Can youth dig agriculture?

I just returned from New Caledonia where I participated in the Pacific Regional Youth Stakeholders meeting at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Noumea. While the purpose of the meeting was to examine approaches to improved regional coordination of youth development issues there was an interesting discussion on things that might be done to improve participation and inclusion of youth in agriculture. In fact SPC are in the process of developing a strategy to achieve just that. Just how do you encourage youth involvement in agriculture when there are so many problems besetting agricultural and rural development in many countries to begin with?

We identified ten areas that could be examined, as have many other groups tackling the same challenge. These might include:

1. Youth is mainstreamed by relevant organisations into agricultural projects and programmes which ensure youth have equal access to the benefits;

2. Relevant agricultural and youth organisations and agencies work together in equal partnership with effective planning and coordination among relevant stakeholders who can contribute substantially to improving youth livelihoods in the agriculture sector;

3. Youth are provided with opportunities for active effective and on-going participation in agricultural activities

4. Youth receive appropriate and relevant education and training to ensure they can build and support a livelihood based on agriculture;

5. A supportive enabling environment is created that can promote youth enterprise and entrepreneurship (e.g. access to credit, mentoring, leadership training) and which improves job and income-generating activities through agriculture;

6. Developing community-based organisations, young farmer clubs and groups and other youth peer organisations that can assist in mobilising and supporting Pacific youth in developing a livelihood through agriculture

7. Agricultural Research and Extension systems are more responsive and supportive to the needs and issues facing Pacific youth;

8. Pacific youth are trained in ICT technologies to support agricultural livelihoods and employability;

9. Opportunities are created to showcase the contributions of young people to economic development through participation in regional youth trade shows and other large gatherings;

10. Funding support is secured from relevant donors, agencies and other bodies.

If you have any suggestions for activities that might support or contribute to these areas we would be very glad to hear from you. Alternatively, if you have any thoughts on the broader picture and have been involved in programmes to promote youth in agriculture please do share your thoughts and experiences.