Addressing rural migration as a key component in food systems

FAO and the Baha’i International Community Brussels Office (BIC Brussels) co-hosted a policy discussion on “From Village to City, and Beyond: Migration and rural transformation in the Africa Europe Partnership”. Participants discussed the interlinkages between rural migration, rural livelihoods and agri-food systems.

Director of the FAO Liaison Office in Brussels, Rodrigo de Lapuerta recalled the key role of migrant workers in ensuring that food systems continue to thrive, a need which has been accentuated by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, measures affecting the movement of people had a substantial impact on agricultural supply chains. De Lapuerta underscored the necessity to link migration to rural development and to increasing decent work opportunities while fostering more inclusive migration policies.

Head of Unit for Sustainable Agri-Food Systems and Fisheries at the EU Commission Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), Leonard Mizzi highlighted the importance of tackling structural factors -such as access to land- and adopting a comprehensive approach. In this regard, he mentioned the links between rural livelihoods and tourism. He pointed out the need to reduce the risk of investments in agriculture while rebalancing value sharing in agri-food chains and promoting structural change: “Migration due to conflicts and climate change needs structural solutions,” he said.

Director of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Regional Office for the European Union, Norway and Switzerland, Ola Henrikson, and SOAS University of London professor, Peter P. Mollinga also participated in the event.

Migration, an issue which is included in the European Green Deal, will be discussed during the upcoming Africa Union-European Union Summit. It will also be at the top of the agenda during the UN Food Systems Summit in September.

The event was part of a series of events on migration and agriculture co-hosted by FAO and BIC Brussels. Read more about FAO’s work on migration and decent rural employment here.