Review explores pathways, business models, and drivers for youth employment in Uganda’s agricultural sector

A review has explored the pathways, business models and drivers for youth employment in Africa’s agricultural sector by gaining research and insights from young people and stakeholders involved in youth empowerment activities in Uganda.

CABI

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A young agro-dealer engages with a smallholder farmer in Uganda

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Credit: Emmanuel Edupet, Media Factory Uganda for CABI

A review has explored the pathways, business models and drivers for youth employment in Africa’s agricultural sector by gaining research and insights from young people and stakeholders involved in youth empowerment activities in Uganda.

The CABI-led review, published in the journal CABI Agriculture and Bioscience, identified six key employment pathways: primary production, agri-service provision, market facilitation, value addition, agro dealership, and green entrepreneurship.

Researchers from CABI found that scalable and sustainable business models across these pathways are characterised by mechanisms such as collective action, contractual arrangements, certification schemes, and revenue-sharing strategies, which help young entrepreneurs overcome challenges related to capital, market access, and knowledge gaps.

Business model configurations enable replication across different contexts

They suggest that business model configurations like service bundling, embedded services, digital platforms, and marketplace models enhance reach and operational efficiency, enabling replication across different contexts.

Meanwhile, digital innovations, they argue, allow rapid scaling by expanding value chains into interconnected value networks. Furthermore, they state that formal and informal networks are vital for building social capital, enhancing entrepreneurial capacity, and integrating youth into dynamic agricultural value chains.

The scientists stress that long-term sustainability and scalability should be reinforced through targeted policy interventions, accessible financing, and youth-inclusive support structures that align business models with evolving market demands and ecological considerations.

Diverse aspirations, capacities, and resource endowments of young people

Dr Monica Kansiime, an author of the review and CABI’s Deputy Director, Development and Outreach, Africa, said, “Youth engagement in agribusiness presents a crucial opportunity to tackle youth unemployment in Sub-Saharan Africa while simultaneously driving the inclusive and sustainable transformation of the agricultural sector.

“The six distinct pathways identified in this study, ranging from farming and primary production to service provision, value addition, and green entrepreneurship, provide entry points that can be tailored to the diverse aspirations, capacities, and resource endowments of young people.

“These pathways, supported by innovative business models such as producer-driven, buyer-driven, and intermediary-driven approaches, are set to create value for the sector by delivering economic benefits for youth and farmers while enhancing productivity and promoting environmental sustainability.”

Address systemic constraints through strategic interventions

She added that governments and development partners must also address systemic constraints through strategic interventions such as land reforms that enable youth access to land, innovative financing mechanisms like micro-loans, and competency-based training that equips youth with technical, business, and entrepreneurial skills.

Furthermore, Dr Kansiime said digital tools, such as mobile-based extension services, mechanisation platforms, and e-commerce solutions, can improve market access, resource efficiency, and business performance.

“Ensuring equitable access to these technologies and supporting infrastructure will accelerate the growth and resilience of youth led enterprises and boost productivity. Equally important is the adoption of gender-responsive policies that lower barriers for young women, enabling their full participation and contribution to agricultural growth,” she said.

The researchers say that policies and public investments should support the diverse needs of youth across all pathways and business models – since youth often engage in multiple pathways simultaneously, a holistic and integrated approach is needed.

Dr Morris Akiri, a co-author of the review and Senior Regional Director, Africa, at CABI, said, “NGOs and other development actors, while more likely to offer specialised or short-term support, should align efforts to fill gaps and complement broader government-led initiatives.

“A coordinated, inclusive, and evidence-informed strategy will be essential to unlock the full potential of youth in agribusiness and build a vibrant, future-ready agricultural sector.”

Additional information

Main image:  A young agro-dealer engages with a smallholder farmer in Uganda (Credit: Emmanuel Edupet, Media Factory Uganda for CABI).

Full paper reference

Kansiime, M. K., Aliamo, C., Alokit, C., Rware, H., Murungi, D., Kamulegeya, P., Ssenyonga, A., Sseryazi, A., Mayambala, G., Wanjiku Kiarie, L., Kadzamira, M. A., Akiri, M., & Mulema, J. M. (2025). Pathways and business models for sustainable youth employment in agriculture: A review of research and practice in Africa. CABI Agriculture and Bioscience. https://doi.org/10.1079/ab.2025.0045

The paper can be read open access here.

Funding statement

This work is funded under CABI’s PlantwisePlus programme funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Netherlands Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS), Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC); the European Commission Directorate General for International Partnerships (INTPA, EU); the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR); and the Ministry of Agriculture of the People’s Republic of China (MARA).

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Journal

CABI Agriculture and Bioscience

DOI

10.1079/ab.2025.0045 

Method of Research

Literature review

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Pathways and business models for sustainable youth employment in agriculture: A review of research and practice in Africa

POSTMODERN INVISIBLE INK

A system for embedding invisible digital information in printed documents has been created

Research development by UC3M, MIT and Adobe

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

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Imprinto

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Credit: UC3M

A team of researchers from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Adobe Research have presented Imprinto, a system for embedding invisible digital information in printed documents using infrared ink and a special camera. This technology introduces a new generation of hybrid interfaces between paper and augmented reality.

The tool, recently presented at the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems held in Yokohama, Japan, has been developed with the aim of enabling advanced interaction with physical documents, without altering their visual appearance. “Imprinto uses an infrared ink that is invisible to the human eye but detectable by means of a near-infrared camera, such as those that can be integrated into mobile devices by simply modifying the photographic sensor,” explains one of the driving forces behind the project, Raúl García Martín, from UC3M's Department of Electronic Technology.

This technique opens the door to new methods of product traceability, document authentication, and enrichment of educational or professional content. Moreover, it all can be done without reliance on visible codes such as QR codes or adding external devices to the document.

Imprinto is part of a broader ecosystem of tools that UC3M and MIT researchers are exploring based on the possibilities of infrared technology. The authors have also developed, and are in the process of patenting, a portable camera, connectable via USB-C to any mobile device, which allows blood vessels to be observed under the skin to facilitate medical procedures. In addition, it allows biometric recognition based on the vascular patterns of the palm of the hand thanks to artificial intelligence algorithms. 

“The system, called VeinGoOne, aims to analyse the images captured in real time, allowing not only 2D visualization but also 3D reconstruction of vein depth using techniques such as stereoscopy or Time-of-Flight,” says García Martín.

Another of the developments presented by the UC3M team is BrightMarker, a system that allows invisible codes to be embedded in 3D objects using fluorescent polymers. This innovation makes it possible to print objects containing hidden digital labels, useful for industrial traceability, advanced logistics or personalized interaction in augmented reality environments without altering the appearance of the object.

These advances are part of a more ambitious vision: replacing mobile phones with Augmented Reality glasses or contact lenses, capable of recognizing and interpreting the environment using integrated infrared cameras, according to the researchers. “In this near future, technologies such as Imprinto, BrightMarker and VeinGoOne will allow users to interact with physical objects and documents in a digital, intuitive and personalized way,” concludes García Martín.

This research has been carried out thanks to the joint efforts of several institutions, in addition to UC3M, such as Adobe Research, the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, MIT, Saarland University and Virginia Tech. 

Bibliographic reference: Feick, M. Tang, X. Garcia-Martin, R. Luchianov, A. Wei Xiao Huang, R. Xiao, C. Siu, A. Doga Dogan, M. Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. Article No.: 447, Pages 1 - 18, https://doi.org/10.1145/3706598.3713286

Video: https://youtu.be/VskRydR5cIA

Indium-MOF as multifunctional promoter for fluoropolymer electrolytes in all-solid-state lithium metal batteries: A breakthrough in electrochemical stability and ionic conductivity

Shanghai Jiao Tong University Journal Center

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• Indium-based metal–organic framework (In-MOF) is proposed as a multifunctional promoter to create poly(vinylidene fluoride–hexafluoropropylene) (PVH)/In-MOF (PVH-IM) composite solid polymer electrolyte, synchronously achieving a high ionic conductivity of 1.23 × 10−3 S cm−1 and excellent electrochemical stability against Li anodes.
• In-MOF not only can adsorb and convert free residual solvents into bonded states to prevent their side reactions with Li anodes, but also induce inorganic-rich solid electrolyte interphase layers to prevent PVH from reacting with lithium anodes and promote uniform lithium deposition without dendrite growths.
• The Li|PVH-IM|Li symmetric cells maintain stable cycling for 5550 h at the current density of 0.2 mA cm−2. In addition, all-solid-state LFP|PVH-IM|Li full cells deliver a significant capacity retention of 80.0% at a rate of 0.5C after 280 cycles at 25 °C.

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Credit: Xiong Xiong Liu, Long Pan, Haotian Zhang, Cancan Liu, Mufan Cao, Min Gao, Yuan Zhang, Zeyuan Xu, Yaping Wang, ZhengMing Sun.

In the quest for high-performance all-solid-state lithium metal batteries (ASLMBs), researchers are constantly seeking innovative solutions to enhance the electrochemical stability and ionic conductivity of fluoropolymer electrolytes. A recent article published in Nano-Micro Letters, authored by Professor ZhengMing Sun and Professor Long Pan from Southeast University, presents a groundbreaking approach using indium-based metal–organic frameworks (In-MOFs) as a multifunctional promoter to significantly improve the performance of poly(vinylidene fluoride–hexafluoropropylene) (PVH) electrolytes.

Why This Research Matters

• Enhanced Electrochemical Stability: Traditional fluoropolymer electrolytes often suffer from poor electrochemical stability against lithium metal anodes, leading to rapid degradation and failure of the battery. This study demonstrates that In-MOFs can effectively protect PVH from reacting with lithium metal anodes, forming a stable inorganic-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer that prevents side reactions and promotes uniform lithium deposition.
• Improved Ionic Conductivity: The incorporation of In-MOFs not only enhances the electrochemical stability but also significantly boosts the ionic conductivity of the PVH electrolyte, achieving an ultrahigh ionic conductivity of 1.23 × 10−3 S cm−1 at 25 °C. This improvement is crucial for the practical application of ASLMBs, as it enables faster ion transport and higher battery performance.
• Potential for Practical Applications: The enhanced stability and conductivity of the PVH-IM composite electrolyte make it highly suitable for next-generation ASLMBs. The study demonstrates the potential of PVH-IM in all-solid-state full cells, showing outstanding rate capability and cycling stability, with a capacity retention of 95.7% after 130 cycles at 0.1C and 80.0% after 280 cycles at 0.5C.

Innovative Design and Mechanisms

• Indium-Based Metal–Organic Framework (In-MOF): In-MOFs are highlighted as ideal materials for enhancing the performance of fluoropolymer electrolytes due to their highly porous structures, open metal sites, and 1D morphology. The In-MOF used in this study plays a triple role: (1) adsorbing and converting free residual solvents into bonded states to prevent side reactions with lithium anodes, (2) forming inorganic-rich SEI layers to protect PVH from reacting with lithium anodes and promote uniform lithium deposition, and (3) reducing PVH crystallinity and promoting Li-salt dissociation.
• Composite Electrolyte Formation: The PVH-IM composite electrolyte is prepared by mixing PVH and In-MOF through a simple solution-casting method. The In-MOF nanorods are uniformly dispersed in the PVH matrix, significantly reducing the crystallinity of PVH and increasing the amorphous regions, which are conducive to fast Li+ transport.
• Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Molecular Dynamics Simulations: These computational tools were used to investigate the interaction between In-MOF and residual DMF molecules, confirming the strong adsorption capability of In-MOF. The simulations also revealed the favorable reaction thermodynamics between In-MOF and lithium metal anodes, leading to the formation of a stable SEI layer.

Applications and Future Outlook

• All-Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries: The PVH-IM composite electrolyte demonstrates excellent performance in all-solid-state LFP|PVH-IM|Li full cells, showing high reversible specific capacities and outstanding cycling stability. The cells also exhibit good flexibility and high safety under extreme conditions, making them highly suitable for practical applications.
• High-Voltage Applications: The study also explores the compatibility of PVH-IM with high-voltage cathode materials, such as LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 (NCM622), demonstrating excellent rate performance and cycling stability, with a high initial specific capacity of 140.0 mAh g−1 and a capacity retention of 98.9% after 50 cycles at 0.1C under 25 °C.
• Future Research: Future work will focus on further optimizing the In-MOF structure and composition to enhance the performance of fluoropolymer electrolytes. The potential applications of PVH-IM in other types of batteries and energy storage devices will also be explored.

This innovative approach to enhancing the electrochemical stability and ionic conductivity of fluoropolymer electrolytes using In-MOFs represents a significant step forward in the development of high-performance ASLMBs. Stay tuned for more groundbreaking research from Professor ZhengMing Sun and Professor Long Pan's team at Southeast University as they continue to push the boundaries of energy storage technology.

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Journal

Nano-Micro Letters

DOI

10.1007/s40820-025-01760-x 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Article Title

Indium-MOF as Multifunctional Promoter to Remove Ionic Conductivity and Electrochemical Stability Constraints on Fluoropolymer Electrolytes for All-Solid-State Lithium Metal Battery

 

Paving the way towards green hydrogen at scale

Decoupled water electrolysis paves the way for producing green hydrogen on an industrial scale – a breakthrough that would disrupt the global energy market and help combat climate change

Technion-Israel Institute of Technology

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A recent review in Nature Reviews Clean Technology presents, for the first time, a pathway for scaling up decoupled water electrolysis (DWE) technologies to produce industrial-scale green hydrogen.

Hydrogen, a key chemical feedstock, is usually produced from fossil fuels, generating high CO₂ emissions. Water electrolysis powered by renewable energy emits oxygen rather than CO₂ and offers a clean alternative. Green hydrogen production on an industrial scale is one of the holy grails of the energy transition, as it would unlock the potential of replacing the world’s dependency on fossil fuels.

Conventional electrolysis uses two electrodes separated by a membrane to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. This approach is expensive, suffers from internal hydrogen leakage, and is incompatible with intermittent solar and wind power. DWE overcomes these issues by separating the hydrogen and oxygen production in time or space, eliminating the need for membranes. Rather, it uses redox materials that can absorb and release ions from which oxygen or hydrogen are produced.   

The article reviews different DWE methods and, for the first time, presents feasible scale-up pathways. The authors include leading experts from all over the world: Prof. Avner Rothschild of the Technion Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Prof. Mark D. Symes of the University of Glasgow, Prof. Jens Oluf Jensen of the Technical University of Denmark, Dr. Tom Smolinka of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Rotem Arad and Gilad Yogev from the company H2Pro, Technion postdoctoral fellow Dr. Guilin Ruan, and University of Glasgow doctoral student Fiona Todman.

Prof. Mark Symes and his collaborators at the University of Glasgow pioneered the original embodiment of decoupled electrolysis in 2013, using solution-phase redox mediators. He has continued his work on decoupled electrolysis using a variety of liquid-based systems and is actively trying to commercialize this technology through the company Clyde Hydrogen Systems.

In 2015, Prof. Avner Rothschild pioneered a new technology together with Technion colleagues Prof. Gideon Grader, Dr. Hen Dotan, and Dr. Avigail Landman, using nickel-based redox electrodes. Their breakthrough led to the founding of H2Pro in 2019. The company stands at the forefront of commercializing DWE. H2Pro’s patented technology entails a streamlined, membrane-less system, cost-effective materials, and low capital costs. H2Pro is currently scaling up this technology and preparing to install the world’s first DWE system. The system is ideally suited to cope with intermittent renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. 

Prof. Jens Oluf Jensen and Dr. Tom Smolinka are world-renowned experts on state-of-the-art electrolyzer technologies. Their work in proton exchange membranes (PEM), anion exchange membranes (AEM), electrode materials, and their application in cell stacks for large capacity PEM and AEM electrolyzers provided valuable insight into the challenges of scale-up and operation of commercial electrolyzers, and a sound base for comparison of disruptive decoupled and membrane-less electrolyzer concepts. Rotem Arad and Gilad Yogev provide insights into transforming these concepts into technologies for green hydrogen production at scale. 

This review is the first to detail feasible scale-up strategies for DWE. While lab-scale DWE experiments produce less than a gram of hydrogen per day, industrial systems must generate about a ton daily – a million times more! Indeed, meeting current hydrogen demand would require around a million full-scale electrolyzers. Conventional industrial electrolyzers, on the other hand, require a stable grid supply and can only be used to a limited extent with highly dynamic power fluctuations such as those caused by solar and wind energy.

DWE’s unique advantage lies in its energy storage capability via redox materials, functioning like an electrolyzer with a built-in battery. This allows it to buffer energy fluctuations from renewable sources, making it highly compatible with solar and wind systems, thereby offering a critical pathway to low-cost, green renewable hydrogen production.    

The potential impact of scaling up green hydrogen production is huge. The hydrogen market is currently worth about $250 billion annually. Once it becomes available on an industrial scale, the market for green hydrogen is expected to reach $550 billion within ten years.

“Green hydrogen is expected to account for 10% of the future energy market. Once it becomes possible to produce green hydrogen at large-scale and sell it at reasonable prices, hydrogen will replace a large part of the energy used in industry, heavy transportation, and other sectors,” Prof. Rothschild predicted. “Traditional electrolyzers should evolve to fit this market and, as noted by Darwin, it is not the strongest species that survives through evolution but, rather, the one that is best able to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself. I believe DWE would be it.”    

“Decoupled electrolysis is only about 12 years old. More conventional technologies, such as alkaline and proton-exchange membrane cells, have had decades (if not centuries) for development. This gives some context to the rate of scaling of some of the new decoupled systems starting to emerge,” elaborated Prof. Symes. “On the current trajectory, I expect that the next decade will see decoupled electrolysis systems becoming serious competitors to more conventional electrolyzers, especially for the conversion of renewable energy to green hydrogen.”

The new ideas presented in the review article are compelling and shed light on the long-term prospects of scaling up DWE technologies for the benefit of all humanity. 

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Journal

Nature Reviews Clean Technology

DOI

10.1038/s44359-025-00061-1 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Article Title

Technologies and prospects for decoupled and membraneless water electrolysis

Shepherding atoms on the surface towards a greener future – maximising the usage of precious metals

University of Nottingham

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Dr Emerson Kohlrausch demonstrating how atoms are guided and bonded to precise locations on a carbon surface

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Credit: University of Nottingham

Researchers have demonstrated that by using argon plasma, metal atoms can be dispersed and guided to desired positions. This new strategy ensures that not a single atom goes to waste and maximises the use of rare and precious metals.

In a study published in Advanced Science, researchers from the University of Nottingham, the University of Birmingham, Diamond Light Source, and the EPSRC SuperSTEM demonstrate how using fast argon ions to engineer defects on carbon surfaces allows metal atoms to bind and self-assemble into ultra-thin, single-layer metal clusters, forming unusual 2D metal islands of sub-nanometre size.

Industry uses metals for catalysis, but some of these metals are precious and rare, utilising metals with maximum efficiency is vital to ensure a sustainable future. Green technologies, such as hydrogen production, are advancing very fast, but they put pressure on the limited supply of critical elements and create environmental crises on the planet.  

“Every atom counts,” says Dr Emerson Kohlrausch, lead experimentalist on the study from the University of Nottingham’s School of Chemistry. “Precious and rare metals are vital for clean energy and industrial catalysis, but their supply is limited. We’ve developed a scalable strategy to ensure not a single atom goes to waste.”

Unlike conventional approaches that require element-specific conditions or chemical dopants, the team’s method exploits atomic ‘vacancies’, tiny holes created by argon ion bombardment on a carbon surface, as universal binding sites. These defect sites act as atomic traps that strongly anchor metal atoms, preventing them from forming larger and less efficient 3D nanoparticles.

Remarkably, the method proved effective across 21 different elements, including notoriously difficult-to-control metals such as silver and gold. “This is a one-size-fits-all solution,” says Professor Andrei Khlobystov. “We can create mono-, bi-, or even tri-metallic atomic layers, with each atom precisely where we want it. That level of control is unprecedented.”

Dr Sadegh Ghaderzadeh, who led the theoretical modelling, highlights the elegance of the approach: “What makes this method so remarkable is its simplicity. Rather than relying on complicated chemical reactions, it utilises the physical movement of atoms from one place to another, significantly reducing the number of variables involved. Therefore, we can accurately recreate the formation of these materials in computer simulations, which will guide further development of the new method.”

The innovation lies not just in trapping atoms, but in doing so under pristine, solvent- and air-free conditions that prevent site passivation. “What makes this so powerful, yet so difficult, is that we create highly reactive sites on the surface and release metal atoms under tightly controlled conditions. At that stage, both the atoms and the surface are extremely unstable and reactive. Even a slight loss of control can lead to an incorrect metal configuration, but with the right conditions, atoms lock into place permanently. It’s like catching lightning in a bottle, just at the atomic scale,” Dr Kohlrausch explains.

Applications of these single-layer metal clusters (SLMCs) range from more efficient hydrogen production and ammonia synthesis to CO₂ conversion and energy storage. The researchers achieved record areal densities of up to 4.3 atoms per nm² and proved stability in air for over 16 months, as well as in catalytic environments.

“We’re making 2D metal catalyst on any surface a reality,” says Dr Jesum Alves Fernandes, the project leader. “Our vision is to design materials where every single atom is active and working, and nothing is wasted. This is how we make catalysis truly green.”

The research is funded by the EPSRC Programme Grant Metal Atoms on Surfaces and Interfaces (MASI) for a Sustainable Future. More information is available at www.masi.ac.uk.

The University of Nottingham has a strong track record in championing nanoscience and nanotechnologies. The Nanoscale & Microscale Research Centre (nmRC) provides a unique set of instrumentation and allied expertise, all under one roof, to support a number of cross-disciplinary research projects from functional materials to quantum technologies to healthcare. 

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Journal

Advanced Science

DOI

10.1002/advs.202508034 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

One-Size-Fits-All: A Universal Binding Site for Single-Layer Metal Cluster Self-Assembly

Article Publication Date

4-Jul-2025