3. Empowering Young Agricultural Entrepreneurs in a Small Island Developing State: The Case of Mauritius

In recent years, entrepreneurship has been increasingly recognized as a key driver of economic growth and development, particularly in less developed countries like Mauritius. This recognition extends to the agricultural sector, where youth entrepreneurship is seen as a strategy to boost economic performance, ensure food security, and reduce poverty. In response, the Mauritian government has introduced several policies and programs aimed at supporting young agricultural entrepreneurs. However, despite these initiatives, many young people continue to face challenges such as limited access to finance, land, and technical training. This study investigates the effectiveness of these government policies in promoting youth entrepreneurship in agriculture. Using a convenience sampling method, data were collected from 116 respondents and analyzed using SPSS to test the study’s hypotheses. The research focused on five key factors: access to finance, land, technical skills and training, marketing support, and social and cultural influences. The findings revealed that access to finance, land, marketing support, and social and cultural factors significantly influence youth careers in agriculture, whereas technical skills and training showed no notable impact. These insights are essential for evaluating current policies and guiding the development of more effective strategies to encourage youth participation in agriculture.