Like many African countries, Rwanda’s population is young. A third of Rwandans are aged between 15 and 34, and youth employment is a critical policy issue that directly affects national food security. Indeed, youth engagement in agribusiness in developing countries is a crucial asset to achieving sustainable food security. Recognising this, the Government of Rwanda engaged FAO in a technical partnership that has boosted skills and improved networks for the next generation of Rwanda’s agricultural entrepreneurs.

From 2016 to 2017, FAO delivered a Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) to support the Government of Rwanda to establish the Rwanda Youth in Agribusiness Forum (RYAF), a platform that brings together different youth organizations, individual young farmers and entrepreneurs working in the agriculture sector.

The Forum has helped change young people’s mindsets about agriculture, with many young people seeing that the sector has had technological advances since their parents began farming, and is now a real business opportunity. The Forum could be replicated in countries wanting to engage more young people in the agriculture sector.