Rome, 18 June 2019 – Effective
policies and investments are urgently needed if the world's poorest countries
are to offer a future to hundreds of millions of marginalized young people
living in rural areas, according to a new report released today by the United
Nations' International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
The
2019 Rural Development Report - Creating opportunities for rural youth shows
that about 500 million young people, about half of the youth population of
developing countries, live in rural areas. This number rises to 780
million when semi-rural and peri-urban areas are included. These
young people are prone to poverty and inequality and are held back by a series
of constraints, including lack of training and skills, limited access to land
and credit, scarce availability of inputs and restricted links to social
networks.
According
to the report, the situation is of particular concern in sub-Saharan Africa,
whose rural youth population is set to climb from 105 million in 2015 to 174
million by 2050 – a 70 per cent increase in countries that often lack the means
to deal with the challenges ahead.
"Failing
to act risks creating a lost generation of young people without hope or
direction, which contributes to an increased risk of forced economic migration
and fragility," said IFAD President Gilbert F. Houngbo. "But with the
right policies and investments, those young people can drive economic growth in
rural areas and improve life in their communities."
The
report finds that among young people living in rural, semi-rural and peri-urban
areas, 67 per cent live in areas with strong agricultural potential but many
have limited access to markets.
With
greater access to skills training, markets, financial services and
technologies, the report points out that rural young people could become more
productive, connected and in charge of their own future.
But
policy-makers need to act quickly to avert a bigger crises, warns the report,
pointing to the impacts of climate change on agriculture generally, the need to
seize opportunities presented by a digital revolution spreading across the
developing world, balanced with the growing aspirations and demands of
young people themselves.
In
particular, the report emphasizes that it is fundamental that youth policies
are embedded in a broader rural transformation strategy and not be deployed in
isolation.
"A
broad, strong rural development policy combined with a clear policy of
including young people, is the best way to help millions of young people around
the world," said Paul Winters, IFAD Associate Vice President.
Note to editors/producers:
2019
Rural Development Report - Creating opportunities for rural youth microsite http://bit.ly/rdryouth
Related:
#DanceforChange,
IFAD's innovative global dance challenge, asks people to make their moves
matter and record a 15-second dance video in support of creating opportunities
for rural youth in some of the world's poorest countries.
Contact:
Caroline
Chaumont
Communication
specialist
Tel
(39) 3496620155
IFAD
invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food
security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, we have
provided US$20.9 billion in grants and low-interest loans to projects that have
reached about 483 million people. IFAD is an international financial
institution and a specialized United Nations agency based in Rome – the United
Nations’ food and agriculture hub. More about IFAD: www.ifad.org
No comments:
Post a Comment