Youth
Coming from different sectors and backgrounds, the members of the WG merge their forces and experiences, visions and knowledge to consolidate a youth driven branch of the food sovereignty movement of small-scale food producers, Indigenous Peoples, rural workers and consumers.
Who we are
The IPC Youth Working Group (WG) was formed in 2017 and counts with more than 18 small-scale food producers and Indigenous Peoples organizations members of the IPC distributed across 5 continents. The creation of a Youth WG in the IPC responds to the increasing demand for youth participation in food systems and the related policies at the global, national, regional/local level.
Globally, young people represent 1.2 billion of the population; 88% of them live in developing countries and mostly in rural areas (FAO, 2019). Although the young population is growing, dignified work opportunities remain scarce, especially when it comes to food production. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated preexisting barriers faced by rural youth, such as limited access to education, to resources such as land, seeds and water, to financial services, as well as insufficient opportunities to participate in decision-making processes.
Nevertheless, when supported to reach their full potential, young people are capable of bringing new (needed) perspectives and solutions to food systems, becoming key actors in food provision and community well-being. This is why they need to be involved in decision-making processes at the regional, national and international level.
The IPC Youth WG advocates for a structural change of food systems based on agroecology and food sovereignty; built through peasant-to-peasant education, intergenerational exchange of knowledge and political training for youth. The group defends the protection of human and agro-ecological diversity, the equal access to resources (ecological, financial, digital, etc.) and envisions alternatives to the global, liberal, capitalist markets and economies.
Our work
Coming from different sectors and backgrounds, the members of the WG merge their forces and experiences, visions and knowledge to consolidate a youth-driven branch of the food sovereignty movement. Moreover, the IPC Youth WG is closely working with the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) to enhance youth engagement in rural areas for the generational sustainability of food systems, especially in the context of the United Nation Decade of Family Farming (UNDFF).
This process has started with a mapping exercise to identify a set of national and local initiavives and strategies of small-scale food producers, consumers and Indigenous People’ organizations of the IPC aimed at enchancing youth participation in food systems and improving youth people’s livelihood in rural areas.
Facilitation
The WG is facilitated by Centro Internazionale Crocevia, which is responsible for maintaining the dialogue with Governments and Rome-based institutions; building synergies with other NGOs and Youth movements; organising advocary and lobby work but also strengthening internal cohesion as well as the participation on the IPC Youth in other WGs of the IPC.
“The IPC Youth interactive mapping! Click on the pins to learn more about each youth intiative and get in touch with them!
Presentation of the working Group
The IPC Youth WG is now in the process of developing its Global Strategy, including both thematic priorities and concrete objectives and actions. The Strategy aims at orienting the WG’s identity and future work, however it is adaptable to Youth groups at the national, regional and local level. The Group is regularly updating its strategy of action, ensuring that it closely aligns with the agendas of the other IPC WGs: Agricultural Biodiversity, Agroecology, Fisheries, Indigenous Peoples and Land, Forest, Water and Territory.
Both the mapping document and the Global Strategy intend to provide critical inputs to the UNDFF, and particularly Pillar II: Support youth and ensure the generational sustainability of family farming; the FAO Rural Youth Action Plan (RYAP) and other youth processes, linking local/national level initiatives to global action and contributing to the global discourse of youth inclusiveness in food systems.
The IPC Youth WG is also represented in Civil Socienty Organisations such as the Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples’ Mechanism (CSM) and brings its voice to other youth global processes as part of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) and the World Food Forum (WFF).
“The IPC Youth interactive mapping! Click on the pins to learn more about each youth intiative and get in touch with them!
Main issues
While developing its Global Strategy, the group has identified some key-themes to address. These themes are at the core of the IPC Youth Strategy, giving a concrete ground to the Youth Strategy at different levels, from local to global.
Campaigns
Call for participations to all IPC members
The IPC Youth WG is conducting a global consultation process on generational turnover in family farming!
We invite all members, youth and non youth to the final phase of our consultation: let’s meet on 5 & 11 October from 2PM to 4PM (Rome Time). Click the button below to learn more!
We invite all members, youth and non youth to the final phase of our consultation: let’s meet on 5 & 11 October from 2PM to 4PM (Rome Time). Click the button below to learn more!
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WORKING GROUPS
What we work for
Agricultural biodiversity 
Indigenous Peoples 
Agroecology 
Fisheries 
Land, Forests, Water and Territory 
Youth WHO ARE WE
A group fighting for the right to food
IPC is represented by the Nyéléni Food Sovereignty Movement. Nyéléni ECA is a political and social alliance of grassroots, community based movements and organizations, representing small-scale food producers.
