Webinar – Derisking Agrifood Systems for Young People: Co-Creation and Decent Work

Young people are entering agrifood systems at a moment of profound global change. Climate pressures, market volatility, demographic shifts, and rapid technological disruption are reshaping how food is produced, processed, distributed, and consumed. While these transitions create new opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship, they also heighten the risks faced by rural youth — from limited access to land, finance, and skills to exposure to climate and economic shocks.

This webinar, organized by the Donor Platform's Thematic Working Group on Rural Youth Employment (TWG RYE), will convene convene partners, youth leaders, researchers, and financial institutions to explore how derisking strategies, co‑creation, and decent work principles can unlock meaningful, resilient livelihoods for young people across agrifood systems. The session will highlight emerging evidence, practical solutions, and youth‑led approaches with a particular focus on Africa.

This webinar will provide a platform for youth leaders, development partners, researchers, financial institutions, and private sector actors to explore practical strategies for derisking agrifood systems through co-creation and youth-responsive investments. Discussions will examine collaborative approaches to unlocking innovation, expanding decent employment opportunities, improving working conditions, strengthening resilience, and positioning young people as leaders in transforming agrifood systems.

Drawing on diverse perspectives and emerging evidence, with a particular focus on Africa, the webinar aims to identify actionable pathways for creating inclusive, sustainable, and resilient agrifood systems that create meaningful opportunities for current and future generations. It will also explore solutions-oriented approaches that remain effective in fragile and conflict-affected (FCV) contexts.

©IFAD/Chedly Ben Ibrahim