Youth in motion for climate action

FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu today met with young people on the sidelines of the Youth Climate Summit in New York to discuss concrete actions that must be taken to urgently address climate change. “Youth are the future and the driving force behind ideas and innovation,” Qu said, noting how it is crucial that the voices of young people are heard, and that their ideas are respected and nurtured.

Within the next 50 years, some of today’s youth will become the community leaders, policy makers and decision makers that will determine our planet’s future. Education, training, capacity building, investments in technology and creating youth employment opportunities are key components in establishing an enabling environment in which young people can contribute to building a sustainable future. The Director-General also launched a new FAO publication Youth in motion for climate action! A compilation of youth initiatives in agriculture to address the impacts of climate change.

The publication is a compilation of ten successful youth-focused or youth-led initiatives in agriculture that address the impacts of climate change.

For example, #HackAgainstHunger in Africa is a regional innovation challenge for young African entrepreneurs that has led to a web and mobile phone-based service that helps farmers prevent and respond to plant pest and disease outbreaks, and gives them access to climate information and weather forecasts.

An FAO-led project in Lebanon works to enhance the efficiency of the country’s agriculture education system to reach and support more young people by improving agricultural capacity development and creating entry points into green jobs.

Download the publication Youth in motion for climate action!

- PDF URL: http://www.fao.org/3/ca5746en/ca5746en.pdf

- Card page: http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/ca5746en