A few years ago, trade negotiators pacing the corridors of the World Trade Organization (WTO) would not have expected a war in Europe, a global pandemic, and a global food crisis to dominate discussions at a WTO Ministerial Conference. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) has reported that world hunger increased in 2020 under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. Zooming into the Black Sea, the closure of Ukrainian ports amidst the Russian invasion does not bode well for net food-importing countries across the globe.
Youth Innovations That Are Transforming Food Systems In Africa
The Youth Café looks forward to commemorate The International Youth Day especially because this years theme “Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health” coincides with one of our key thematic areas outlined in our Theory of Change, ‘Environmental Preservation and Climate Change’, where the focus is on increasing climate change literacy programs, advocacy for the creation of more green jobs, and creation of a collaborative platform where young people can actively engage and participate in finding solutions to the environmental challenges such as increased investment in the blue economy.
FAO and AUC Virtual Technical Validation Workshop: Investment Guidelines For Youth In Agri-Food Systems In Africa.
Through multi-stakeholder engagements and in-depth country case studies, a draft Investment Guidelines for Youth in Agri-Food Systems in Africa has been produced by FAO in partnership with the AUC. The goal of this handbook is to serve as a resource for governmental and private sector partners, including financial institutions, civil society actors, youth-led organizations, and enterprises across the region, who want to encourage more investment in job creation and agricultural growth in rural areas of Africa. On this note, FAO and the AUC are co-organizing a virtual technical validation workshop aimed at providing a platform for participants to share views and provide final recommendations towards the finalization of the Investment Guidelines for Youth in Agri-food Systems in Africa.
Mechanizing Agriculture is Key to Food Security | The Youth Cafe
BY BUSANI BAFANA
In African woman with hoe in hand is the default symbol of agriculture in Africa, according to the late Calestous Juma, African academic and former Harvard Kennedy School professor. Mr. Juma used that image to convey the drudgery-filled farming that women on the continent face. Women grow 70% of Africa’s food on smallholder farms, a task anchored by physical labour.