Youth for Climate-Resilient Agriculture Competition : Apply before 5th February

Are you involved in a youth-led project working on green and climate-resilient agriculture? Are you interested in receiving mentoring and capacity building to develop your initiative? Are you ready to show the world the power of youth at the International Conference for Youth in Agriculture in Germany and at COP27 in Egypt? Then this is your chance to bring your project to the next level!  

FAO and IAAS (International Association of Students in Agricultural and Related Sciences), in collaboration with YPARD (Young Professionals for Young Professionals for Agricultural Development) are pleased to launch the Youth for Climate-Resilient Agriculture Competition (YCRAC) to support and promote youth-led projects aligned with the concept of green and climate-resilient agriculture. Agricultural sectors are both highly vulnerable to climate change and major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and land and ecosystems degradation. Green and climate-resilient agriculture is a broad concept that encompasses all transformative changes that tackle these issues and work towards more resilient, low-impact and low-carbon agrifood systems.  

IAAS, a global network of youth, is the biggest student organization in the field of agriculture and related sciences worldwide. Youth play an active role in protecting the environment and finding innovative solutions to climate change. With their position in-between a world of innovation and technologies and a world of traditions, youth also have a pivotal role in adopting and promoting environmentally friendly practices at home and in their communities. Nevertheless, they often face very specific age-related challenges and barriers in their efforts to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change.  

The Youth for Climate-Resilient Agriculture Competition (YCRAC) aims at addressing these challenges by supporting youth engaged in developing greener and more resilient agrifood systems through capacity building, mentoring and outreach support.  

If you wish to participate, submit your project before Saturday 5 February 2022 at 11:59 PM (Rome time). The submission form and further information on the selection criteria are available on IAAS’s website.  

Eight projects will be selected and one participant from each project will receive a fully-funded return trip to the International Conference of Youth in Agriculture (ICYA) in Bonn (Germany) from 10 to 13 March, if COVID restrictions allow.  

At the conference, under the supervision of the IAAS Training Committee, which is composed of experienced student trainers and alumni, each of the eight selected project teams will receive training tailored to ensure the successful development of their projects. A mentor will then be assigned to conduct online training monthly until the summer 2022.  

At the World Congress of IAAS (WOCO) in July 2022, two projects among the eight will be selected to win a fully-funded return trip to COP27 in Egypt, where they will be able to present their work on a global stage.  

Are you ready to take part in this challenge? 

Visit IAAS’s website to download and send the submission form to [email protected] before 5 February 2022 11:59 PM (Rome time). 

IAAS will host a Q&A hour about this competition on Wednesday 26January at 1 PM (Rome time). The link will be shared on IAAS’s website.