The FAO project "Supporting responsible investment in agriculture and food systems" places investment, innovation and youth at the center. The partnership approach between the National Institute of Agronomic Research of Tunisia (INRAT), the Agricultural Investment Promotion Agency, the Bern University of Applied Sciences and the Government of Switzerland represents, as Mr. Abderrahman Chefii (APIA) pointed out, an original synergy between Tunisian and Swiss research institutions.

The result of this collaboration is to master a methodology adapted to the Tunisian context, to identify opportunities and solutions to youth wishing to invest in the agri-food sector, informed Mr Mondher Ben Salem INRAT.

The ultimate objective of this project is to help increase responsible agricultural investments and strengthen the role of young people in agriculture and food systems in Tunisia.

A roadmap with concrete actions to engage youth in agricultural investment

On 27 February 2020, FAO and its partners delivered a workshop to present the results of the analysis carried out by the INRAT Rural Economy Laboratory regarding youth engagement in agriculture in Tunisia. This workshop served also to validate solutions and concrete actions recommended by INRAT.

The main recommendations were included in a roadmap that will guide future actions by all partners. They included:  

• Setting up accessible information and training systems using Information for Communication Technologies.
• Creating specific incentive frameworks that encourage investment by young people.
• Adapting legislation to take into account the financing and facilitation needs of young people.
• Strengthening coordination between different initiatives and stakeholders that target youth.

Engaging youth in agriculture essential to achieve food security and reduce poverty

FAO is aware that investments of today's young agro-entrepreneurs will ensure food security for tomorrow. In Tunisia the agricultural sector represents an untapped source of potential employment opportunities for young people. In order to reduce youth unemployment, it is a priority to strengthen their capacity to become agro-entrepreneurs and benefit from investment in their farms and businesses. 

Investment in agro-entrepreneurship can have significant benefits in terms of poverty reduction and the creation of employment opportunities. In Tunisia, the youth unemployment rate is around 35%. Putting young people at the heart of investment promotion strategies will give them prospects for the future and enable the Tunisian economy to benefit fully from their potential.

Moreover, promoting investment by young people would help to curb the rural exodus and keep rural populations on their land, particularly young people in predominantly rural and agricultural regions.

However, young agri-entrepreneurs face many challenges. On one hand, young people are reluctant to consider agriculture as a viable livelihood option and associate it with low returns, hard work and low social status. On the other hand, young entrepreneurs wishing to succeed in agricultural and food value chains often lack access to land, credit and markets, as well as other services. Overcoming these challenges require adapting legislative frameworks to integrate the specificities of young people and build on their capacities for innovation and entrepreneurship.