The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations released a report titled “The Status of Youth in Agrifood Systems”, highlighting the role of agrifood systems in addressing youth unemployment and transforming food security.

Key Highlights from the Report

• Nearly 85% of global youth live in low- and lower-middle-income countries, where agrifood systems are essential for livelihoods.

• Global Youth Unemployment: Over 20% of the world’s 1.3 billion youth (aged 15–24) are currently not in employment, education or training (NEET).
  • Youth unemployment is especially high among 20–24-year-olds.
• Youth Participation in Agrifood Systems:
  • 44% of working youth globally are engaged in agrifood systems, compared to 38% of working adults.
  • This participation has declined from 54% in 2005 to current levels.
  • The global average masks variation: 82% of working youth are in agrifood systems in protracted crisis contexts, while only 23% are involved in industrial agrifood systems.

• Warning of Labour Shortage:
  • 54% of youth live in urban areas, with high concentrations in Eastern Asia.
  • Rural youth make up just 5% of the population in industrial agrifood systems, signaling a potential labour shortage.
  • Governments are urged to make agriculture more attractive for youth to reverse this trend.
• Geographic and Socioeconomic Focus:
  • Nearly 85% of global youth live in low- and lower-middle-income countries, where agrifood systems are vital for livelihoods.
  • Despite this, food insecurity among youth rose from 16.7% (2014–16) to 24.4% (2021–23), especially affecting youth in Africa.
• Climate Threats: An estimated 395 million rural youth live in regions expected to see declines in agricultural productivity due to climate shocks, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and traditional agrifood systems.

Strategies for Youth Empowerment

The report proposes a three-pronged strategy to overcome challenges and harness opportunities:

• Inquire More: Close knowledge and data gaps, and strengthen the evidence base for youth-inclusive agrifood systems.
• Include More: Amplify youth voices in policy-making and decision processes.
• Invest More: Promote targeted investments to expand youth economic opportunities and empower their agency.

Recommended Interventions

• Expanding Economic Opportunities: Equip youth with skills and resources for on- and off-farm roles.
• Investing in Modernization: Upgrade rural infrastructure and make agrifood careers more appealing.
• Facilitating Access to Resources: Provide youth-focused land and credit schemes.
• Promoting Orderly Youth Migration: Enable safe, youth-responsive migration to address labour gaps.
• Enhancing Digital Access: Improve digital connectivity to help youth modernize agriculture and access markets.

FAO’s Call to Action

• The report is a “timely and evidence-based assessment” of how agrifood systems can provide decent jobs and food security for youth.
• FAO Director-General QU Dongyu emphasized that empowered youth can act as catalysts for transforming agrifood systems globally.

Government Initiatives for sustainable Agrifood system

• PM Kisan Sampada Yojana: Supports setting up food processing units near farms, offering grants of 35–50% of project cost for cold storage, packaging, warehousing, etc.
• Mega Food Park Scheme: Provides financial assistance (up to ₹50 crore) for integrated food processing zones with shared infrastructure like storage, testing labs, and packaging units.
• Operation Greens: Focuses on value chain development for tomato, onion, and potato crops, offering up to 50% grant-in-aid for post-harvest infrastructure.
• PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM-FME): Targets micro food businesses with a 35% subsidy (up to ₹10 lakh) for units involved in local-level processing like spice packaging and pickle making.
• Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme: It aims to boost food exports, generate 2.5 lakh jobs, and promote global Indian food brands through capacity expansion incentives.

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