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Rural youth are the future of food security and rural poverty reduction. They are also the present as there are more young people today than ever before – 1.8 billion between the ages of 10 and 24 – most of them living in less developed countries and in rural areas. However, youth in rural areas of developing countries face enormous challenges in preparing for and accessing decent work, including in agriculture. These challenges are even greater for youth under the age of 18.

Considerable work has been undertaken on understanding the challenges and solutions facing rural youth. However, youth are a heterogenous group, and attention needs to be paid to youth under 18 who have reached the minimum age for employment. This stage in life is typically decisive in how youth will transition from school to work and for the likelihood of transitioning out of poverty. Youth under 18 also face specific barriers and vulnerabilities: they can easily succumb to child labour and face additional challenges in accessing decent employment opportunities, productive resources and services. Facing such barriers, many youth are migrating out of the rural economy. At this stage in development, they are also particularly vulnerable to a number of life risks that can affect their future.

This document features the results of the Expert Meeting on Addressing the Challenges Faced by Rural Youth Aged 15-17 in Preparing for and Accessing Decent Work. The expert meeting took place from 25 to 28 October, 2016. It contributed to the identification of feasible and effective policies and actions to enable rural youth aged 15-17 to prepare for and access decent work. The agenda was organized around three main phases to reach three overarching objectives: (1) preparation for decent employment through education, skills development and life skills; (2) assessment of decent work opportunities in the rural economy, in particular related to agriculture; and (3) factors that enable youth to access decent work in agriculture and rural areas.

The workshop consisted of three working days and was organized in both plenary and parallel working groups. Through 21 working groups, 45 participants from 30 different countries collectively discussed and drafted problem statements and recommendations based on key identified themes. FAO provided secretariat support throughout the meeting and compiled all problem statements and recommendations, which are presented here as written by participants.