Seeds of Change: How Youth and Women Are Revolutionising Farming in East Africa

In the sunbaked fields of Busia County, Kenya, a young woman named Julieth Shombe bends over rows of groundnuts, her hands sorting seeds that promise higher yields and better lives. Just a few years ago, she was financially dependent on her husband's maize farm, and her dreams of further education stalled.

Today, she's managing a seed centre, earning thousands of dollars, and mentoring others. This is a rare success story; it is the ripple effect of an innovative model that addressed one of agriculture's toughest challenges: delivering quality seeds to remote farmers.

In Kenya and Tanzania, smallholders struggle with many barriers, but a behaviour-focused approach is turning the tide, empowering women and youth while boosting food security. This good news is documented in the Applied Communicator. Dr Catherine Lengewa of the Centre for Behaviour Change and Communication (CBCC) conducted the study, titled “Last-Mile Solutions for Quality Seed Adoption: A Behaviour-Led Youth and Women Quality Centres Model”.  

The study integrates communication theories into practical farming hubs, treating mindset shifts as essential as seeds themselves. Its significance is that in regions where "women's crops" like finger millet are undervalued, the model flips the script, creating inclusive enterprises that inspire grassroots efforts as well as global pursuits, such as those set out in the UN Sustainable Development Goals for gender equality and zero hunger.

The root of the issue: why quality seeds stay out of reach

Smallholder farmers in remote Tanzania and Kenya face a tangled web of obstacles. Under-investment in dryland crops such as groundnut, sorghum, and finger millet weakens supply chains, prompting agro-dealers to skip costly last-mile deliveries and leaving markets thin. Gender norms exacerbate this: women provide much of the labour but have little say over inputs or income, dampening incentives. Cultural fears, low literacy, and risk aversion reinforce reliance on home-saved seeds, yielding poor harvests and perpetuating poverty.

Globally, this mirrors challenges in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond, where 80% of food comes from small farms, yet seed access lags. The study, part of the AVISA project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and led by CIMMYT with CBCC, TARI, and KALRO, aims to restructure supply and demand through women-led and youth-led enterprises.

A behaviour-led revolution: the YWQC model in action

Grounded in the socio-ecological model, the approach addresses individual mindsets (knowledge, risks), social norms (gender roles, peers), and structures (access, finance). It draws on the diffusion of innovations by showcasing early adopters, on behavioural economics via nudges such as SMS reminders, and on integrated marketing for consistent messaging.

At the core are Youth and Women Quality Centres (YWQCs): community or co-op hubs run by trained locals. These multi-service nodes offer certified seeds, fertilisers, equipment leasing, training, market links, and behaviour change communication. 2021 behavioural study-informed strategies: mass media campaigns such as Tanzania's Kizazi Cha Mabadiliko (Generation of Change) reached 2 million through radio songs emphasising yields, while Kenya's Ukulima Sure (Secure Farming) sparked curiosity among 700,000, driving demo participation.

Youth champions (45 in Tanzania, 34 in Kenya) led peer meetings and home visits, reaching 12,000 and training 5,386. Fifty-five demo plots enabled farmers to witness differences in germination and yields firsthand. Gender-intentional design prioritised women and youth in leadership (60% representation), with dialogues challenging norms such as male-only control over sales.

Partnerships amplified impact: Breeders supplied seeds, certifiers ensured quality, companies co-invested in demos, and financiers piloted credit. This holistic fusion sets YWQCs apart from standard agro-dealers, embedding communication to catalyse change.

Harvesting results: from awareness to empowerment

Endline data reveal transformative outcomes. In Tanzania, awareness of improved varieties reached 75% for sorghum and 82% for groundnut (vs. <10% in controls); adoption rose to 26.7% and 32.7%; purchases reached 25-30%. In Kenya, awareness soared to 99.6%, adoption to 75.3%, yields up by 40%, incomes up by 39%—with 98% planning to continue.

Socially, 60% of participants were women or youth; seed entrepreneurs grew from 0 to 36. In Busia, women led four centres, normalising their roles. Cultural fears around finger millet in Teso South faded through evidence-based dialogues.

Structurally, nine hubs trained 7,670 people (60% women), produced 37 tonnes of seed, created 256 jobs, and cultivated 4,221 hectares valued at $4.43 million. Once-neglected areas now buzz with micro-markets.

The study identified some of the challenges farmers face, such as late supplies, which weaken adoption; certification costs, which affect grain sales; and the slow shift in norms. Some of the solutions the study suggested include adaptive timing and the use of success stories, such as those of women like Julieth.

The study echoes successes such as Ethiopia's community seed banks, which demonstrate that scalable models can lift marginalised groups.

Stories of transformation: real faces behind the change

The case of Julieth Shombe from Tanzania's Songwe Region shows that, before the project, she relied on her husband's maize. After training as a champion, she now manages Ihanda YWQC, which serves 3,000 farmers. She has increased seed production from 0.75 to 3.33 tonnes, earning $3,960. Now financially independent, she funds her education and mentors youth. 

Joseph Gambi from Ukwile village in Busia is another success story. From half an acre of low-yield groundnuts, he expanded to 4.5 acres after training. Co-founding a centre, he reached 600 farmers and supplied over two tonnes of seed. He generated $4,000.

These narratives highlight the model's power in fostering independence

Lessons for a greener future: actionable insights

The YWQC model, replicated in Uganda for rice and beans, integrates capacity building, distribution, technology, and finance with policy links. It shows that behaviour-led platforms drive inclusive growth when communities lead.

The YWQC model has demonstrated its strength by adapting across crops and geographies, from sorghum and groundnuts in Tanzania to finger millet in Kenya, and even through replication in Uganda across the rice and bean value chains. Its sustainability rests on a blend of enabling investments, including capacity building, input distribution, post-harvest technologies, and microfinance, alongside firm policy and institutional anchoring within extension plans and seed strategies. 

This experience shows that when communities lead and build trust, behaviour-led platforms can drive inclusive growth. With sustained investment and supportive policies, YWQCs can enhance food security and improve livelihoods for smallholder farmers. Some measures that can be employed include:

• Design for the Ecosystem: Address individual, social, and structural barriers together—pair awareness with supply, like global integrated farming programs.

• Prioritise Local Leadership: Nurture women/youth in governance to build trust and shift norms, as seen in Kenyan women's centers.

• Time It Right: Sync campaigns and stock with planting seasons; use demos to let farmers "see to believe."

• Diversify and Sustain: Offer multiple services (seeds, equipment) and streamline certification for viability.

• Scale Smart: Standardise tools and partner ecosystems for expansion, ensuring de-risked purchases via small packs and credit.

With investment, YWQCs can enhance food security worldwide. In East Africa, they're not just planting seeds—they're sowing empowerment.