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In introducing this collection of articles we argue that policy framing and policy responses to the ‘problem’ of young people and agriculture in Africa are hampered by a lack of research and evidence that is theoretically and historically informed, conceptually sound and context sensitive. The result is policy that is well intentioned, but unlikely to address the underlying social or agricultural concerns. To address this we outline a research agenda that places the notion of ‘opportunity space’ at centre stage. We suggest that an analysis of the changing structure of opportunity space for young people in agriculture and agri‐food in the context of broader agrarian transitions will be particularly useful. Social difference as it affects young people's ability to exploit the agri‐food opportunity space must be central to this analysis.

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It has become increasingly difficult for young Zambians to construct youth‐to‐adult transitions that meet the normative expectations of coherent life trajectories towards being successful. We explore 60 young Zambians' experiences through qualitative life history interviews focusing on processes of economic (dis)empowerment. We focus closely on what these Zambian youth aspire to, their ‘models’ for life course achievement and how they position their own progress towards and prospects for ‘success’ in relation to their peers. In doing so, we contribute to understanding the importance of youth wellbeing in times of increasing uncertainty. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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The ‘youth in agriculture problem’ makes up part of a growing set of ‘youth in development’ issues occupying the minds of aid practitioners and bilateral and multilateral donors. Aid agendas seek to enhance youth participation in policy processes and mainstream youth‐related goals on health, education, employment and governance into development policies. Yet, these agendas routinely ignore national youth policies (NYPs), which in many African countries have been in place for well over a decade. This article demonstrates how NYPs in Nigeria, Tanzania and Zambia express distinct policy visions, identifications and imaginations of the youth ‘problematique’, and particular philosophies of intervention. It argues that while their substantive content may well be subject to dialogue and reform, NYPs also express conceptualisations of the policy process and roles for knowledge, evidence and collective action that sit uneasily with new donor agendas, and are less amenable to change.