Addressing Climate Challenges through Youth Employment in Agri-Food Systems
The Sixth Assessment Report recently released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a stark reminder of the challenge presented by the climate crisis.
Youth Climate Leadership
Given that agriculture is the largest employer globally with over a billion workers, green jobs, or “decent jobs that contribute to preserving or restoring the environment'' (including through reducing GHG emissions) provide an avenue for employment in agri-food systems that helps address both food security and climate change. Green jobs uniquely offer a holistic approach that emphasizes adequate wages, safe working conditions, job security, reasonable career prospects and worker rights.
Youth are increasingly aware of the challenges presented by the climate crisis and a range of social and economic disparities they experience and witness. Their awareness fuels their concerns about justice and equity, including about their prospects for decent, sustainable employment amid the climate crisis. The current youth population is the largest generation of new workforce entrants globally in history, who must live with the impacts of climate change across the course of their entire lives. Engaging young people in agriculture-focused climate action presents both a challenge and an opportunity to achieve sustainable development brought by youth-led solutions to climate change in the agriculture sector. Addressing the climate crisis, in partnership with youth, with the greening and expansion of decent jobs in agri-food systems will shape the future of food security and the planet.