Decent Rural Employment

The Y factor: The role of youth in agri-food system

31/08/2021

Youth have the power to transform agri-food systems. In the lead-up to the United Nations Food System Summit (UNFSS), over 80 young women and men from farmer associations, rural youth networks, youth-led organizations and agribusinesses, young policymakers and diaspora youth joined an Independent Dialogue convened by the African Youth Agripreneurs (AYA) platform and titled “The Y Factor: bringing rural youth in the conversation about inclusive and sustainable agri-food systems”.

The dialogue was supported by FAO’s Integrated Country Approach (ICA) for boosting decent jobs for youth in the agri-food system, the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF) and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). It was a great opportunity to engage young people across East Africa – particularly rural youth, often underrepresented in policy dialogues – to suggest their pathway towards more equitable and youth-friendly food systems.

A seat at the table

Opening remarks were given by Dr Agnes Kalibata, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy to the UNFSS, and Elizabeth Nsimadala, the first young President of EAFF and the Pan African Farmer Organization (PAFO), setting the scene for a solution-oriented conversation and testifying to the UNFSS commitment to empower youth as changemakers.

“As young farmers we need to occupy our space, there is nothing good for us without us, and there is no future without us young people” – Ms Elizabeth Nsimadala, President EAFF/PAFO & Member of UNFSS Advisory Committee

“Youth are not victims; they are participants with strong voice that can change the trajectory of where the world is going if they put that voice stronger together” – Dr Agnes Kalibata, President AGRA & Special Envoy to the UNFSS

Regional representatives from the global UNFSS youth movement were also invited to join the discussion and bring its results up to the forum.

“As a youth leader at the Act4Food Act4change initiative, this session has just been incredible to sit in [..] We are still living in an adult world, everyone wants us to take the stage, but we really need support to get there and to have our ideas taken on” – Ms Stephanie Sargeant, Student assistant CCAFS & #Act4Food Leader

What works for youth inclusion in agri-food systems

Inspiring keynotes were given by young leaders of East African youth networks and agribusinesses: Victor Mugo, Regional Director of the Climate Smart Agriculture Youth Network (CSAYN) from Kenya; Etienne Niyigaba, Founder and Chief Executive of the Youth Engagement in Agriculture Network (YEAN) from Rwanda; Brian Natwijuka, Founder of the Musai Youth Group from Uganda; Ayélé Sikavi Gabiam, a diaspora youth of Togolese origin co-founder of the Lady Agri Investment Hub. They shared their own experiences and lessons learned about what works for youth inclusion in agrifood systems.

“Getting into agricultural entrepreneurship can be a very lonely journey. Digital platforms can create that human connection and be a breeding ground for close relationships among entrepreneurs”- Mr Victor Mugo, Regional Director CSAYN & UNFSS Youth Liaisons Co-chair

“We should be facilitated because we are bringing something very tangible to the community, but given that we are still young and we are not well established we are actually looking for support” – Mr Etienne Niyigaba, Founder and CEO of YEAN

“We need to stop working in silos but strengthen our mutual support. It is very important to develop advocacy and public speaking [skills] for the youth to raise their voice” – Ms Ayélé Sikavi Gabiam, Co-founder of LadyAgri

This helped frame and set the pace of the following group discussions, where young facilitators guided participants through an analysis of key issues and promising solutions, leading to concrete recommendations on what should be done to engage and empower the youth.

What remains to be done

There was consensus around the existence of a big capacity gap among youth venturing into agriculture, especially across different value chain touchpoints, as well as challenges in accessing assets, finance and policy making. Gender divides were also acknowledged in terms of land ownerships, digitalization and political participation. The importance of forming alliances among the many organizations that work with young people to support their endeavors and collective action was stressed by all stakeholders.

Below an overview of the four discussion items addressed in the breakout groups and the action areas prioritized by the youth:

  1. Networking & digital engagement: Create networking opportunities that enable peer-to-peer learning, provide a one-stop-shop to reduce the youth fatigue of looking for scattered information, facilitate youth engagement with financial institutions and accommodate women’s needs.
  2. Access to finance & business support services: Prioritize financial literacy, access to business development services and incubation centers to develop youth capacity to convert their ideas into viable and bankable businesses.
  3. Gender equality & inclusivity: Boost young women's participation in agribusiness projects through dedicated calls/applications, while engaging and educating men on gender issues.
  4. Accountability & political participation: Strengthen collective action and advocacy efforts of farmer and youth associations to keep governments accountable, increase knowledge of existing legislation and be able to influence agricultural policies.

Detailed summaries of each group discussion can be found in the UNFSS official feedback form.

Outcomes and follow-up

The dialogue was successful in generating:

  1. Community: Young agripreneurs, rural youth networks, and youth-serving organizations across East Africa were meaningfully engaged to share experiences, lessons learned, and solutions for youth inclusion in agri-food systems.
  2. Advocacy: Voices of young rural women and men were raised, and visibility was given to their transformative role in agri-food systems.
  3. A youth-led policy agenda: Recommendations and priority actions were identified to strengthen youth agency as changemakers and builders of resilient and sustainable agri-food systems, with a focus on inclusivity and gender equality.

All the above will be sustained through the recently launched AYA platform and coordinated efforts of partner organizations who committed to nurture the connections generated among the young participants and use their insights and recommendations to develop youth-tailored services.

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