“We now have the largest youth and most restless generation in human history. Too many activities happen without input from young people.”
— Sithembile Ndema, FANRPAN
Rural youth are the future of agricultural production — their engagement will determine future food production, and their actions will define how food production impacts the environment. They will be crucial in feeding a growing population without contributing to climate change.
Yet youth have not had a voice in international climate negotiations. Furthermore, the outcomes of the 2013 UN climate talks in Warsaw did not address the role of agriculture and of young people in helping to combat climate change. While the talks made hard-won progress on forests, adaptation and technology, the interplay between these areas and agriculture was left unaddressed.
At the Global Landscapes Forum, more than 200 young people came together to deliver a strong message to climate negotiators, urging them to address land uses in a coherent way — by putting youth at the center.
Here are some of the key messages they had to share:
- The poor must become more resilient. They require the option to remain in rural areas and take up agriculture. —Karen Tuason, The Philippines
- Youth are in agriculture, but it is not celebrated. Moreover, youth are online; reach them out there and get them involved in agriculture. – Joseph Macharia, Kenya
- We need to adapt our perceptions of agriculture. Get young people involved at all levels of the value chain to boost their opportunities. – Nadia Manning-Thomas, Caribbean/ UK
- What happens in climate change meetings is just a talk shop; what matters is when this is brought back to rural people. Whatever happens at global events, what matters is what you bring back to the people. – Tan Copsey, UK
- As long as young people aren’t engaged in the sector, it will continue to suffer. As long as we will try make things for youth without engaging them, nothing will change. – Aliness Mumba, South Africa
- Youth must be empowered. There are no barriers to action, no excuses. Groups must be organized and supported through membership. YOUTH: Organize yourself, be inspired, persevere! — Izzy Lawrence, UK
- Skills may seem technical, but youth are eager to learn. Let us not cry over lack of resources. If you have time and skills and resources, work with the youth. – Stephen Kibet, Kenya
- Youth are here and ready – keep involving them. Let us use this forum and with the youth to get them involved – Otim Joseph, Uganda
- Knowledge exchange is important in the process of building capacity of the youth. Teach us what this new research should look like. How do we engage in these new areas to become better scientists? – Amy Duchelle, Brazil
Overarching key messages from the discussions:
- While government is mentioned as having a key role in providing support for sustainable entrepreneurship and making the landscapes sector more attractive, Tan Copsey of BBC Media found that in areas where there was little support from the government (Pakistan is a case in point), people were actually more active in taking action.
- The utility of speaking to the interest of policy makers was stressed, to which Karen Tuason replied that this is where the organization of young people is of crucial importance.
- To the question “Is it realistic to get more young people involved in the landscapes sector?” Joseph Macharia emphasized that those who organize must be from the communities. In addition, Nadia Manning-Thomas urged and end to the idea that agriculture is a one-dimensional area. We need to see the ‘landscapes’ aspect of the value chain — that is the type of agriculture that youth are interested in being involved in.
Bruce Campbell, the director of CCAFS, spoke at the end of the session on behalf of GLF’s organizers, to receive youth input in the GLF. He called on youth to stop being patient, referring to a young person’s message from 2010: “You have been negotiating all my life. You cannot tell me that you need more time.” Campbell exhorted youth to take action: “Initiate the revolution!”
Sithembile Ndema, moderator of the session, participated in the high-level closing plenary session of the Global Landscapes Forum (00:34:30 mins). She eloquently brought to the forefront two key recommendations from the session to feed into the GLF’s outcome statement:
In developing sustainable solutions to tackle climate change issues, the UNFCCC must engage with and listen to the voice of youth in the landscape sector who contribute much needed innovative ideas and energy. Capacity development of youth movements within these processes is critical for them to contribute to their future.
- The landscapes approach requires a new breed of young professionals: those who are able to work across different sectors to achieve sustainable development goals and those who can take advantage of opportunities at different stages of the value chain, resulting in improved food security and better remuneration for young people in harmony with the environment.
In remarks later during the two-day Forum, Campbell urged young people not to be content with being put in a “box”; instead, they should have the means to take a fuller, more integrated role in all sessions of the next Global Landscapes Forum.
More resources:
- The youth session was live-streamed — watch the videos here.
- The session generated much enthusiasm and discussion online, much of it borne out in a number of blog articles, which can be read here.
- The session also included an online contest based on 150 submissions to participate as a speaker in the session. The results were announced at the end of the session and showcased via a blog post.
- Check also this Storify for more inspiring quotes.
What are the things that need to happen for youth inclusion in climate and development talks? Join the Dialogue.
The GLF youth session was organized by YPARD and CIFOR with the support of CCAFS, CGIAR, GFAR, CTA and FANRPAN.
