Giving Compass' Take:

• The 2018 Symposium on 'Youth for Growth' brought food leaders together to discuss how young people can be involved in global food security and sustainable agriculture. 

• How can you engage young people in your local community to be leaders in sustainable agriculture and food systems?

• Changing the food system should start with youth participation. 

The Chicago Council on Global Affairs brought together leaders from across public and private sectors in Washington, D.C., at the annual Global Food Security Symposium in March 2018.

The theme of the 2018 Symposium centered on “Youth for Growth,” and on creating and expanding opportunities for meaningful employment for youth in food and agriculture, connecting these populations with vital human resources like technical assistance and mentorship, and addressing perceptions of agriculture as an unprofitable and/or unappealing industry.

Currently, the world faces a rapid increase in youth populations as well as a critical demand for sustainable food production.  The speakers and panelists at the Symposium addressed the idea that these two challenges can be solved together—that through empowering and engaging youth around the world, countries, and communities can improve global food security through innovative approaches to agriculture and food production.

The Symposium coincided with the release of the Chicago Council’s annual Global Food Security Report.According to the report, low- and middle-income countries are currently experiencing the highest rates of growth in youth populations. In addition, for the most part, agriculture remains the largest single economic sector and source of employment in these countries.

If young people can be trained and empowered to take a central role in agriculture and food production, this could be an effective approach for building a resilient food system and creating economic opportunities for youth in these countries.

A recurrent theme during the Symposium was the need for multisectoral approaches to unite individuals working in nutrition, agriculture, environmental conservation, healthcare, and more. The conference also addressed the importance of not only listening to the voices of young people but supporting them as leaders and partners in food and agriculture initiatives.

Read the full article about youth and the global food system by Elliott Brennan & Miranda Carver Martin at Food Tank.