G20 meeting: Digitalization is a big opportunity for women and youth in rural areas, says FAO

Digitalization has great potential to drive progress towards an inclusive future for the world’s smallholder farmers, and can help galvanize greater productivity and sustainability of agrifood systems, as well as improve livelihoods and options for women and youth, QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), said today at a side event ahead of the G-20 Agriculture Ministers Meeting in Bali.

“Digital transformation opens an important opportunity for accelerating women and youth business opportunities across agrifood systems, to take concrete steps to ending hunger and poverty,” the Director-General said at the G20 High Level Ministerial Dialogue Session/Global Forum on Digital Agriculture Transformation in Accelerating Women and Youth Entrepreneurship.

Digital solutions can help the world “recover together, quickly, stronger, smarter and greener for sustainable economic growth and development,” Qu highlighted.

The Government of Indonesia hosted the side event to foster the digital agenda as a key pathway in which younger people are often well versed and primed to contribute, particularly as entrepreneurs across the spectrum from production to sales, to the transformation of agifood systems. The event began with opening remarks by H.E. Syahrul Yasin Limpo, Indonesia’s Minister of Agriculture, and featured a high-level ministerial dialogue, as well as interventions from FAO and other international organizations.

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