Factors Influencing Youth Involvement in Agriculture, or Exodus from This Activity, in the Chòkwé District

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing the career choice decisions of young people in secondary schools in the Chókwè District, Gaza Province, Mozambique. It used a socio-historical approach to career choice. The sample consisted of 384 students from the 1st and 2nd cycles of secondary education, selected based on accessibility. The analysis was quantitative, primarily using Spearman's correlation to test the relationship between socio-historical variables associated with young people and their choice of agriculture for training and professional careers. We then ran two logistic models to identify factors that explain career choice. The results show that early involvement in agriculture and exposure to commercial agriculture increase the likelihood that young people will choose agriculture as a profession. However, the findings also suggest that, broadly speaking, young people are driven by their perception of professional prestige, which they associate with office-based activities (referred to as intellectual work) and the comfort of cities. This confirms that choices are guided by the socio-historical context in which individuals are situated. Agriculture in Mozambique is not considered a formal and prestigious activity; it is associated with suffering rather than prosperity. This suggests a need to revolutionize and modernize agriculture to make it competitive, sustainable, and profitable, thus attracting more young people.