Nairobi, July 13 -- The World Population Day rekindles conversations about rising populations, pressure on natural resources, unemployment, hunger and climate change.

According to the UN, the world's population will approach 9.7 billion by 2050, with Africa accounting for much of the growth. Yet one question receives far less attention: What if Africa's growing population is its greatest economic opportunity?

Whether population growth becomes a burden or a blessing will depend less on demographic trends than on how effectively countries prepare their people to create value.

Few sectors illustrate this better than agriculture. For decades, agriculture has been viewed primarily through the lens of food production.

Success was measured b...