A new report from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), a Rome-based UN agency, points to agrifood systems as a potential solution to the growing global youth unemployment crisis. The FAO’s “Status of Youth in Agrifood Systems” report reveals that over 20% of the world’s 1.3 billion young people, aged 15-24, are currently neither employed, in education, nor in training (NEET).
Addressing this unemployment, particularly among 20-24-year-olds, could contribute to a 1.4% increase in global GDP, with approximately 45% of that growth driven by increased youth participation in agrifood systems.
The report highlights that 44% of working youth rely on agrifood systems for employment, compared to 38% of working adults. However, the share of working youth in agrifood systems has declined from 54% in 2005.
The FAO also warns of a growing labour shortage in agrifood systems as rural youth numbers decrease. Today, 54% of youth live in urban areas, especially in Eastern Asia, while rural youth now make up just 5% of the population in industrial agrifood systems. The report urges governments to make agriculture more appealing to young people.
Additionally, the report points out that nearly 85% of global youth live in low- and lower-middle-income countries, where agrifood systems are crucial for livelihoods. However, food insecurity among youth has risen, from 16.7% to 24.4% between 2014-16 and 2021-23, particularly affecting young people in Africa.
Climate change also poses a significant threat, with an estimated 395 million rural youth living in areas expected to experience declines in agricultural productivity, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and traditional agrifood systems.
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, in the report’s foreword, emphasized the importance of agrifood systems for providing decent jobs and food security for youth. He stated that empowered youth could serve as catalysts for broader agrifood systems transformation.
Despite the potential, many youth face challenges in accessing decent jobs in the agrifood sector. The report notes that 91% of young women and 83% of young men in agrifood work in vulnerable positions with limited benefits, seasonal employment, low wages, and hazardous conditions. These factors contribute to migration to urban centers.
Lauren Phillips, FAO’s Deputy Director of Rural Transformation and Gender Equality, stressed the importance of investing in youth education and skills development to help them secure decent jobs in agrifood systems.
One major obstacle for youth is a lack of social and financial capital, with young people often struggling to access loans, banking services, and land deeds. The report advocates for youth involvement in policymaking and calls for expanded training and restructured financial systems to improve access for young people.
The FAO reiterated its commitment to working with youth to ensure their voices are heard and to fully harness their contributions to sustainable agrifood systems.
