YFCA
FIRST ASIA-PACIFIC YOUNG FARMERS CAMP AND AGRILYMPICS
Young Farmers in Cooperatives and Farmers’ Organizations-led Agri-based Enterprises as Drivers of Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems and Rural Communities
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES
Young people are regarded as the largest contributor and driving force in creating sustainability in any industry or profession, with the majority of the future workforce emerging from the youth. According to the United Nations, there are 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 10-24, the largest generation of youth in history. In a decade, young people will dominate the workforce across all professions, and their career choices will be influenced by the viability and appeal of various sectors. This is particularly true for agriculture, where youth have the potential to make significant contributions to development at multiple levels. However, for many decades, rural youth have been neglected by their communities and governments, leading to unemployment, underemployment, and engagement in informal, insecure, and hazardous jobs. The lack of opportunities in rural areas has compelled many young people to migrate to cities in search of better work and income, while those who remain on farms often do so out of necessity rather than choice. This has resulted in an aging farming population, a problem apparent both regionally in Asia and globally. Experts predict a critical shortage of farmers worldwide within less than a decade, endangering food sufficiency and agricultural sustainability. This impending crisis underscores the urgent need to address the challenges faced by young people in agriculture.
As part of the work to attract and strengthen youth engagement in agricultural development, the consortium of AFA, ICA-AP, and PFO will be conducting a five-day Young Farmers’ Camp and Agrilympics (YFCA) activity on August 12-16, 2024 in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. The project intends to contribute to creating an enabling environment and platform/ mechanism for the youth to continue to participate in agriculture. Our goals are to raise public awareness among youth that farming can be a fun and viable career, encourage agricultural cooperatives to engage their youth members in cooperative governance, highlight existing agricultural initiatives, inspire young farmers to develop innovative ideas, provide space for dialogue between mentors and young farmers, and catalyze the formation of a young farmers' organization network in Asia and the Pacific.
FIRST ASIA-PACIFIC YFCA
August 12-16, 2024
Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
WHO CAN REGISTER?
Participants must meet the following criteria:
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Age: Participants should be between 18 to 40 years old.
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Membership: Participants must be members of a cooperative/farmer organization/youth group, or any similar type of group or unit, and have been endorsed by their parent or umbrella organization.
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Engagement: Participants should be actively engaged in farming, fishing, herding, any other type of agricultural activity and/or an agri-based enterprise within their cooperative or organization.
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Endorsement: The endorsing organization should have an existing youth committee or mechanism for youth engagement.
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Language Proficiency: Participants should be able to speak and understand basic English.
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Gender Representation: For countries with more than one delegation, a gender-balanced representation must be ensured.
CONTACT US
For program related inquiries:
Nikka Rivera
Young Farmers’ Agenda Coordinator
(632) 8641 2067 | (632) 7148 3052
For delegate and registration inquiries:
Follow
For partnership related inquiries:
Leo Mendoza
Partnerships Committee Focal Point