Rural Youth Employment (RYE) and sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation are among the core development challenges for the future – and they are closely interlinked. With the core area strategy “Transformation of agricultural and food systems” of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), there is a sound strategic orientation for the interface of employment and food systems transformation. Labour markets in rural regions have a number of characteristics that structurally distinguish them from urban labour markets. Nevertheless, rural areas and the agri-food sector have the potential to offer productive employment opportunities for youth.