The Status of Youth in Agrifood Systems

Despite rapid urbanisation, rural areas still accommodate 46 per cent of the global youth population. The report The Status of Youth in Agrifood Systems examines and emphasises the crucial role of youth in transforming agrifood systems to improve food security, nutrition and economic opportunities. It was published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in July 2025.

Providing employment opportunities and training

Globally, 44 per cent of working youth rely on agrifood systems for employment compared to 38 per cent for working adults. However, that global average covers a large span ranging from 82 per cent in protracted crisis agrifood systems to just 23 per cent in industrial agrifood systems. Alarmingly, food insecurity among youth has risen from 16.7 per cent to 24.4 per cent between 2014-16 and 2021-23, especially affecting young people in Africa.

The report notes that over 20 per cent of youth are not in employment, education or training (NEET), with young women twice as likely to fall into this category. Eliminating youth unemployment and providing employment opportunities for youth aged 20 to 24 years old and not in employment, education or training could boost global gross domestic product by 1.4 per cent, equal to USD 1.5 trillion in additional value-added activity, with about 45 per cent of that increase stemming from agrifood systems.

Rural youth are lagging behind in education

Despite improvements in education globally over the last several decades, rural youth continue to have lower access to quality formal education compared with their urban peers: across all types of agrifood systems, 74 per cent of rural young people compared with 85 per cent of urban young people complete lower-secondary education. Only 20.5 per cent of rural girls in protracted-crisis agrifood systems complete lower-secondary education, compared with over 50 per cent of their male and female peers in urban areas and 98 per cent of girls in industrial agrifood systems.

To empower youth, the report advocates for interventions that enhance their voice and agency, improve access to training and resources, and boost productivity both on and off the farm. It also highlights the need for increased social protection programmes, especially given youth's limited access to traditional financing.

(FAO/ile)

Read more and download the report The Status of Youth in Agrifood Systems on the FAO website