To achieve the objectives of the U.S. Government Global Food Security Strategy (GFSS) and “A Food-Secure 2030” vision, we need to harness the creativity and energy of youth. There is a strategic imperative for investing in youth: young people are critical to global stability, economic growth, and development today and into the future. The Project Design Guide for Youth-Inclusive Agriculture and Food Systems (Volumes I & II) bridges the US government Global Food Security Strategy objectives and builds on USAID’s youth inclusion policy, embodied in USAID’s Youth in Development Policy.
DESIGNING FOR YOUTH INCLUSION IN AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEMS
To achieve the objectives of the U.S. Government Global Food Security Strategy (GFSS) and “A Food-Secure 2030” vision, we need to harness the creativity and energy of youth. There is a strategic imperative for investing in youth: young people are critical to global stability, economic growth, and development today and into the future. The Project Design Guide for YouthInclusive Agriculture and Food Systems (Volumes I & II) bridges the US government Global Food Security Strategy objectives and builds on USAID’s youth inclusion policy, embodied in USAID’s Youth in Development Policy. Background Young people are entering the labor market in large numbers in areas like in Sub-Saharan Africa, where an estimated 11 million young people reach working age each year. With increased rates of migration to urban areas, particularly among youth, there may not be enough opportunities for youth in cities in the future: overcrowded cities offer little opportunity, as there are more youth than there are viable jobs. While many economies are experiencing job growth in non-agriculture sectors, agriculture will remain a significant source of employment for youth in low- and middle-income countries as the farming population around the world is ages—a significant proportion of farmers are above the age of sixty.