Tonle Sap Lake in northeast Cambodia is one of the most productive inland fishing waters in the world, due to flooding and monsoon. Fisheries are the backbone of country’s economy, with Tonle Sap contributing over half of the country’s fish production. Yet the lake’s 4.8 million residents are some of...

On July 26, 2021, AFA’s Secretary-General Ms. Estrella Penunia delivered an opening speech during the UNFSS Plenary’s Opening Session. With the theme “A Bold Ambition to Improve Food Systems,” Ms. Penunia highlighted the current state of our global food systems, and she emphasized what being bold means for small-scale food...

This short video provides an overview of FAO’s work to engage and empower youth in responsible investment in agriculture and food systems.

European consumption of organic products has exploded over the last years. Currently, the European Union is ranked second in global organic consumption after the US. By 2030, it aims to convert 25% of farmland to organic. Right now, it is only around 8 %. Is the EU on the right...

El 14 de abril de 2020, el federado Daniel Ahumada fue víctima de la usurpación de su campo, ubicado en Cruz del Eje, provincia de Córdoba. El usurpador, valiéndose de un arma de fuego, amenazó a Daniel, su madre y su hijo, para quedarse con la propiedad, argumentando haberla comprado....

The SALSA project has closed a long-standing gap in research by looking into the status of small farms in different regions of both Europe and Africa. Its findings should help these farms live up to their true potential. Thirty reference regions, 25 of them in Europe and five in Africa. That’s...

Welcome to the Burren in the West of Ireland, where Shane Casey’s family have been farming Blackhead mountain for some two hundred years. Here, the unique limestone landscape requires a unique way of farming. Traditions are passed down through many generations of Burren farmers to maintain the critical symbiotic relationship between...

A report by the Malabo Montpellier Panel calling on policymakers to rethink and reorient African food systems. Drawing upon the experience of four countries – Ghana, Malawi, Morocco and Rwanda – the report Connecting the Dots: Policy Innovations for Food Systems Transformation in Africa presents five recommendations to elevate policymaking...

Africa has the world's youngest population, with an estimated 420 million young people aged 15 to 35. That's a lot of young individuals entering the labor force who are looking for work. Agriculture might meet this demand, but it is generally perceived by young people as filthy, labor-intensive employment with...

On 12th October 2021, Euromontana organised its annual conference on “Being young in a mountain area in 2021”. The event was the opportunity to highlight the needs and desires of young people for the future of the mountains. The conference gave the floor to different mountain organisations that have recently...

Formed in 2007, Food Plant Solutions Rotary Action Group (FPS) creates science-based educational materials, which: identify highly nutritious local food plants, explain how to grow them in a sustainable, agroecological way, detail the nutritional value of the plants and describe why human bodies require those nutrients. The resources created by FPS allows people to better...

The following publication "Indigenous youth as agents of change - Actions of Indigenous youth in local food systems during times of adversity" highlights six initiatives from Indigenous youth in regions around the world who are leading innovative solutions and collaborations in the face of adversity brought about by climate change...

Agribusiness TV is a web TV which aims at using videos as a promotion tool to (re)valorise agriculture and make the sector more attractive to youth by showcasing success stories of young agricultural entrepreneurs and their innovations in Africa. With a population of over a billion, of which 70% are aged...

Youth in Agroecology and Business Learning Track Africa (YALTA) is an initiative with the goal to support young agripreneurs to apply agroecological principles and to co-create networks in order to contribute to increased sustainability of food systems and youth employment in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. This report provides an in-depth...

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting all parts of society and livelihoods around the globe. It is though worth recognizing that disadvantaged segments of populations like rural young women and men will be impacted harder. Nevertheless, when proactively engaged, they have demonstrated to be innovators in their own sectors to surmount...

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, young entrepreneurs in agrifood systems in sub-Saharan Africa were already facing a number of challenges. The main challenges include limited access to natural resources, finance, technology, knowledge and information, and insufficient participation in policy dialogues and other decision-making processes. The COVID-19 pandemic and its disruptions to...

Since COVID-19 struck, life has changed for entrepreneurs and businesses around the world. Due to lockdowns and movement restrictions, smallholder farmers and rural businesses have been unable to access markets and sell produce or other products. As they often have little or no access to social security, rural youth disproportionately...

In Uganda, the COVID-19 youth engagement initiative promoted by FAO was launched through a network of youth champions and organizations that have been supported by and collaborating with the ICA programme, for instance in the development of the National Strategy for Youth Employment in Agriculture or in the Youth Inspiring Youth in Agriculture initiative. Watch the...

The Rwanda Youth in Agribusiness Forum (RYAF) adhered to the youth engagement initiative launched by FAO ICA programme by launching a special Youth Knowledge Exchange session on April 2, 2020 addressing the key consequences and potential implications of COVID-19 for youth-led agribusinesses. The online consultation was conducted both in English and Kinyarwanda using RYAF social media...

In Senegal, the COVID-19 youth engagement initiative promoted by FAO was launched through various groups of young agripreneurs across the country and through the national youth council, Conseil National de la Jeunesse du Sénégal (CNJS). The CNJS gathers youth organizations with its regional and departmental chapters, and serves as the interface between young people,...