FAO DG: Africa's Youth Key to Strengthening Agricultural Economy

FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva, at the Regional Conference for Africa held in Tunis, Tunisia on March 24-28, 2014 said that getting more African youth involved in agriculture and boosting support for the region's vulnerable family farmers will be pivotal to improving food security and economic well-being in the years to come.

Speaking to ministers of agriculture and funding partners at the event, Da Silva said, "The region's economic growth rate is above the global average and most of the world's fastest-growing economies are in Africa. The challenge is to translate this growth into social inclusion. Agriculture, rural development, and youth can make this happen."

A paper for the conference points out that impressive growth in some African countries over the past decade has not translated into widespread employment or income for young people. FAO is calling for greater public and private investment in agribusiness, agro-industry and market-related services to attract and keep young workers, encourage job creation, and spur new development in the agricultural sector.

For more about this, read the FAO news article at: http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/218326/icode/.