Agriculture is not a refuge for idlers: Why farming deserves respect

Every time I overhear elderly people, those approaching retirement or jobless graduates conversing about their future, one subject seems to feature prominently: agriculture. They talk about venturing into farming as though they have suddenly discovered a forgotten treasure.

However, what strikes me most is not their interest in agriculture but the attitude with which they discuss it. Their conversations often suggest that agriculture is an occupation reserved for people who have nothing better to do. It is presented as the last resort for those who have exhausted all other options. Really? Why do we continue to treat agriculture as a refuge for the desperate rather than a serious economic enterprise worthy of ambition, investment and professional respect?

There is something fundamentally wrong with a society that regards farming as an occupation of last resort. We spend years educating our children, encouraging them to pursue prestigious careers, secure white-collar employment and climb the corporate ladder. We celebrate the doctor, the lawyer, the engineer, the teacher and the banker. Their achievements are considered evidence of success. Yet, when the same people lose their jobs, retire from formal employment or fail to secure the jobs they anticipated after graduation, they suddenly remember that the soil exists. Agriculture becomes their alternative plan. It is as though farming is too ordinary for a person with ambitions but sufficiently convenient for someone whose ambitions have been frustrated.

agricultural finances, market fluctuations, labour, weather patterns and supply chains require less intelligence than managing files and attending meetings? Anyone who has seriously engaged in commercial farming understands that agriculture is a complex undertaking requiring planning, technical knowledge, patience, financial discipline and sound decision-making. The successful farmer is not necessarily the person who owns the largest piece of land but the one who understands how to turn available resources into sustainable production and profit.

Unfortunately, our education system and social environment have helped perpetuate the misconception that success means escaping manual work and securing a salaried position. From childhood, many learners are encouraged to study hard so that they can obtain good jobs and avoid the hardships associated with farming. Agriculture is often discussed as a school subject to be passed rather than an industry to be explored. Consequently, young people grow up associating farming with poverty, physical exhaustion and a lack of educational achievement. They rarely see it as a field where scientific knowledge, innovation, entrepreneurship and technology can be combined to create wealth.

The irony is that agriculture remains central to our survival. Every day, regardless of our professional status, we need food. Teachers need food, doctors need food, engineers need food and even the people who dismiss farming need food. The salaries we earn and the businesses we operate cannot replace the fundamental importance of agricultural production. We may postpone buying a new television, delay purchasing a car or abandon an expensive holiday, but we cannot permanently postpone eating. Food production is not an optional economic activity. It is a necessity, and those who produce it deserve recognition rather than condescension.

In Kenya, agriculture presents opportunities across numerous value chains. These include crop production, dairy farming, poultry, horticulture, aquaculture, beekeeping, agroforestry, seed production, food processing, storage, transportation and agricultural marketing. A person does not necessarily need to own hundreds of acres to participate in this sector. With appropriate planning, market research and access to resources, people can explore ventures suited to their land, capital, skills and local demand. Some opportunities require substantial investment, while others can begin on a smaller scale. What matters is not the glamour attached to the activity but whether the enterprise is viable, productive and sustainable.

However, we must also avoid romanticising agriculture. Farming is not a magical solution to unemployment, retirement anxiety or financial difficulties. It carries genuine risks, including unpredictable weather, pests, diseases, expensive inputs, limited market access, post-harvest losses and fluctuating commodity prices. Many farmers struggle, and some lose considerable amounts of money. Anyone entering agriculture without preparation may exchange unemployment for debt. Therefore, the answer is not to encourage everyone to rush into farming simply because other opportunities have failed. Rather, we should encourage people to approach agriculture with the seriousness they would give any other business.

This is particularly important for retiring public servants and private-sector employees. Retirement should not automatically translate into buying land, keeping a few cows and planting crops without a clear business plan. Years of employment may provide savings, experience and useful networks, but these advantages do not automatically confer agricultural expertise. Before investing retirement benefits, prospective farmers should study their intended enterprises, assess market demand, understand production costs and consider whether they have the time and resources required. Where necessary, they should seek professional guidance and begin on a manageable scale. Retirement savings deserve protection, not impulsive investment driven by the assumption that farming is easy.

The same caution applies to unemployed graduates. A degree should not become a source of shame when formal employment fails to materialise, nor should agriculture be viewed as an admission of defeat. Graduates possess skills that can contribute significantly to agricultural transformation. Those trained in information technology can develop digital solutions for farmers. Accountants can improve financial management. Engineers can support irrigation and mechanisation. Marketing graduates can connect producers to markets, while agricultural science graduates can apply their technical knowledge to production. Even graduates from unrelated disciplines can acquire relevant skills and build successful agricultural enterprises. The challenge is to recognise that education should equip people to solve problems, not merely qualify them to apply for jobs.

Our society must therefore change the language we use when discussing farming. Instead of asking why an educated person is wasting time in agriculture, we should ask whether the person is creating value, producing food, employing others and building a sustainable enterprise. Instead of assuming that someone who retires into farming has run out of options, we should examine whether they are making a deliberate and informed investment. Equally, we must stop presenting agriculture as an effortless escape from unemployment. Farming deserves neither contempt nor blind glorification. It deserves informed engagement.

Ultimately, the problem is not that elderly people, retirees and unemployed graduates are considering agriculture. On the contrary, their interest could be an opportunity to strengthen food production, create employment and stimulate rural economies. The problem is the mindset that makes them approach farming as though they are settling for something inferior. If agriculture is good enough to rescue us when salaries disappear, why is it not good enough to inspire us while we are still employed? Why should we wait until retirement, retrenchment or prolonged unemployment before recognising the economic potential of the soil?

Perhaps the real question is not whether agriculture is suitable for idlers but why we have created a society in which farming is perceived as the occupation of people who have failed elsewhere. The soil does not discriminate between a professor and a school dropout. It does not reward someone because of their academic certificates, former job title or social standing. It responds to knowledge, preparation, appropriate investment, favourable conditions and effective management. Agriculture is not a dumping ground for frustrated ambitions. It is an industry capable of supporting livelihoods, generating wealth and sustaining nations. The sooner we stop treating farming as a last resort and start approaching it as a serious business, the sooner we will appreciate that working the soil is not a sign of failure but an opportunity to create value.