectors, learning to assess quality and improve processes.

In addition to these courses, the initiative includes exchanges and innovation weeks. These provide young participants with opportunities to intern or work with cooperatives and coffee companies, giving them hands-on experience and a chance to learn about the latest technological innovations in the sector. To round out their training, Rikolto organises forums and conferences. These events serve as platforms for young people to showcase their skills and ideas, share experiences, and discuss challenges they face. These spaces promote the professionalisation of youth, while also disseminating new agricultural and digital technologies. By elevating young voices, these forums create a more inclusive and dynamic coffee sector, one where the next generation of leaders can emerge and thrive.  

In Honduras, for example, since the start of the initiative in 2022, 30 young people were trained with 16 producer organisations, and 20 of them now hold jobs or leadership roles in the coffee sector. The initiative even created space for youth-led businesses, with three enterprises managed entirely by young people. The initiative allowed to build strategic alliances such as between the pioneer RAOS organic coffee cooperative and the Honduran Coffee Institute (IHCAFE), a public institution responsible for providing technical assistance and training at different stages of the chain. This regional initiative is generating significant impact in the coffee sector. 

Mariela Dominguez is a young Honduran woman who was born into a family of coffee farmers. She has her own coffee shop and alternative businesses, such as a fish farm. Even so, she needed to learn more about the coffee cultivation phase, knowledge with which she hopes to support her family and fellow producers.  

Through the diploma course, we learned new techniques to get the most out of the crop on our plots. We were introduced to planting timber and fruit trees, such as cedar and ‘San Juan’, or citrus trees, at the right distance, and to carrying out a height study to determine which trees to plant. I am grateful to Rikolto and IHCAFÉ for this opportunity. Mariela Dominguez, young cocoa farmer 

Young people transform West Africa's cocoa sector  

In Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, we are working towards reshaping the cocoa sector with a focus on resilience and living incomes with a special emphasis on youth. 

A key strategy to empower young people in cocoa-producing communities revolves around raising awareness on available opportunities that can be tapped into, for example the formation of labour service provision groups, where young people can take on vital roles in supporting cocoa farmers. These groups are formed with carefully defined selection criteria, ensuring that those involved are both committed and capable of making a meaningful impact. Alongside this, training programmes focused on income diversification are offered, equipping both farmers and youth with the tools to select, plan, and manage alternative income streams effectively. Through this, these young people are not just participants, they’re becoming agents of change by establishing their own labour service groups, providing essential farm management services to cocoa farmers for a fee. These services are designed to improve productivity while offering young people a sustainable livelihood within their own communities.  

In the Wassa Amenfi Cocoa Landscape Initiative in Ghana, for instance, we adopt a Youth in Cocoa Services model designed to enable young people to set up businesses that provide professional labour services to cocoa farmers in their communities. 15 youth (organised into three groups) were selected and trained in pruning, spraying, safe use of pesticides and fertilisers, and other services, to take up service provision as a full-time job. We also conducted scouting for income-generating activities in this landscape, to create sustainable income opportunities in an area where people are drawn to illegal mining activities (Galamsey). The most promising market opportunities are rice milling, aquaculture, and citronella production and processing. 

In Côte d’Ivoire, through an expanding network of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), young people are seizing new economic opportunities in agriculture. Under a growing support system, 13 youth-run service providers have been professionalised, offering essential farm services across the region. As a result, 215 young people are now employed in roles such as land preparation, pruning, and spraying, bringing efficiency and innovation to cocoa and other crop production. This further also reduces their incentive to emigrate to urban areas where they may face poor/hazardous working conditions putting their lives at risk. 

These youth-led efforts are grounded in strong community structures. With 285 VSLAs supporting 7,481 members, 59% of whom are women, young entrepreneurs are gaining both financial stability and leadership experience. This model is proving that when youth are empowered with the right tools and trust, they develop resilience, confidence and become a driving force in transforming rural economies.  

Youth-led labour service groups are playing a vital role in supporting cocoa and coffee farmers, especially in countries like Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. These groups provide essential farm management services, filling critical gaps in communities where such support is often lacking. More than that, they are creating meaningful employment opportunities for young people within their own regions. And through our VSLAs, community members can now access loans to launch additional income-generating activities, building stronger, more resilient futures. Gertrude Anyoka, Project officer @ Rikolto in West Africa

Youth drive innovation in East Africa  

In East Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), youth are driving a wave of innovation that is reshaping the coffee sector. We have supported nearly 1,900 young people to take up roles in transport and handling, playing a critical role in strengthening and modernising the coffee value chain. At the same time, youth-led nurseries have flourished, generating an impressive $478,604 in seedling sales and showcasing the entrepreneurial energy sweeping through rural communities. These young changemakers are also stepping into leadership roles at the local level. Ten coffee points, all managed by young entrepreneurs, have become vital centres of economic activity and community engagement. Through their innovation and ambition, young people are not only creating meaningful employment, but they are also redefining the future of coffee in the region.