Employment and livelihoods: Connecting Africa’s rural and urban areas for rural revitalization

Improvements in rural employment opportunities, both on-farm and off-farm, are essential to rural revitalization. This chapter explores the potential for creating more and better rural jobs in agriculture, agribusiness, and other rural-based businesses in Africa south of the Sahara, where the rural population is growing and poverty is prevalent. Market links to urban areas will be vital to better livelihoods. Connectivity through an expanding road system and information and communications technologies (ICTs) in Africa is bringing people closer to markets, but more investment is needed. A territorial approach designed to further integrate rural economies with secondary cities and small towns shows promise for generating rural employment and transforming rural areas. For Asia, especially among youth populations, expansion of ICTs can provide the connectivity needed to spur rural revitalization.