Youth dialogue in Europe and Central Asia contributes to Regional Conference preparations

Young people are at the heart of agrifood systems across Europe and Central Asia, playing an increasingly active role in the sector. In the region, approximately one quarter of working youth are employed in agrifood — a higher share than among adults — making it a key entry point into the labour market.

On 30 March 2026, more than 170 young people from across the region gathered virtually for a regional Consultative dialogue of youth. The event provided a space to share perspectives and lived experiences ahead of the 35th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Europe (ERC35).

Opening the session, Raimund Jehle, FAO Regional Programme Leader for Europe and Central Asia, highlighted the importance of youth engagement in shaping agrifood systems.

“The transformation does not come from policies alone,” he said. “In the end, it comes from you.” He also underlined that the dialogue was not simply a consultation, but an opportunity for young people to influence regional priorities and policy discussions.

Across the region, youth play diverse roles as farmers, workers, entrepreneurs and consumers. Yet they continue to face persistent challenges, including limited access to land, finance and technology, as well as broader pressures linked to climate change, food affordability, and economic uncertainty.

The dialogue also served as the platform to channel their voices to the decision-makers’ level through developing a youth statement to be presented at the Regional Conference in Tajikistan. This is the first time that the collective voice of young people will be formally brought into this high-level forum and directly inform regional priorities for the years ahead.

A space for youth voices

Participants joined thematic breakout groups conducted in English, French, Spanish, and Russian, exchanging experiences and ideas in interactive discussions supported by collaborative tools. Using shared virtual boards for note-taking, they explored three guiding questions on youth participation in governance, opportunities along agrifood value chains, and a third set of themes depending on the group, including digital innovation, food environment and nutrition, resilience to shocks, and access to land and finance.

Across the groups, a clear message emerged: youth engagement must go beyond tokenistic consultation and involve young people from the early stages of policymaking. As one participant put it, meaningful participation is about “influence, not just presence,” with youth helping shape decisions rather than being consulted after the fact.

Young people shared practical experiences from their countries, highlighting barriers such as limited access to finance, infrastructure, skills, and data, as well as challenges in digital access and connecting producers to markets. At the same time, many pointed to opportunities in value addition and processing, digital tools for linking rural producers with consumers, and the need for stronger integrated support systems — including training, mentorship, infrastructure, and targeted finance.

From discussion to recommendations

The consultation enabled the co-design of practical recommendations that will be consolidated into the official youth statement to the Regional Conference and thus shaping FAO’s support in the region. Key areas included strengthening meaningful youth participation through formal mechanisms such as advisory bodies with clear mandates, improving access to land, finance and markets, investing in accessible and youth-friendly digital infrastructure, and developing integrated agri-entrepreneurship support programmes that combine training, mentorship and market access.

The dialogue strengthened connections among young people across Europe and Central Asia. The discussions made one thing clear: young people are ready to take a more active role in shaping the future of agrifood systems in the region — and are looking for opportunities and support to do so.