The number of people employed in agriculture continues to rise across Africa.

True
Despite rapidly expanding non-farm sector, farming remains the largest economic activity for working age population. (Source: F. Kwame Yeboah and Thomas S. Jayne. 2016. Africa’s Evolving Employment Structure. F. Kwame Yeboah and T.S. Jayne. Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research Paper 31. East Lansing: Michigan State University)

So What?
Despite the relative movement of labor off farm, farming remains the principal occupation for most of the rural population in Africa. Countries achieving the highest rates of agricultural productivity growth also enjoyed the greatest growth in non-farm jobs. Agricultural productivity is thus essential both for those who stay in farming and for growth in non-farm jobs. Policies and programs to increase farm productivity and access to markets thus remain central to poverty reduction and food security on the continent.