The National Agriculture and Fisheries Strategy And Investment Plan (NAFSIP) of Yemen is led by the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Fisheries (MAIF) in close coordination with the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MoPIC).

In the context analysis, section 3.1.3 is on Job creation, incomes, and food affordability and 3.3 on Gender and youth. The NAFSIP vision is that of a competitive and climate-resilient agrifood sector that contributes to economic growth, job creation, poverty alleviation, and food and nutrition security. As for its Goal and main impact outcome, NAFSIP is expected to contribute to the reduction of rural poverty and hunger in all Governorates of Yemen by 2030 (goal), which in turn will be achieved through increased resilience of crops, livestock and fisheries subsectors and improved food and nutrition security (impact).

The NAFSIP is grounded on 5 pillars organized in 17 programmes. The pillars include:

(1) Diets and feeding practices of vulnerable households are sustainably improved (with corresponding investment programmes being 1.1. Increased household's capacity to produce, process and preserve food products; 1.2. Improved knowledge of nutrition and dietary practices at household level; and 1.3. Increased stability of stocks of key strategic food commodities).

(2) Increased performance and competitiveness of nutrition-sensitive crop, livestock and fishery value chains (with corresponding investment programmes being 2.1. Increased adoption of improved agricultural technologies and practices (including through extension services tailored to address women and youth’s specific and additional constraints); 2.2. Increased access to production and market information; 2.3. Improved value chain actors' access to agricultural inputs, services, and technologies; 2.4. Improved value chain actors' access to harvest, post-harvest, processing, and marketing facilities; 2.5. Improved farmers' business, organizational, and marketing capacity, including (a) training for farmers organizations on organizational strengthening, business management, negotiation, and operation.

(3) Improved the sustainable and climate-resilient management of natural resources (with corresponding investment programmes being Programme 3.1. Local authorities' knowledge and governance capacities for improved management of natural resources and climate adaptation are strengthened; 3.2. Increased adoption of climate-smart technologies and practices along the value chains; and 3.3. Increased smallholders' access to large/ medium/ small scale community water infrastructure.

(4) Increased socio-economic inclusion of most vulnerable players along the agri-food sector (with corresponding Investment programmes being Programme 4.1. Improved coordination, targeting and coverage of social protection and agricultural livelihood rehabilitation interventions and; 4.2. Increased access to off-farm employment and income generating opportunities for vulnerable households. The latter comprises on one side, investment aimed at enhancing synergies between social protection and livelihood/agricultural interventions (e.g. scaling-up economic inclusion, in particular for women and youth; facilitating local procurement from small scale farmers for in-kind food assistance and school feeding programme; and Promoting public works programme) and, on the other hand, implementing and scaling up coherent social protection interventions to guarantee access to basic needs, focusing on food and healthy diets as enabler for livelihood strategies (e.g. improvement of interventions such as: ensuring universal access to basic needs (e.g., cash transfers and food assistance, including in-kind; improving nutrition outcomes, such as cash for nutrition, and possibly reinforcing the school feeding programmes; vertical expansion of mechanisms to guarantee access to basic needs in case of shocks, such as emergency cash transfer, food assistance, cash for nutrition).

(5) Improved governance and enabling environment for SDG1 and SDG2, with corresponding investment programmes being 5.1. Enhanced HDP nexus coordination and implementation within Government and with non-state stakeholders for SDG 1 and SDG 2; and 5.2. Improved national monitoring, evaluation and learning capacity for effective evidence-based decision-making; and 5.3. Strengthened national research and development capacities to support sustainable development of key sub-sectors; and National food safety surveillance and diagnostic capacity strengthened.

The value chains prioritized are sorghum, fruits and vegetables (banana, hot pepper, onions, and tomatoes), livestock (small ruminants, and cattle dairy and meat), poultry (including commercial), apiculture, and export-oriented products (fisheries and coffee).

In addition, there are 5 foundational areas, namely: i. Supporting institutional and governance strengthening; ii. Promoting gender and socio-economic inclusion; iii. Integrating climate-smart agriculture (CSA; iv. Ensuring restoration and construction of productive and post-production infrastructure; and v. Facilitating private sector development:

The ToC for pillar 4 is that “Increased socio-economic inclusion of vulnerable players along the agri-food system is expected to be attained through improving coordination, targeting and coverage of social protection and agricultural livelihood rehabilitation interventions, and increasing households' access to off-farm employment and income generating opportunities for vulnerable households”.

The development of the NAFSIP was supported by FAO.

The Policy, developed with FAO's support, is under the responsability of the Mauritian Ministry of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping (MBEMRFS). The policy formulates policy statements that aim to foster sustainable economic growth, environmental guardianship, and enhanced livelihoods by promoting the responsible utilisation of the ocean and other marine resources

Policy Statement 5 aims to Develop the Future Blue Economy Workforce and Promote Education, Sensitisation and Public Awareness. This includes Policy Strategies to: Promote gender equality and involvement of women across Blue Economy fields through scholarships, apprenticeships targeting women; establish a national ocean forum with recognized ocean associations; Coordinate ocean education: Establish Ocean Science curricula in schools and universities, Develop blue economy related curriculum for secondary education and Develop blue economy curriculum for tertiary education; Establish technical blue economy departments for vocational training; Promote blue economy related careers; Graduate trainee programmes and internships in blue economy industries; Provide state scholarships/bursary programs for students; Expose tertiary educators to international research opportunities; Hold annual Blue Economy Forum/Summit/Conference; Educate the public on how to respond to warnings and evacuation procedures for climate related hazards; Conduct public awareness campaigns to educate coastal residents about tsunamis, storm surges, and coastal flooding risks; Encourage community participation in disaster preparedness and response planning; Strengthen local government capacity for coastal hazard management, including training for emergency response and evacuation procedures; and Support local communities in developing community-based disaster preparedness plan.
Policy Statement 6: Improve Maritime Transport, Trade, and Infrastructure includes a policy strategy to Establish ‘preparedness for emergencies’ protocols to mitigate against any port or maritime transport issues (ship damage, oil discharge, piracy, increased wave action.

As for Rodrigues island, which is part of the Republic of Mauritius, Policy Statement 1: Unlock the potential of off-lagoon fisheries, it includes strategies to Develop cooperatives and community partnerships for pooled offshore fishing resources and collective marketing, and Foster next generation participation through apprenticeship programs for youth focused on advanced offshore fishing knowledge and techniques combined with attractive financial packages. Under Policy Statement 2: Improved Fisheries Management in includes a strategy to Foster greater youth engagement with both marine conservation areas and offshore fishing through hands-on educational activities and future career exposure.

Otehr decent work aspects are not explicitely addressed.

Among the challenges identified by the new policy for Costa Rica are and 6.4 Rural poverty and 6.7 Demographic challenges.

The vision is for the sector, by 2032, to be competitive, productive, connected, inclusive and sustainable, playing a dynamic role in the economy, generating economic, social and environmental opportunities and benefits. Its four pillars are: 1.modernization of the institutions of the agricultural sector; 2. promotion of competitiveness; 3. productivity and sustainability; and 4. added value and commercialization. The last two pillars are explicitly linked in the document to SDG8 (Table 1).

Under Pillar 1, a specific action aims at Promoting the formalization of producers, considering the realities and particularities of the agricultural sector. Under Pillar 2, specific actions look into access to finance for producers. Under Pillar 3, actions focus on access to technology (including in general terms for attracting youth) and sustainable production practices.  Under Pillar 4, focus in on value chain development, access to market and food and nutrition security (not explicitly linked to social protection).

The Policy replaces the Agricultural Promotion Policy which ended in December 2020. Its vision is that of a “Growing Nigeria’s agriculture sector, driving income growth, accelerating food and nutrition security, generating employment, and transforming Nigeria into a leading global food market with wealth for farmers”. Among the policy objectives is to facilitate the creation of 12 million job opportunities in the agricultural sector.

NATIP is built around 10 intervention pillars, which include the following:

2.4.2 Knowledge Creation and Transfer (including Promotion of indigenous knowledge system for generation of formal and informal innovations).

2.4.3 Rapid Mechanization, expected to stimulate the direct and indirect creation of 2 million jobs in the country, including action iv. Establishing agriculture-based technology incubation centres for training of women, youths and people with special needs, and project components on Adaptation of efficient labour-saving devices relevant to smallholders and Promotion of mechanization service championed by Youths and Women as private sector-led Tractor/equipment Hiring Services Providers in the rural areas / Deployment of appropriate technologies for disabled people.

2.4.6 Livestock Development, expected to create 1 500 000 new jobs.

2.4.7 Strengthening Value-Chains for Priority Crops, thereby boosting industrialization and creating at least 1 million jobs in the country.

2.4.8 Fisheries and Aquaculture, Marine and Inland Fisheries Development, to create no fewer than 500 000 new jobs along the value chain.

2.4.9 Market Development, which besides increasing access to market and income, is expected to create over 300 000 new jobs.

Among the Cross-Cutting Interventions are:

2.5.1 Development of Rural Infrastructure, expected to generate 2 million jobs, including through action ix. Promoting the role of women and youths in the different fields of rural development.

2.5.2 Nutrition, including action iv. Build resilience and social protection nets through food and nutrition systems for vulnerable groups.

2.5.4 Promoting Digital and Climate-Smart Agriculture, through which 50000 graduates and over 150 000 non-graduates would be supported to engage in profitable and environmentally sustainable agricultural activities.

2.5.5 Strengthening Agricultural Lending and Insurance.

2.5.11. Cooperatives Revitalization, including project components on Promotion and development of specialized cooperatives that cater for the peculiar needs of women, youth, IDPs, physically challenged and other vulnerable groups; expected to consolidate at least five million women, youth and other vulnerable persons into the agricultural workforce.

2.5.10 National Food Reserve and Food Security.

2.5.9 Women and Youth in Agriculture, with targeted interventions including capacity building, acquisition of 21st - century skill-sets, gender and youth-friendly innovations and enterprises, promotion of modern agriculture, small-farmers associations and linkages to finance. Through active engagement of women and youth, 1 million new jobs are targeted along selected value chains.

Other aspects of decent work, like child labour eradication, wages, occupational safety or working conditions are not explicitly addressed in the document.

The development of the policy was supported by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), USAID, the International Food and Agricultural Development (IFAD), among others.

This note elaborates IFAD strategy for Syria. The goal of the CSN is to contribute to the reduction of poverty, food insecurity, vulnerability and youth unemployment in rural communities. Particular attention will be paid to the gender, youth, and nutrition and climate change aspects.

The CSN prioritizes the following two strategic objectives:
1. Support to climate resilient livelihoods at household and community level (including by piloting community level biogas facilities, through increased use of improved irrigation techniques and promotion of conservation agriculture, organic food production including drought resistant varieties; and strengthened capacity of famers’ associations;
2. Improve agricultural productivity and access to markets through financial inclusion and strengthened value chains (including with particular emphasis on the participation of women and youth, by supporting the formation and legalization of producers’ groups and by encouraging entrepreneurship).
The CSN aims to ensure sustainable income for rural households and backs up the transition from a humanitarian approach of securing basic needs to long term recovery and sustainable development, which aligns with the national priorities outlined in Syria 2030.
Other dimensions of decent work are not explicitly addressed, like OSH, child labour, workers' rights or migration.

In Oct 2022, the Commission adopted the Youth Action Plan in the European Union external action for 2022-2027. It aims helping deliver on international commitments, such as the United Nation's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate Agreement, by enhancing meaningful youth participation and empowerment in the EU's external action policies. The Youth Action Plan is the result of extensive consultations with over 220 stakeholders across the world, in particular children's rights and youth organizations.

The Youth Action Plan in EU External Action is guided by three pillars of action that will help shape the EU's partnership with young people in partner countries:

1. partnership to engage: increasing young people's voices in policy and decision-making (in particular young women and girls, youth activists and organizations, at all levels of governance, from domestic politics to multilateral forums, and within EU policy-making processes);

2. partnership to empower: fighting inequalities and providing young people with the skills and tools they need to thrive (including ending child labour, enhancing digital education, facilitating the access of children and young refugees to education, promoting the decent work agenda, supporting youth entrepreneurship, equipping young people with green skills and support decent youth employment and entrepreneurship in the green economy, including in regenerative farming and the sustainable agrifood sector, facilitating the transition of young people to the formal economy, increasing capacity building and funding for youth organizations).

3. partnership to connect: fostering opportunities for young people to network and exchange with their peers worldwide.

The Youth Action Plan in EU External Action will reinforce ongoing initiatives and launch new key initiatives targeting young people worldwide including:

• The Youth and Women in Democracy Initiative worth €40 million will increase the voice and leadership of young people, youth activists and youth-led organisations across the world, by strengthening their rights, empowerment, and participation in public and political affairs. The initiative will support grassroots organizations and young activists in the institutional oversight, anti-corruption, citizen election observation, democratic reform advocacy, civil education, promotion of the right to vote, freedom of association and assembly and human rights.
• The Youth Empowerment Fund is a new pilot initiative worth €10 million that will provide direct financial support to youth-led initiatives in partner countries focusing on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals at local level, in particular on environment and climate change and the inclusion of vulnerable and marginalised youth.
• The Africa-Europe Youth Academy will channel financial support of €50 million to formal and informal learning opportunities and exchanges for young people willing to improve their leadership skills and create networks of change-makers in Africa.

The Youth Action Plan is part of the EU institutions efforts to mark the European Year of Youth 2022 (link here).

The Youth Action Plan strengthens the international dimension of the EU Youth Strategy and builds on the EU Strategy of the Rights of the Child. It draws on the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy that stresses the need for equal, full and meaningful participation of young people in public and political life, and the European Pillar of Social Rights. Finally, it implements the EU Gender Action Plan (GAP) III, by focusing on the empowerment of girls and young women.

A report (here) on youth related indicators and its accompanying dataset by the Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) contributes to the evidence-based approach to the Youth Action Plan. It offers a map of international data on youth across a series of main thematic areas and make recommendations to all stakeholders working on youth towards greater coherence.  

Generation Unlimited, UNICEF and KUZA have joined forces to develop
the Global Youth Agriculture Network (GYAN) that is a public-private-youth partnership (PPYP) aiming to transform agrifood systems by leveraging the power of technology and providing young people with skills and agency to inform and drive the change. The programme has been launched in Kenya, and will be subsequently expanded to other countries, including India and another 11 countries in Africa where conditions are already present to enable replication.

The KUZA model, which has evolved (and been tested) over the last ten years, is currently established to cater for people in the age group of 24–35-year-old and beyond. Under the model, each agripreneur provides extension services to a cohort of 200 smallholder farmers for free, leveraging a digital platform and
toolkit. This is sustained through commissions for facilitating quality
inputs, credit, & markets.
The expansion of the model will leverage the concept of Place-Based-Interventions (PBIs) transforming schools into “Hubs” for young people and members of rural communities to Learn, Connect and Grow on their terms and pace. In so doing the programme plans to link to the kenya 4KClubs.

The Vision of the policy is to “create an optimistic, self-confident and prosperous nation, through the creative exploitation of our human and natural resources, and operating within a democratic, open and fair society in which mutual trust and economic opportunities exist for all. 

The medium-term goals are to: 1. Build a prosperous country 2. Create opportunities for all Ghanaians 3. Safeguard the natural environment and built environment 4. Maintain a stable, united, and safe country 5. Build resilience to withstand threats of different dimensions, including COVID-19; and 6. Improve delivery of development outcomes at all levels.

The Policy is drafted in 7 Chapters as: Introduction (1); Economic Development (2); Social Development (3); Environment, Infrastructure and Human Settlements (4); Governance, Corruption and Accountability (5); Emergency Planning and Response (Including Covid-19 Recovery Plan) (6); Implementation, Coordination, Monitoring and Evaluation (7).

In the chapter on Economic development, Focus area 3 is on Private Sector Development, see Policy objective 3.3 Support entrepreneurship and MSME development, including among the youth (not specific for agriculture and rural areas) and 3.5 Formalise the informal economy, including strategy 3.5.3 Improve access to finance for informal economy operators including agribusinesses in rural areas. Focus area 4 is on Agriculture and Rural Development with Policy objectives to be pursued comprise creating an enabling agribusiness environment (including insurance schemes); improving public-private investment in the Agricultural sector; modernising and enhance agricultural production systems; improving post-harvest management; promoting agriculture as a viable business among the youth; and promoting livestock and poultry development. To promote agriculture as a viable business among the youth, key strategies are: to support youth to venture into agribusiness along the value chain; facilitate access to agricultural financing for youth; and design and implement special programmes to build the capacity of the youth in agriculture. Specific flagships initiatives include: Expedite the implementation of the Greenhouse Village concept, focusing especially on the youth; Sustain the implementation of the planting for food and jobs initiative to stimulate food production and generate incomes; and Continue the implementation of the aquaculture for Food and jobs (AFJ) with effective linkages to the Youth in Aquaculture Development Programme.

In the chapter on Social development, Medium-term policy objectives and strategies focus on Education and Training (not specific to agriculture/rural areas but with attention to TVET, PWDs and re-entry of dropout boys and girls including adolescent mothers back into school);  Health and Health Services; Food Systems Transformation and Nutrition Security; Population Management and Migration for Development (including to harness the benefits of labour migration; the demographic dividend, and benefits of migration for socio-economic development; and promote good migration governance; Reducing Poverty and Inequality; Water and Environmental Sanitation; Child Protection and Development (including reviewing and implementing the National Plan of Action for the Elimination of Worst forms of Child Labour / not specific for agri/rural areas); Support for the Aged; Gender Equality (across sectors and including in terms of access to land, so contributing to non dicrimination under Pillar III); Sports and Recreation, Leisure and Cultural Life; Youth Development; Social Protection (not specific for agri/rural areas or sectors); Disability-Inclusive Development; Employment and Decent Work (not specifically mentioning agri/rural sectors).
The priority on Food Systems Transformation and Nutrition Security includes: i. Strengthen the agriculture production sub-system including the agroecological and industrial food production systems. Strategies to achieve this objective are to apply science and technology to existing farming systems; formulate and pass bye-laws to promote secure access to agriculture land by women, youth and migrant farmers; expand the proportion of land area under irrigated agriculture; Promote seed and breed security; promote women’s leadership and empowerment in food systems and agriculture; establish a well-structured subsidy scheme on fisheries inputs and develop appropriate fisheries infrastructure across the country.

The National Sustainable Agriculture Plan 2022-2025 was launched by the Ministry of Agriculture with the aim of improving farmers’ living conditions by empowering them and increasing the sector’s productivity.

The priorities of the Plan are the following: Developing the business environment in the agricultural sector, Enhancing the efficiency of irrigation water use, Encouraging the use of modern technology in agriculture, Enhancing the competitiveness of Jordanian agricultural products, Enhancing agricultural exports, Development and sustainability of the forest sector and the ecosystem.
The plan has 5 pillars:
1. Creating job opportunities in the agricultural sector (Specific decent work aspects are not made explicit);
2. Increasing the growth rate of the added value;
3. Increasing the productivity of one cubic meter of irrigation water;
4. Increasing the value of agricultural exports;
5. Increasing the area of sustainable forests.

Speaking during a press briefing held at the Prime Ministry, the Minister of Agriculture indicated that that financing the plan, at a cost of JD389 million, came in full partnership with the private sector. It is expected to generate 32000 jobs, some 8000 jobs a year, in addition to temporary jobs, some 6,000 a year, as part of the afforestation projects. As part of the plan, JD35 million will be allocated as interest-free loans for agricultural projects. A total of 12 entrepreneurial projects in the agriculture incubator will be supported, 5000 projects related to women empowerment will be implemented and training on agri-tech tools for 360 young Jordanians will be provided as part of the plan. (Source here).

The Country Programming Framework of FAO in Nicaragua (MPP in Spanish) seeks to stimulate the development and adoption of policies and investments that enable Nicaragua to move towards more sustainable, inclusive and resilient food systems, promoting the use of digital technologies, research and innovation. Promoting the inclusion of women and youth rural, indigenous and Afro-descendant is a general priority of the MPP.

Its main pillars refer to:

1. Resilient Production;

2. Rural Investments, which seeks to increase public and private investments in value chains that promote decent and equal employment, reduce rural poverty, and contribute to sustainable development (including by promoting the inclusion and economic empowerment of women and young people through entrepreneurship); and

3. Sustainable Ecosystems.

The IFAD COSOP’s overall goal is to reduce poverty and food insecurity among rural people living in vulnerable conditions in Guatemala’s poorest areas, with special emphasis on indigenous peoples, women, youth and persons with disabilities. Participation and inclusion will be ensured by meeting the following minimum quotas in operations: women (50 per cent), youth (40 per cent), indigenous peoples (40 per cent) and persons with disabilities (5 per cent).The following departments are targeted in particular: Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chiquimula, Huehuetenango, Quiché, San Marcos and Totonicapán.

The COSOP pursues two strategic objectives (SOs): SO1: Rural smallholders living in poverty have access to equitable and sustainable livelihoods (to be achieved by strengthening policies and investments that promote job creation, decent wages and improved working conditions; and SO2: Poor rural households belonging to the most vulnerable communities improve their adaptive capacity and resilience to climate change and instability. According to para 43: IFAD will promote green productive inclusion in prioritized value chains, particularly focusing on nutrition-sensitive and smart agriculture. Key investments could include land access, financial inclusion, innovative instruments and productive infrastructure.

Relevant indicators in the COSOP results management framework refer to job creation, and access to financial and business development services, but not specifically to other decent work aspects.

The Country Programming Framework (CPF) 2022-2025 established between FAO and the Government of Guatemala aligns with the Marco Estratégico de Cooperación de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo Sostenible 2022-2025.

It is a planning and programming document that defines the national priorities that FAO will address through actions at the country level. The potential sources of resources considered will be Sweden, the European Union (EU), the Cooperation Agency of the United States of America (USAID), among others. FAO's main implementing partners will be UN-Women, IOM, IFAD, UNDP, UNICEF, PAHO/WHO and WFP. The identified national partners include: Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganadería y Alimentación (MAGA), Ministerio de Economía y Comercio (MINECO), Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas (INE), Fondo de Tierras, Registro de Información Catastral (RIC) and Comisión Presidencial por la Paz y los Derechos Humanos (COPADEH).

The CPF results chain includes three programmatic areas and respective results. The first result is more relevant for employment promotion, even though it does not addressed explicitly decent work elements. “By the year 2025, the prioritized population increases its access to productive means and economic services at the national and local levels, towards competitiveness and an improved business climate, in the framework of inclusive, sustainable and sustainable socioeconomic development for a better life”. In this way, FAO aims to contribute to the economic recovery post-COVID 19 and to reduce irregular migration, especially of young people and women. To this end, until 2025, in coordination with MAGA and in alliance with private sector actors, it will strengthen the capacities of at least 60 organizations of small and medium producers, considering the existing gender gaps in the use of innovative technologies that facilitate their access to productive assets and increased productivity of their respective rural enterprises. Support for organizations with a greater participation of the indigenous population will be emphasized and the identification and participation of organizations led by women will be encouraged.

Results 2 and 3 focuses respectively on food security and nutrition, and enhanced natural resources management.

Indicators under Result 1 aim at improved access to land and labour incomes. Output 1.1 is about supporting organizations of small and medium producers, particularly those with the greatest participation of indigenous population, with innovative capacities and technologies that facilitate their access to productive assets and increases in productivity. Output 1.2 is about supporting micro and medium-sized rural enterprises, particularly those with a greater participation of youth and women, with better capacities to develop business plans, participate in value chains, access financing and link to the market. Output 1.4 focuses on strengthening sectoral institutions, in partnership with the private sector, for specialized technical assistance services with a gender approach to improve the capacities of individual producers and their associations agricultural and non-agricultural rural in the areas of organization, entrepreneurship and marketing.

This study by IFPRI assesses the effect of ICT for increasing agribusiness profitability and providing employment. In particular, the study assesses the effect of the intensity of ICT use on profit using data collected from 317 young agripreneurs and an ordered logit model. The results show that profitability increases with the number of ICT tools used to receive and disseminate information relevant to agribusinesses. Therefore, the study recommends that relevant stakeholders should strive towards the implementation of programs that increase the number of ICT tools that can be used in agribusinesses.

The data was collected in December 2019 from 317 young (age 18–35 years) farmers randomly selected from three Extension Planning Areas (EPAs) in Lilongwe and six EPAs in Dedza. The sample farmers were involved in producing and selling crops.

The WFP Tunisia Country Strategic Plan defines the priorities for support for the period 2022-2025, with a total budget of 11 392 574 USD.

Its executive summary indicated that although levels of hunger in Tunisia are generally low, access to nutritious food is hindered by economic barriers such as low purchasing power. Further, the coronavirus disease pandemic is having severe impacts on the economy and livelihoods of Tunisians. In addition, studies show that Tunisia is among the top ten countries for climate change impacts in terms of population affected and gross domestic product losses. Tunisia also faces a double burden of malnutrition, with micronutrient deficiencies and overweight and obesity.

The Strategic plan aims to achieve two strategic outcomes :                  

-SO1: By 2025, selected vulnerable groups in targeted areas have increased economic opportunities and strengthened resilience to shocks and climate risks (see Output 1: Output 1: Smallholder farmers, rural women and unemployed young people benefit from enhanced access to the school feeding and other markets, contributing to sustainable and efficient food systems).                                                                                                   -SO2: By 2025, targeted national institutions in Tunisia have strengthened capacity to implement school meal and inclusive shock-responsive social protection programmes that improve food security and nutrition.

In particular, WFP aims to enhance the Government-run national school meals programme to reach 260 000 children in vulnerable situations (125,000 girls and 135,000 boys). WFP will continue to support the enhancement and extension of the programme and the decentralization and diversification of its supply chain with the aim of enhancing community resilience and programme sustainability.

Para 34. Strategic shift: In addition to providing continuous support through technical assistance, best practice dissemination and technological and digital advice for enhancing and expanding the NSMP and supporting inclusive nutrition- and gender-sensitive policy design, WFP will pay special attention to the school meals supply chain, strengthening procurement processes, mainly through data digitalization and the promotion of home-grown school feeding (HGSF). WFP will also provide capacity strengthening for smallholder farmer associations, especially associations of rural women, aimed at enhancing the quality, sustainability and impact of the HGSF programme and strengthening the resilience of communities around schools. Special attention will be paid to the inclusion of unemployed young people in the programme, and WFP will advocate special attention for persons with disabilities, who are at particular risk of being left behind, and closer collaboration with their respective organizations.

Under the leadership of the King Mohammed the VI and is support of youth, the government launched the “FORSA” (Opportunity in EN) programme to finance pioneering and collective youth projects (environmental, cultural, agricultural…). The programme will not require preconditions for the selection of candidates and will only select projects according to their importance (including for regional development), and the commitment of the holder.

The target for 2022 is to support 10 000 projects. After the initial selection, the projects will be evaluated by a regional commission then the holders of the projects will benefit from the following: i. an entrepreneurship training; ii. close support from specialized regional incubators over a period of 2.5 months, from the conception phase to the actual implementation of the project; ii. Financing support (combining grant and loan of honor) - a loan of honor (i.e. zero interest rate) of up to 100 000 dirhams including a grant of 10 000 dirhams repayable over a maximum period of 10 years with a deferred period of 2 years.

The programme does not seem to include special measures to encourage young women entrepreneurship or other disadvantaged groups.

The objective of the plan is to Accelerate the transformation of the agrarian sector through competitive, inclusive, and sustainable growth, ensuring the integration of family farming and the private sector into productive value chains.

The Plan is based on four interconnected pillars, namely:

Pillar 1 Production, productivity and agrarian competitiveness;

Pillar 2 Sustainable management of natural resources;

Pillar 3 Agribusiness environment and

Pillar 4 Institutional strengthening and development.

The strategic objectives (SO) corresponding to each pillar are:

• OE 1: Increase agricultural productivity in a sustainable and resilient way to climate change (see target on doubling the number of small producers with access to agricultural extension services and relevant priority programmes in the areas of 1.2 Agricultural Extension; 1.3 Agricultural Mechanization; 1.6 Integration of small farmers into Sustainable and Competitive Value Chains; 1.7 Food and Nutrition Security, including 1.7.3 Establish and/or strengthen and operationalize social protection programmes that ensure access to food banks by vulnerable communities).
• OE 2: Promote the integrated, sustainable and resilient management of natural resources;
• OE 3: Strengthen and facilitate access of agricultural products to the domestic, regional and international market, in an inclusive and competitive way, maximizing the inclusive involvement of the private sector;
• OE 4: Strengthen the efficiency and effectiveness of public and private agrarian institutions and civil society in carrying out their roles in the development of the agrarian sector (see programmes on 4.2 Strengthening Agrarian Organizations and 4.3 Business Development).

The expected impacts include: poverty reduction; increase in jobs, particularly for young people; reduction of food and nutritional insecurity; reduction of degradation of natural resources; and increased resilience and adaptation to shocks and disasters.

Sub-sections in the context analysis are dedicated to Women and Youth Engagement in the Agricultural Sector and gender and youth are retained as crosscutting dimensions. A specific quantified indicator, at objective level, is to increase the inclusive participation of women and youth in strategic value chains in the agricultural sector (even though specific strategies for the latter are not made explicit). Other aspects of decent work are not explicit in the document.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework is the main instrument through which the Government of Cameroon and the UN System will cooperate during the 2022–2026 period to implement the national priorities and contribute to the achievement of the SDGs.

The creation of decent rural jobs is a clear objective, even though specific dimensions of decent work are not made explicit, like child labour elimination or OSH. The framework is organized around the following outcomes:

Outcome 1: By 2026, more people, especially youth, women and socially and economically vulnerable groups, including refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), benefit equitably from increased opportunities in a green, diversified, transformative, resilient and inclusive economy that creates decent jobs in productive sectors. P. 29 mentions that civil society organizations and workers’ unions, which are active in the protection of employees’ rights, will be supported by the UN system to ensure that the jobs offered are decent, inclusive and mainly focused on youth and women from all communities, including refugees and IDPs. (See in particular: Output 1.1: Promising value chains (plant, forest, animal and fishery) with high export potential are developed and promoted; Output 1.2: Very small and medium sized enterprises, cooperative societies and start-ups, led primarily by youth, women and vulnerable groups, have better access to inclusive financing mechanisms; and Output 1.3: The capacities of institutions, very small and medium-sized enterprises, cooperative societies and start-ups led primarily by youth, women and vulnerable groups are strengthened for an effective contribution to the transformation of the economy.) See indicator 1.3.2. Percentage of jobs created in the rural sector. Among the accelerators identified for this Outcome is: Development of agriculture, particularly the dissemination of know-how in sustainable agriculture.

Outcome 2.1: By 2026, more people, by age group, especially the most vulnerable, including refugees and IDPs, use quality basic social services equitably and sustainably to realize their full human potential and enhance their social and economic well-being. (See in particular: Output 2.1.7: Increased equitable and sustainable access of youth aged 15-35 to vocational training and learning opportunities, relevant to the productive sector; Output 2.1.6: Increased access of children, teenagers, youth, especially girls, and vulnerable groups to inclusive quality education, including literacy training; and Output 2.1.5: The capacities of the social protection system are strengthened to adequately address the needs of children, teenagers, youth, women and people left behind, with a view to reducing inequalities.) No specific emphasis is placed on social protection in rural areas and its linkages to agrifood system development.

Outcome 2.2: By 2026, gaps in critical socio-economic indicators are reduced, reflecting greater gender equality and progress in the empowerment of youth, women and girls, and other vulnerable groups, including those in humanitarian settings. (See in particular: Output 2.2.1: The potential of young girls and women is enhanced to enable them to participate in development efforts in all sectors and enjoy the benefits of growth on an equal basis with men; and Output 2.2.3: Women and young girls and boys are protected from all forms of violence and discrimination against them in all areas of public life). Among the accelerators identified for Outcomes 2.1 and 2.2 are: Training in sustainable agriculture; Narrowing the gap in the impact that education has on the employment of men and women; Narrowing the gender gap in employment; Narrowing the gender gap in education by level

Outcome 3: By 2026, youth, women, the most vulnerable groups and people living with disabilities, including refugees and IDPs, actively contribute to the efficiency of policies and the performance of public institutions at national, regional and local levels, and enjoy their rights fully (See in particular: Output 3.1: The capacities of civil society actors and populations, including youth, women and socially vulnerable people, are strengthened for effective and inclusive participation in decision-making processes at community, local, regional and national levels. Among the accelerators identified for this Outcome is: Increased gender equality in education and employment.

Outcome 4 : By 2026, populations, in different agro-ecological zones, including youth, women and socially vulnerable groups, live in a healthier environment, sustainably manage environmental resources, including biodiversity, and are more resilient to disaster and climate change shocks. (See in particular Output 4.2 Institutional and community actors are equipped to design and implement inclusive, integrated and innovative actions to improve the state of the environment and biodiversity, and to contribute to the fight against climate change). Among the accelerators identified for this outcome is: Development of agriculture, particularly the dissemination of know-how in sustainable agriculture

The Vision of the Strategy is to Establish resilient and productive agri-food systems that contribute to economic growth and improve livelihoods, food security, and nutritional health by harnessing agricultural knowledge and innovation systems and through sustainable management of ecosystems and biodiversity.

The ATGS is expected to deliver multiple benefits across five Impact Areas: i) Agricultural Productivity and Income Growth ii) Food Import Reduction iii) Food and Nutrition Security iv) Decent Employment and Livelihoods, and v) Sustainable Ecosystems. For impact area iv, the target is: Create job opportunities for at least 5000 men, women and young persons in agricultural value chains.

Among the key challenges identified are: Weak social organisation and inclusion: Lack of collective action by atomistic cooperatives; and Ageing farmers and fishers and insufficient number of new young entrants (p.18). Among the guiding principles is an Inclusive and differentiated approach (especially of smallholder farmers, women and youth).

The AGTS is organized around 4 outcomes, namely:

1 Legal, policy and institutional innovations (see Activity 1.1.3 - Implement policies to improve and invest in social protection programmes; and 1.3.4 - Institutional and legislative reforms to strengthen the technical and organizational capacities of farmers and fishers’ cooperatives and promote collective action.

2 Effective environmental health and biodiversity management.

3. Resilient agri-food systems (see Activity 3.2.3 - Implement evidence-based climate adaptive coastal fisheries management - Facilitate access of all gender groups, particularly women and youth in the coastal fisheries sector to education and training, technology, credit and entrepreneurship activities; Support safety at sea and improved working conditions through improved fishing boats with better stability and communication equipment together with appropriate gear and fishing methods to help save lives at sea.).

4. Prosperous livelihoods and value chains based on agri-food systems (see Activity 4.1.1 - Promote innovative business models to allow SMEs to supply inputs, post-harvest and agro-processing machines, equipment and tools to famers, fishers and agro-processors.

Hanga Akazi is a five-year USAID-funded Feed the Future project, in Rwanda, implemented by RTI International, to facilitate inclusive employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. The activity will work with and through the Government of Rwanda (GOR) to boost and drive inclusive job creation and economic growth in Rwanda’s agriculture sector and complementary market segments (e.g., agri-businesses, finance, business development services, restaurant industry, training institutes). The program will use a market systems development approach to achieve its goals with emphasis on reaching women, youth, and persons with disabilities. The Activity will address the problem of insufficient employment opportunities and limited entrepreneurial success for Rwandans which negatively impacts the Rwandan economy and the country's development goals through the following intermediate results: 1. Rwandans possess the knowledge and skills required to serve labor and consumer markets domestically, regionally, and globally; 2. The private sector has access to the resources required to grow their revenue and employment; and 3. Businesses are incentivized to grow inclusively. Over the life of the Activity, Hanga Akazi interventions will support a minimum of 23,000 job seekers to access new or improved employment, while the Activity’s support to businesses will result in the creation of at least 19,000 full time jobs at partner firms. Hanga Akazi is not restricted to specific value chains or geographic areas.

The study evaluates and compares job quality of hired workers on small-scale farms and hired workers in agro-industrial companies. A multidimensional decent-work index is constructed and the complementarity between wage and non-wage job aspects is stressed. The conclusion of the study is that, in Senegal, ongoing agro-industrialization contributes to more decent employment in the horticultural sector. The study also found substantial gender wage gaps, and a lower likelihood of having decent employment among migrant and young workers.

The strategy for the Central America region proposes guidelines, objectives and lines of action to expand progress in the integration of rural youth in SICA countries, as a strategic objective and transversal to the policies and programs of the agriculture and rural and territorial development sector.

Its development was funded and technically supported by IFAD/FIDA, Procasur, Consejo Agropecuario Centroamericano (CAC) and Sistema de la Integración Centroamericana (SICA).

The strategy identify 3 Strategic Areas, with corresponding lines of action, namely:

5.1 Integration of rural youth to achieve efficient and competitive production systems and sustainable agricultural production adapted to the climate, with lines of action on a) Promotion of youth leadership in the development of production models and efficient and competitive marketing; b) Incorporation of the sustainable agriculture approach adapted to the climate in policies and initiatives aimed at rural youth; c) Intergenerational dialogue and territorial youth mobilization; d) Facilitation of capacities and resources for innovation and technology for sustainable and climate-adapted small-scale agriculture from youth;

5.2 Income generation, livelihoods and enabling rural environments, with lines of action on a) Development of decent rural employment opportunities for youth in the agricultural sector and rural services; b) Promotion of economic, social and environmentally sustainable businesses, with technical support and financing for innovation and consolidation; c) Access to basic services and social rights in rural territories; and d) Economic autonomy of young, indigenous and afro-descendants rural women.

5.3 Institutional development, articulation and investments, with lines of action ona) Knowledge management and regional articulation, b) Participation, leadership and effective advocacy, c) Development of innovation capacities in agents engaged in public and private investments in rural development.

Child labour aspects and OSH are not explicitly addressed. The need to prioritize migration-prone areas is mentioned.

The Strategy is a domestication of the Kenya Youth Agribusiness Strategy (2018) in Siaya County. Its development was supported by FAO, GIZ and the ASDSP II programme funded by Sida.

The strategy aims at providing a framework for the youth to gainfully earn incomes from agribusinesses. The objectives of the strategy are: 1. To increase employability of 7500 youth in agribusiness (at least 30% of whom must be female) through skills enhancement programmes; 2. To improve the entrepreneurship capacity of the youth to identify, start grow and establish agrienterprises; 3. To provide supportive framework conditions to improve the agrifood sector business environment and to strengthen agri-based youth organizations at both County and local level to improve their political and economic potential. Other decent work asepcts are not explicitely addressed.

The strategy requires an investment of 4.2 billion KES with a cost benefit ratio of 1:3. Resources for the strategy will be mobilized through partnership of County Government of Siaya and relevant partners both among the public, non-governmental and private players, and will be implemented through an agribusiness coordinating unit within the County Department of Agriculture.

The overall goal of the Policy is to develop creative and innovative youth appropriately equipped with sense of responsibility, patriotism and national pride with advanced technology relevant for national and global dynamics. (para 151) The Policy provides a framework for the coordination, collaboration and facilitation of all interventions aimed at improving the welfare and development of the youth (15 to 35 years) in all spheres of life.

In the context, dedicated sections address . Youth Employment and Labour Issues (1.4.1.2) and Youth in Agriculture (1.4.1.4.) .

 Specifically, the policy intends to achieve the following ten objectives:

i. To promote decent job creation, employability and livelihood empowerment for the youth (including strategies for youth business development and entrepreneurship, improvement of market accessibility and distribution systems for goods, products and services of young entrepreneurs; and placement of young migrant workers, but without an explicit focus on rural areas or agrifood systems);

 ii. To promote universal coverage, inclusive health service delivery, healthy lifestyles, and total wellbeing of the youth;

iii. To develop institutional capacities and schemes that support youth skills transfer, creativity and innovation;

iv. To enhance the participation of the youth in governance, community development, and decision-making and elevate their sense of civic responsibility;

v. To establish an institutional framework for the coordination of youth development interventions and mainstreaming;

vi. To promote the fundamental human rights, and physical and reformative development of young persons, including young women and persons with disabilities, at all levels;

vii. To develop resilient and self-reliant youth;

viii. To facilitate the participation of youth in international affairs;

 ix. To promote a quota system to enhance youth access to opportunities; and

x.  To strengthen coordination through monitoring and evaluation of youth interventions.

 (para 188) Gender equality is among the core principles of the Policy, to ensure that men, women, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups are supported, mainstreamed and provided with equal opportunities to participate in national development.

In the section on roles and responsibilities, pp. 87-96 indicates that: the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture and Ministry of Food and Agriculture will collaborate with relevant agencies to facilitate the participation of the youth in fisheries and aquaculture development as lucrative employment, as well as agribusiness; the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development would coordinate the implementation of this policy to ensure coherence and cooperation of all stakeholders at the local level, especially for integrating youth affairs and participation of the youth in rural development; the Extension Services Department of the Ministry Food and Agriculture would provide technical and advisory services to young farmers to adopt good farming practices. It would also direct and link young persons engaged in agriculture and agribusiness to access support services; and finally the Department of Agriculture would facilitate the development and promotion of pro-youth agriculture programmes across the country.

Other specific decent work aspects are not mentioned, such as OSH, workers’ rights, incomes and wages or child labour prevention.

PONADEPA, under the Ministry of Animal and Fisheries Resources of Côte d’Ivoire, has the general objective of guaranteeing food security in terms of quality animal proteins and job creation. It is expected to generate more than 700 000 direct jobs and 1 500 000 indirect jobs. The general objective of PONADEPA has been broken down into three strategic objectives: (i) improving the governance of the sector; (ii) improving the productivity and competitiveness of environmentally friendly animal and fisheries sectors and (iii) improving the livelihoods of stakeholders.

To achieve these objectives, the Policy is articulated in multiple strategies, namely: National Strategy for the Promotion and Coordination of Initiatives in the Animal and Fisheries Resources Sector (SNPC), including actions for Strengthening the capacities of Professional Organizations in the sub-sectors; the National Animal Production Development Strategy (SNPA); National Strategy for Sustainable Fisheries Management (SNGP); National Aquaculture Development Strategy (SNDA); National Strategy for Strengthening Veterinary Public Health (SNRSPV).

Youth and women are expected to be prioritized across the different strategies, but specific activities in this regard are not explicit in the logframes. Aspects of social protection, OSH, child labour, workers' right and social dialogue are not explicitely addressed.

The Agricultural Annual Operational Plan (POA) 2022 of the Dominican Republic is a short-term development instrument (one year) of an operational nature, which serves as a reference framework to guide the efficient use of the resources of the MoA (MARD).

The main objective of all the activities to be carried out by the MARD during 2022 is to consolidate the food and nutritional security of the population by increasing the production and productivity of the basic foods demanded by the country's consumers.

Seven strategic axes are established for the year 2022: 1) guarantee and strengthen the country's food security, which includes approaches to promoting food production, innovation, land titling, and technology transfer; 2) strengthen food health and safety, 3) support the marketing of the country's agricultural products, including by supporting Pos and microentrepreneurs; 4) improve the availability of water for irrigation and livestock, 5) provide financing to agricultural and agroindustrial producers, 6) build and rehabilitate roads in rural communities, and 7) training and technical assistance in best production practices.

Among the crosscutting themes are Environment, climate change and risk management; institutional strengthening; Gender quality (including by promoting women’s and youth’s engagement in decision making processes); Social protection and productive inclusion policies guaranteeing equity in rural areas (including by favouring access to productive resources, creating jobs and engaging women and youth)

Some of the targets of the activities of the respective departments are disaggregated by gender, but not by age. Specific activities in support of rural women can be found in the operational plan of the Oficina Sectorial de la Mujer (OSAM), including in terms of supporting women’s organizations to engage in public policy. The OSAM seems to be covering also youth in the programmatic structure of the Ministry (Section 1.5). A specific target for jobs creation is included only in the operational plan of the Instituto Nacional del Tabaco (7.15). The operational plan of 7.10. Instituto Dominicano del Café include an activity on Training Personnel in Labor Matters, Social Security, Industrial Hygiene, Equity and Equal Opportunities.

USAID's YOUTH IN DEVELOPMENT POLICY 2022 UPDATE is an updated edition of the 2012 USAID Youth in Development Policy. The goal of the policy is to increase the meaningful participation of youth within their communities, schools, organizations, economies, peer groups, and families, enhancing their skills, providing opportunities, and fostering healthy relationships so they may build on their collective leadership.

With this Policy, USAID seeks to strengthen youth programming, participation, and
partnership in support of Agency development and humanitarian objectives. The Policy addresses programming that is youth-focused, youth-relevant, and youth-led.

Although this policy does not focus on agriculture, agriculture is listed as one of the example sectors of strategic priorities for engaging youth. Some of the decent rural employment thematic areas are mentioned: migration as an issue to be addressed in Europe, Eurasia, and Latin America/Caribbean under the policy's regional prioritization; and green jobs under examples of strategic priorities.

The AAYS was developed by the African Union Commission, with technical support from multiple partners including FAO, ILO, GIZ and IGAD. The empowerment of young agripreneurs is at the fulcrum of the AAYS, mainly in terms of: 1. Supporting them to engage in decision-making processes and in value chains; 2. Strengthening their capacities and skills; 3. Access to finance and 4. Access to other resources.

Decent jobs is among the expected results of the overall strategy, which will be achieved also by promoting business formalization.

(P.11) The objective of the strategy is to create an enabling environment for youth agripreneurship and youth employment in agribusiness in Africa. It is structured around 3 pillars: 1. Build systems for implementation (including leadership, institutional synergy and resource mobilization); 2. Transform markets (including partnerships and market transformation and related technologies); 3. Strengthen the value chain. Crosscutting issues include: Include everyone (with specific youth subgroups briefly mentioned on p. 39 including young women, younger youth 15-17, youth with disabilities, rural and urban youth, etc.); Innovate to Excel; and Manage resources and preserve the Earth.

The initiative was launched by the head of government, as a part of the government programme 2021-2026. It will initially be launched in ten provinces, before gradually being implemented across the country.
The programme has two main components that make up the whole project. The first addresses the issue of launching a number of temporary public jobs with an average duration of about six months to improve the economic situation of unemployed Moroccans or those who have not yet started working. The second will encourage and create workshops to support sustainable integration, where anyone can sign up in an attempt to gain better work experience when looking for a job.
A total of 250 000 people, particularly those who lost their jobs as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak, will benefit from the initiative during its execution in the years 2022 and 2023.
The government has set aside a funding package of about 2.25 billion dirhams in 2022 (240 million USD).
Minimum wage and social insurance will be guaranteed as well as certification of the competences acquired.
Women and both urban and rural people seem targeted, and agriculture seems to be among the sectors for the public works.

The sustainable agriculture policy of the Democratic Republic of Congo was adopted in 2022.

The analysis of challenges emphasizes the need to better promote gender equality in the sector (p.9).

To materialize its vision of sustainable and forest-friendly agriculture, the Government has chosen the following five approaches: i. Capacity building approach; ii. “Good governance” approach; iii. “Inclusive and gender” approach; iv. “Territorial approach, access to land and water”, and iv. Decentralized approach and strengthening of value chains (including through the integration of rural women, local communities, youth and Indigenous Peoples (Pigmy) into well-paid employment opportunities in value chains).

The overall objective of the Policy is to contribute to the growth of the national economy and to sustainably ensure the sovereignty and food and nutritional security of the populations, to increase the incomes of rural, urban and peri-urban populations, to maintain the agro-ecological conditions of agricultural production and to adapt agriculture to climate change while preserving forests and peatlands.

Among the specific objectives (section 6.2) are the following: 1. Promote innovative and resilient agriculture, which guarantees food and nutritional security and generates improved incomes; 4. Facilitate access to land and contribute to land tenure security, the commitment and organization of local communities and indigenous Pygmy peoples; and 5. Ensure the participation of vulnerable populations (women, young people and the indigenous Pygmy people) in the decision-making process, the implementation of the policy and the prevention of socio-community conflicts.

Among the specific strategies (section 6.3) are the following: 6. Increase the monetary income of agricultural households by improving the conditions of access to numerous factors of production, in particular land, quality inputs, financing of agricultural activities, supervision, training and equal distribution of income and wealth; 9. Support the organization, recovery, capitalization, modernization of value chains and encourage the creation of “Fairtrade” labels to better remunerate producers; Strengthen producer organizations by taking into account vulnerable populations: women, young people and the indigenous-Pygmy people.

Priority actions (section 7) include: 1. The strengthening of multi-actor consultation and monitoring platforms at the various levels of governance; 2. Capacity building of local institutions (state and customary) and harmonization of traditional and modern modes of governance (Decentralized Territorial Entities, Local Development Committees); 3. Commitment and organization of local communities; 4. Land tenure security; 5. Support for alternative income-generating activities to deforestation conditional on compliance with zoning and resource management plans; 6. The generalization of the use of incentive instruments such as subsidies to operators, including through a tax relief policy during the launch and financing periods of innovations such as payments for environmental services (PES); 7. Support for the redeployment of agriculture in the savannah; 8. Reducing the hardship of agricultural work by using appropriate equipment; 9. Capacity building of service providers (Supervisors); 10.The adoption and dissemination of technological packages for producers; 11. Improving access to financial services; and 12.Promotion of the use of quality inputs.

Other specific decent work aspects are not explicitly addressed.

The context analysis of the Strategy recognizes the major gender inequalities in agricultural and rural labour, and includes a section on Characteristics of the labor force in agriculture.

The Strategic goals of the strategy are: I. improving the competitiveness of the agri-food sector, economic sustainability and income of agricultural holdings; II. application of environmental practices in production that lead to mitigation and adaptation to climate change; and III. ensuring sustainable development of rural areas.

In order to achieve the strategic goals, specific goals have been established:

SG 1. Supporting the sustainable income of agricultural holdings due to their contribution to improving the security of food supply (including through direct payments).

SG 3. Improving the position of farmers in the value added chain of agricultural products.

SG 7. Attracting young farmers and facilitating the development of businesses in rural areas. This will be stimulated through a package of benefits offered through several policies, such as: additional direct payments, grant for investments to start an agricultural business, facilitated access to agricultural land and training and advisory support. In order to support the businesses of young farmers, a favorable credit line will be introduced for all purposes necessary for starting or expanding businesses.

SG 8. Promoting employment, growth, social inclusion and local development in rural areas, including bio-economy and sustainable forestry. In order to ensure gender equality, the economic activity of women farmers will be supported with additional direct payments, with a grant for processing activities of the agricultural holding. Within the framework of the land policy, the status of women will be improved when registering changes in common property, such as in consolidation procedures.

Among the indicators are: Number of agricultural cooperatives; Number of farmers involved in cooperatives; Average number of members per cooperative; Employed rural population; Young in relation to old holders of holdings,%; Women holders of holdings of total number,%; Young holders of holdings by level of education,%; Young holders of holdings with attended trainings in the last 12 months,%.

The National Agrofood Policy  2021-2030 (NAP 2.0) has the main policy statement of a sustainable, resilient and technology driven agrofood sector that prioritizes food security and nutrition while driving economic growth and enhancing the wellbeing of citizens.

The 3 key policy principles of the NAP 2.0 include: i. Highly competitive and innovative agrofood sector through various initiatives which includes business facilitation, technological advancement and value chain optimization ii. Wellbeing of food producers and inclusivity in sector development which will directly affect the overall development of the agrofood sector, looking into improving livelihood, quality of life, as well as the overall attractiveness of the agrofood sector, and balancing wealth distribution across all regions in the country iii. Paradigm shift towards a sustainable food system, adapted to climate change towards a sustainable farming and food system so that the agrofood sector is not being developed at the expense of the environment.

The six key policy objectives include the following:

1. Drive income growth and facilitate better quality of life for food producers;
2. Raise production output with quality harvest by increasing productivity;
3. Establish more agile and resilient value chains with high value-added activities;
4. Improve food safety and nutritional well-being of Malaysian;
5. Embrace greater economic, social and spatial inclusiveness; and
6. Encourage greater adoption of sustainable consumption and production.

Among the identified policy challenges are the low Involvement of youth in the agrofood industry and limited financial assistance for farmers.

Further, 5 policy thrust and 4 key sub industries which are key to food security have been identified to support the overall policy framework and agrofood sector development for the next 10 years. The sub-industries are paddy and rice; fruits and vegetable; livestock and fisheries and aquaculture.

As for the policy thrusts, they are detailed as follows:

1. Embrace modernization and smart agriculture (even though aspects of safety, risk of job reduction and inclusion and not specifically mentioned).
2. Strengthen domestic market and produce demand driven and export-oriented products (including support to local food producers).
3. Build talent that meets the demand of the industry (including strategies to i. attract and retain young talent in order to have greater youth participation who are technologically savvy to innovate and modernize the industry; ii. Forecast demand and develop better skilled workforce for agrofood sector to enable long term planning and execute of initiatives related to human capital development in the industry; iii.  Enhance inclusivity of agrifood sector; iv.  Increase efficiency and technical services of extension officers to improve the ability of technology transfer to food producers to increase technology adoption and automation.
4. Advance towards sustainable agricultural practices and food systems (including strategies to i. drive greater adoption of sustainable farming practices with utilization of bioresources for the purpose of improving food safety and reducing environmental pollution; and ii. promote conservation and preservation of biodiversity and natural resources for sustainable agriculture).
5. Create conducive business ecosystem & robust institutional framework (including strategies to i. redesign funding support and enhance financial services for food producers through the introduction of insurance or financing schemes to provide a form of financial safety net; and ii. digitalization).

Other decent work aspects or gender dimensions are not explicitly addressed (at least in the Executive summary available online in English).

The programme assists the concerned farmers and livestock breeders, in order to cover the remainder of the agricultural season 2021/2022.

This programme includes three main axes. The first relates to protecting the animal and plant stock and managing water scarcity, the second axis concerns agricultural insurance, while the third axis concerns alleviating the financial burdens on farmers and professionals to face emergencies and prepare for the spring and next agricultural season. More details here (Feb 2022).

The overall value of this programme is 10 billion MAD (Moroccan dirhams) including an amount of three billion dirhams provided by Hassan II Fund for Economic and Social Development.

Other decent work aspects are not explicitly addressed.

The Vision of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and the Environment Strategic Plan 2021 – 2024 if for sustainable food production and wise stewardship of marine and terrestrial resources to enhance the wellbeing and economic livelihoods of all.

The SWOT analysis identifies as external threats: Decline in Palauan interest in farming or fishing as an occupation; Aging population in the production sector.

Among the plan objectives are:

4. Extension services

5. Accessibility to markets: Secure Market Access for Local Commodities, including 5.3 Develop marketing incubation program that supports fishers and farmers in collaboration with relevant partner agencies.

Among the impact indicators are: Number of Palauans pursuing agriculture and fisheries related fields; Improved resource availability to farmers, fishers, and producers; Number of farmers, fishers, and producers trained in best practices (use of pesticide, contour farming, fishing gear, fishing techniques, etc.); Number of people accessing financial assistance; Number of training opportunities and new financial opportunities offered to diverse set of partners; Improved Sustainable Resource Use; Percent of target populations reached, with gender equity.

Youth are not mentioned explicitely as a target group.

The Plan, supported in its development by FAO, CATIE, and IICA, is organized around 4 pillars:

1. Modernization of institutions and agricultural services (including action  1.5.3 on Updating the regulations for dialogues and local, provincial and national coordination of agri-food and related chains in a way that is more inclusive and participatory, guaranteeing the representation of all actors).

2. Agribusiness and market intelligence, including focus on certifications, including fair trade, GAP.

3. Sustainable and resilient agricultural intensification, including strengthening ecosystem goods and services such as agroforestry.

4. Rural development and family farming, inclusive of youth, women (which beenfit from one dedicated target under Action 4.3.2) and Indigenous Peoples, including action 4.3.3 Promote and accompany the legal constitution of agroproductive organizations that integrate vulnerable groups. One of the indicators is Number of new jobs generated.

The Introduction highlights that 75% of the rural population is self-employed, mostly in the agricultural sector. Besides, in 2018, 38.9% of labor force was employed in agriculture, hunting and forestry, fishing and fishery industry, and total share of this sector was 8.2% in the GDP. The context analysis includes an employment and a gender analysis. The SWOT analysis also points to multiple employment-related weaknesses.

The Vision of the Strategy is as follows: Based on the sustainable development principles, to diversify/develop economic opportunities in rural areas, improve social condition and quality of life. The Strategy goals are: 1. Competitive agricultural and non-agricultural sectors; 2. Sustainable usage of natural resources, retaining the eco-system, adaptation to climate change; and 3. Effective systems of food/feed safety, veterinary and plant protection;
Among the objectives to reach Goal no.1, the strategy includes: supporting producers’ unions, developing value chains and stimulating young farmers and entrepreneurs in rural areas. The corresponding indicators measure production and export, but also Average monthly incomes of households. Other employment relevant objectives are not explicit.

The section on previous results, mentions a specific programme for youth started in 2018, with the funding of Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), for supporting new entrepreneurs in rural areas – “Young Entrepreneur”.  The document also indicates that: In the implementation of the strategy, special attention will be paid to stimulating the involvement of women, youth and other vulnerable groups.

The Strategy has been developed by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, with the support of the European Neighborhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD), with active cooperation and support of FAO and UNDP.

The roadmap has been developed to support funders and practitioners in their efforts to embed youth (18-30 years old) voices and rights into their programming. It identifies the “who,” “why,” “when” and, most importantly, “how” when it comes to involving young people as partners in youth employment programming. The report does not have a specific focus on rural agriculture, but mentions it in some of the case studies (p.18 and 25). The report was prepared by the Plan International in collaboration with Youth Employment Funders Group, and was commissioned by Citi Foundation.

Data collection activities centered around a literature review, as well as primary data collection activities included 35 key informant interviews; eight youth focus group discussions across major geographic regions in the world; a roundtable discussion with funders, implementers and youth; validation webinars; and a global survey of 284 young people.

A framework for meaningful youth engagement has been developed with five mutually reinforcing pillars: 1) Youth Diversity and Representation; 2) Youth Engagement-Enabling Environment; 3) Youth-Adult Partnerships;4) Youth Participation; and 5) Youth Empowerment. The roadmap culminates with recommendations to help funders mainstream meaningful youth engagement into organizational strategies.

The ten-year development plan lays a long-term vision of making Ethiopia an “African Beacon of Prosperity”. Prosperity is largely defined in terms of happiness, improvement in standard of living and quality of life, and the level of complete satisfaction created by the overall capability we build through economic gain, human and social development by harnessing tangible and intangible wealth, including social capital and natural resource wealth.

The Objectives of the Plan are as follows:

1. Building a prosperous country by creating a pragmatic market-based economic system and enhance the role and participation of the private sectors;

2. Maintaining macroeconomic stability, ensuring rapid and sustainable economic growth, and creating decent jobs;

3. Ensuring structural economic transformation by promoting overall productivity, and competitiveness;

4. Creating an enabling environment where every citizen would become the owners and beneficiaries of the development endeavour by ensuring the quality and accessibility of basic social services and the provision of infrastructure;

5. Ensuring competent, independent, and quality civil service system by building the capacity of the government and establishing good governance; and

6. Building strong and inclusive institutions that would ensure peaceful society, access to justice and upholding the rule of law and human rights.

Among the key strategic pillars of the Plan is: 8. Gender and Social Inclusion. Particular attention will be given to strengthening the overall system of social welfare and social protection in favour of women, children, the youth, the elderly, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable citizens to safeguard their security and observing their rights; ensuring their equitable participation in leadership and decision making and enabling them to play a bigger role in economic and social affairs.

Among the key priority areas are: 1. Multi-sectoral and Diversified Sources of Growth and Job Opportunities; 6. Peace, Justice, and Inclusive Institutions.

Section 5.1 is on Agricultural Development: The main objectives of the agricultural development plan are to raise the incomes and livelihoods of farmers and pastoralists and end poverty by making agriculture more productive and competitive; to play a major role in the structural transformation of the economy, especially to satisfy the food and nutritional needs of the nation by modernizing agriculture; to supply raw material inputs for the industrial sector; to provide adequate quantities of exportable agricultural products that have added value; to create sufficient job opportunities in rural areas; and to reduce the impact of climate change on the sector. Targets for this section do not include employment or decent work explicit targets.

The plan sets the following targets to successfully achieve the main objectives of the social justice and social security development plan for the coming ten years (2020/21-2029/30) (among others):

• To protect women’s rights, safeguard their security, ensure their participation and benefit from economic development:

- make Ethiopia the Centre of African’s Female Leaders by producing 10,000 capable female leaders;

- increase the share of female decision makers in the legislative, judicial to 50 percent, and maintain that of the executive organ at the present 50% level;

- eliminate pay differentials between men and women for similar jobs which currently stands at 44%;

- provide land ownership rights to 59.7% of those women who are deprived of land;

- increase the percentage of women engaged and benefiting from micro enterprises from 41% to 50%;

- increase the number of women who are engaged in income generating activities using microfinance loan from 33% to 55%;

• To empower the youth, protect their rights, increase their participation and support them to benefit from economic development:

- raise the ratio of youth with access to credit facilities from 25% to 50%, and those who have increased their savings from 7% to 15%.

• To protect the rights, social security and economic benefits of employees:

- increase the rate of unionization and free association of employees and employers;

- reduce harsh child exploitation from 23% to zero;

- increase the number of persons employed through job placement support systems from 1.96 million to 20 million.

The following main targets have been set to successfully achieve the principal goals of the plan for peace building and regional development cooperation for the coming ten years (2020/21-2029/30) (among others):  To create overseas employment opportunities for 6 million citizens by establishing bilateral agreements with 90% of those countries identified as foreign employment destinations.

The Objectives of teh National Agrarian Policy of Peru are the following:

1. Increase the level of vertical integration of agricultural producers in the value chain (including  actions on 1. Improve financing and insurance mechanisms, and non-reimbursable resources for family farmers and business farmers in the value chain; 3. Develop programs to strengthen the productive and commercial capacities for family farmers and business farmers in the value chain.
2. Reduce the proportion of subsistence family producers (including actions on 3. Encouraging associativity among subsistence family producers and 4. Increase the technical capabilities of subsistence family agricultural producers.
3. Improve the management of natural resources for sustainable agricultural production.

While the policy does not include specific gender equalities objectives and refers to people as both men and women, it mentions synergies with the national policy on Gender Equality in relation land access for women (p.190). While the policy does not include a specific focus on youth it indicates in the Glossary that an agricultural producers can be a woman or a youth. Youth rural-out migration is listed in Annex 2 as a challenge. Other decent work aspects are not explicitely addressed in the document.

Through this project, the capacity of youth and women in multi-stakeholder innovation platforms (IPs) will be strengthened, allowing them to take advantage of technological solutions within national, regional and global food systems, with an emphasis on technology design, transfer and uptake. Coupled with the establishment of Agricultural Business Learning Alliances (ABLAs), with business development and mentorship services, these collaboration mechanisms will lead to improved profitability and employment opportunities along agricultural commodity value chains in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

The project is coordinated by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and implemented in partnership with the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) and the East Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF).

Other decent work aspects are not explicitly addressed.

The National Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization and Industrialization Plan (NAFMIP) 2021-2030 proposes strategies and policy reforms to encourage rural investments and ensure the sustained growth of the Philippine agriculture and fishery sector.

(p.xii). NAFMIP will seek to more than double smallholder farmers’ and fishers’ incomes to be able to meet their family household needs during the period of Plan implementation, through the promotion of transformative interventions to significantly diversify sources of income and employment—and ultimately sustainably lift farmers and fisherfolk out of poverty. According to the Plan, this objective will be achieved with minimal impact on the environment and without sacrificing the nutrition and health of consumers. One key strategy is to diversify farming, non-farming, and value adding activities and link farmers and fisherfolk to large private investments such as modern food terminals and market hubs serving as potent engines of inclusive growth.

The three purpose outcomes of the plan are: 1. Economic opportunities in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries products expanded; 2. Access to economic opportunities of small farmers, livestock raisers, and fishers increased; 3. Consumer options for more affordable, nutritious and locally-grown food expanded. For the second outcome, results indicators include: Growth in employment generated from large-scale agri-fishery industries inclusive and sustained (%); Growth in household income of small farmers, livestock raisers, and fisherfolk from total diversified sources sustained (%, in real terms); Growth in rural farm income sustained, by region (cumulative, at constant prices); Percentage increase of women beneficiaries of agriculture and fisheries programs and projects.

The Plan outputs include: Output 1 Agriculture and fishery industrial business corridors (AFIBCs) with supporting hard and soft infrastructure and orgware operationalized; Output 2 Commodity system-based value chains established; Output 3 Market support systems in agri-fishery that are technology and/or ICT-enabled strengthened; Output 4 Research, extension, and training for development (RETD) system intensified;  Output 5 Capacities of LGUs, agri-fishery (AF) groups (cooperatives and associations) and Individuals (i.e., smallholder farmers, livestock raisers, and fisherfolk) strengthened; Output 6 Policy environment (i.e., legislative, executive, policy, and regulatory support) to accelerate and sustain sector transformation enhanced.

The third and final NAFMIP component, Functional Plans (Chapter 6), presents the system for a “Centrally-supported Decentralized Services Delivery.” Among the Transformative Strategies foreseen is 9. Mainstreaming of social and environmental safeguards in decentralized service delivery systems, for which illustrative interventions include: Functional plans to disaggregate target beneficiaries by sex, ethnicity and age group to capture the youth sector; Plan impact evaluations to differentiate according to social and environmental criteria including biodiversity and sustainable land and water management.

Table 10.2 on Prioritization of Broad Set of Stakeholders, includes Farmers and fisherfolk among the top priorities (men and women; poor/marginalized, etc.), and youth as second priority.

Chapter 4 on Commodity system planning includes a dedicated section on Training of Manpower for Food System Transformation, which explains that the transformed food system will create new jobs and new skills for old jobs. Workers for these jobs need training, and appropriate programs are needed at all levels, including degree-oriented and informal training. An indicative list of jobs and industries that will be created is provided (p.94).

While inclusiveness is mainly promoted through income generation and jobs, a specific reference to social protection is identified with regard to insurance. Chapter 6: Functional Plans: Centrally Supported Decentralized Services Delivery, indicates (P. 234) that the outcomes that NAFMIP 2021-2030 will strive for in the area of credit, insurance, and financing are two: 1. Increased access to formal credit and financing of smallholder farmers and fisherfolk (SFF); and 2. Agricultural and fisheries insurance expanded as a social protection mechanism.

Farmers and fisherfolks organizations are supported and promoted (e.g. for innovation, capacity building investments and access to finance), but aspects of governance and social dialogue for decent work are not explicit. Aspects of workers’ rights, wages, OSH, child labour or social dialogue are not explicitly addressed.

In emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs), the informal sector accounts for about a third of GDP and more than 70 percent of employment (of which self-employment is more than a half). Regardless of the nature and causes of informality, countries with larger informal sectors tend to have less access to finance for the private sector, lower labor productivity, slower physical and human capital accumulation, and smaller fiscal resources. Informality is also associated with higher income inequality and poverty and less progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

This book presents informality of its extent, evolution and consequences, and of the policy options to address its challenges. It also contains regional dimension, and to allow comparisons across all six EMDE regions, it utilizes a comprehensive data set that covers more than 120 EMDEs.

The report does not have a specific focus on rural agriculture, but it states that informal activity is concentrated in services and agriculture. In addition, it says that female and young workers make up a disproportionate share of workers in the informal sector.

The Strategic Framework 2022-2031 seeks to support the 2030 Agenda through the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable, agri-food systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind. The four betters represent an organising principle for how FAO intends to contribute directly to SDG 1 (No poverty), SDG 2 (Zero hunger), and SDG 10 (Reduced inequalities).

The four betters are:

Better Production: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns, through efficient and inclusive food and agriculture supply chains at local, regional and global level, ensuring resilient and sustainable agri-food systems in a changing climate and environment

Better Nutrition: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition in all its forms, including promoting nutritious food and increasing access to healthy diets

Better Environment: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial and marine ecosystems and combat climate change (reduce, reuse, recycle, residual management) through more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems

Better Life: Promote inclusive economic growth by reducing inequalities (urban/rural areas, rich/poor countries, men/women)

Twenty Programme Priority Areas (PPAs) will guide FAO on filling critical gaps and putting in place the conditions needed to drive the changes, and four cross-cutting/cross-sectional “accelerators”: (i) technology, (ii) innovation, (iii) data, and (iv) complements (governance, human capital, and institutions) will accelerate impact while minimizing trade-offs.

In respect to decent rural employment, the Strategic Framework states that equitable employment opportunities across economic sectors should be ensured for wage workers, while equitable profit sharing should be required for capital owners. Young farmers can increase their capital ownership only if they have access to finance, training and capacity development.

The Renewable Natural Resources (RNR) Strategy 2040 of Bhutan outlines the strategic visions and goals of the RNR sector. Its vision is that sustainable natural resources and self-reliant food systems contributing to the inclusive socio-economic well-being of Bhutanese. Its mission is to create enabling policy, technology, and value-chain to ensure sustainable environment and food security.

The three strategic objectives are: Enhance RNR contribution to GDP, Ensure food and nutrition security and Expand agri-business.

Among the 11 Strategies identified are Strategy 1: Enhance production and quality of RNR commodities (including intervention on Promote improved farming technologies and farm mechanization); Strategy 2: Enhance contribution of RNR sector to National economy (including by enhancing labour productivity and technology and expanding Agro-based industries); Strategy 3: Accelerate agri-business development and expansion (including intervention to Strengthen & support farmer institutions (FGs/Coops, etc.,); Strategy 4: Develop Enabling policies for RNR sector; Strategy 5: Strengthen research, innovation and dissemination; Strategy 6: Institute efficient RNR service delivery; Strategy 7: Enhance production efficiency of RNR commodities; Strategy 8: Promote research and innovation (including by Developing innovative and gender responsive technologies); Strategy 9: Diversify sustainable financing for RNR sector development; Strategy 10: Mainstream sustainable management of Natural resources; and Strategy 11: Enhance and promote resilience to climate change impacts & Low emission development.

KPIs for Strategy 3 include: Number of operational Agribusiness/enterprises established.

According to the document, the clientele base of RNR sector is very extensive – ranging from farmers, traders, processors, consumers, youth, public sector, private sector, and development partners (p.40). However a specific strategy or indicators for youth and women engagement are not explicit in the document. The document does not include a specific DRE strategy, yet many of iys interventions are expected to contribute directly to Pillar 1.

The Plan is the national planning instrument for comprehensive productive development of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. It is organized into ten Strategic Axes, namely:

(1) Rebuilding the Economy, Resuming Macroeconomic and Social Stability, with policies priorities on 1.1. Reinstating the Productive Social Community Economic Model; 1.2. Resuming the leading role of the State through Public Investment and promoting private and foreign investment. 1.3. Returning social policy to a priority status for the State, reducing economic, social and gender inequality within the framework of plurality; and 1.4. Implementing employment programmes and design mechanisms that promote formal employment and reduce gender gaps in employment.

(2) Industrialization with Import Substitution, including through value chain development;

(3) Food Security with Sovereignty, Promotion of Exports with Added Value and Tourism Development, including by diversifying and increasing agricultural productivity;

(4) Deepening the Industrialization Process of Natural Resources; (5) Education, Research, Science and Technology for the Strengthening and Development of Productive Capacities and Potentials; (6) Health and Sports to Protect Life with Comprehensive Care in Times of Pandemic; (7) Judicial Reform, Digitalized and Transparent Public Management, Comprehensive Security and Defense with National Sovereignty; (8) Sustainable and Balanced Environment in Harmony with Mother Earth; (9) Integration and International Relations with Sovereignty; (10) Cultures, Decolonization and Depatriarchalization, for the Cultural Democratic Revolution. Poverty and inequalities reduction is an expected impact of the Plan.

Under policy priority 1.4. Implementing employment programmes and design mechanisms that promote formal employment and reduce gender gaps in employment, specific results aim to 1.4.1 Promote programmes to improve households conditions through the generation of decent employment, prioritizing sectors in situations of vulnerability (with focus on youth, women, PWDs, not specific for rural people; including through the strengthening of cooperatives); 1.4. 2 Promote and protect decent work in all its forms (community, state, private and social cooperative) considering employment equity and equal opportunities between men and women (including by enhancing labour inspections); 1.4.3 reducing the unemployment rate and gender pay gap.

Under Axis (3) Food Security with Sovereignty, the Plan puts strong emphasis on enhancing small-scale production and its diversification. Employment aspects are not explicitly addressed in relation to this Axis, nor youth or women.

Under Axis (7), the Plan puts emphasis on 7.1 Promoting access to social and reparative justice for everyone on the basis of the reform of the judicial system and a transparent public management that fights frontally against corruption (including actions for more transparent governance and dialogue with civil society) and 7.2. Strengthen inclusion and social equity programmes for the most vulnerable people with emphasis on children and adolescents, older adults and people with disabilities, considering sociocultural diversity (including actions on youth empowerment and employment, social inclusion of the more vulnerable with focus on rural areas, and local networks to guarantee social protection to the most vulnerable).

The vision of the agricultural policy of Kenya is “Innovative, sustainable and commercially oriented crops, livestock and fisheries resources development and utilization”. Its mission to “facilitate the transformation of agriculture in Kenya from subsistence production to viable commercial enterprises”.

The 11 specific objectives are to: 1. Ensure household and national food and nutrition security. 2. Pursue commercial agriculture by increasing and diversifying agricultural production and productivity using appropriate, good quality and affordable inputs. 3. Promote demand driven research and timely dissemination of research findings in the agricultural sector. 4. Strengthen agricultural institutions, develop institutional linkages and enhance collaboration. 5. Reduce post-harvest losses. 6. Promote agribusiness, value addition and product development. 7. Promote and facilitate access to domestic, regional and international markets. 8. Harness resources for improved agricultural output in partnership with the private sector and introduce appropriate financing and insurance systems. 9. Protect and conserve bio-diversity that is supportive of sustainable agriculture. 10. Promote sustainable natural resource use and management for agriculture. 11. Guarantee safety of agricultural produce and products.

A dedicated policy statement (3.18) focuses on Labour in Crops, Livestock and Fisheries, with the following priorities: 1. Provide mechanisms for appropriate compensation for agricultural labour force. 2. Ensure labour in crop, livestock and fisheries value chains adhere to National, Regional and International Labour Conventions ratified by Kenya. 3. Provide mechanisms for appropriate utilization of skilled labour in crop, livestock and fisheries value chains. 4. Promote occupational safety and health in crop, livestock and fisheries value chains. 5. Discourage the use of the worst forms of child labour in crop, livestock and fisheries, value chains. 6. Ensure availability of up to date age and sex disaggregated information on employment and labour productivity in crop, livestock and fisheries value chains. 7. The County governments will promote active engagement of youth in crop, livestock and fisheries value chains. Chapter 2 on challenges flags low youth participation in agricultural development.

Policy statement 3.22.3 Human Resource Development and Management focuses, among others, on strengthening governance in agricultural institutions, farmer and producer organizations.

Chapter 4 on the Implementation framework refers in Policy statement 4.2.15 to Farmer and Fisher Folk Organizations and their role in lobbying and advocacy.

The crosscutting issues include: 3.22.4 Gender in Agriculture and 3.22.5 Youth in Agriculture. Gender in agriculture prioritizes the following: 1. Promote gender-sensitive practices in the agricultural sector and increase access to productive resources and markets. 2. Promote gender equity in agricultural financing. 3. Support development and dissemination of transformative agricultural technologies and interventions. Youth in agriculture prioritizes the following: 1. Support for development and dissemination of transformative agricultural technologies and interventions. 2. Ensure youth access to factors of production such as land, finance and appropriate skills in agriculture. 3. Provide for mechanisms of encouraging education in agriculture. 4. Encourage collaboration, coordination and synergy with other Ministries and knowledge vendors in capacity building in agriculture for the youth. 5. Provide support for youth to access markets and marketing infrastructure.

The Policy was developed with the support of the Swedish Inter National Development Agency (Sida), the German Development Cooperation (GDC) and the European Union (EU).

Since the fall in oil prices that began in 2015, Gabon has implemented a Plan de Relance de l’Economie, a variation of the Plan Stratégique Gabon Emergent. The main aim of the specific Plan 2021-23 is to support the government of Gabon in updating and accelerating its strategic plan in order to respond to economic and social challenges while taking into account the post-COVID-19 context.

The agricultural sector is among the sectors prioritized. The vision is to prepare “the after oil phase” by accelerating new growth engines and rethinking the social model. This includes specific objectives to: strengthen Gabon’s food sovereignty and develop export sectors; improve productivity and diversify the wood sector and expand opportunities; develop employment in the private sector through a stronger match between the education offer and job opportunities; and guarantee the sustainability of a targeted and equitable social protection system. Among the priority projects identified are: Support for the cassava, plantain, fisheries, sugar, pork and poultry sectors for food self-sufficiency in basic products; Strengthening the attractiveness of the sector for nationals and simplifying the use of foreign agricultural workers; and Development of access to finance for farmers; and optimization of the labor code to strengthen the competitiveness of sectors, facilitate access to employment and encourage the formalization of employment.

In the Wood component of the Plan, it is mentioned that the industry is the second largest employer in the private sector (after Agriculture), even if 90% of jobs are unskilled. Among the priorities are human capital development, job creation and formalization of the sector. In the Agriculture component of the Plan, the weight of the sector in total employment is emphasized, with ~20% of jobs in the country, of which 50% in the palm oil sector. The limited (only 10% of rural population) and expensive labor force is however considered a problem, together with its limited qualifications. Among the priorities is human capital development.

The plan also points to youth unemployment as a concern, together with the fact that the public sector concentrates 56% of formal jobs and 28% of total employment. In terms of education and training, technical and professional sectors (including agriculture/wood) suffer from a lack of attractiveness, including for students in difficulty, and the training offer in these establishments remains poorly developed. A resulting priority of the Plan is to promote the professional integration of students and the development of skills adapted to the needs of the economy. In terms of employment, the priority is skilling (wood/timber is among the sectors prioritized) and facilitating the access of youth to the labour market, as well as increasing the attractiveness of the agricultural sector. The latter focuses on attracting foreign workers as well as enhancing the profile of agricultural work in general, including by introducing a Minimum Wage for the sector and some flexibilities for a less rigid labour market (ex. in terms of new types of contracts or modulating daily working hours). No resources are considered needed for this priority. The section on Social Affairs does not refer to specific provisions for agriculture or rural areas.

The plan does not adopt an explicit gender-sensitive approach. Other decent work aspects are also not explicit, such as OSH, or child labour prevention.

The 10-year Agriculture Sector Growth Strategy and Investment Plan of Solomon Islands (ASGIP) is organized around 4 Programs:
Programme 1: Governance, Management & Innovation, including sub-programmes on (iii) increased farmer access to information, knowledge and technology through decentralized extension services coupled with increasing private sector involvement.
Programme 2: National Food & Nutrition Security, including sub-programmes on (i) short and resilient food supply chains; (iv) enhanced food self-sufficiency and income generation through profitable rice-farming systems and multi-cropping systems.
Programme 3: National Livestock Development
Programme 4: National Crop Development

Cross-cutting through all programs and sub-programs is the determination towards enhanced resilience of the sector against natural disasters and the impacts of climate change, equitable access to resources and knowledge for all, including women, youth and people living with disabilities, and the use of environmentally friendly and sustainable practices.

Among the challenges identified or the sector is the fact that production and productivity of the agriculture sector is low which negatively affects food security, national self-sufficiency levels, export earnings, employment generation in agriculture and allied sectors, and rural livelihoods in general

Under Programme 1, several components are directly relevant to DRE including:

• Component 1.1.1 Agriculture Sector Governance includes actions to support the development of farmers’ organizations (FOs), especially registered FOs and cooperatives (including Land Purchase Cooperatives), to facilitate better market linkages, allow joint ownership of productive assets, enable more efficient and targeted technical advisory services as well as better monitoring and evaluation of support mechanisms.
• Component 1.1.2 Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) Organizational Development, including Adopting a gender-sensitive value chain approach rather than a “production only approach”.
• Component 1.1.4 Human Resource Development focuses on Women and Young Graduate Engagement. MAL will increase its female and young professional workforce, especially within the extension department, through the implementation of inclusive and non-discriminatory career advancement policies and career development opportunities. 
• Component 1.3.2 Extension Capacity Development, including activity 4. Mainstreaming Gender and Social Inclusion (GSI) into the design and delivery of advisory services
• Component 1.3.4.Women Development, with focus on training and empowerment, including Activity 4. Special support programme for young women to engage in farming as a business as well as in other agribusinesses established and operational.
• Component 1.3.5.Youth Development, where in line with the National Youth Policy 2017–2030, MAL will increase youth engagement to establish more effective pathways from educational institutions into the agriculture sector as “future farmers” or agri-entrepreneurs and service providers. MAL will collaborate with the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, NGOs, churches, and especially with the Solomon Islands Association of Rural Training Centres (the umbrella body for the Rural Training Centres) for the provision of vocational training and skills. MAL will ensure equal opportunities for young men, women, and youth living with disabilities. Activities include: Youth in Agribusiness. Support young entrepreneurs and youth groups to engage in small to medium agro-enterprises

The development of the ASGIP was supported by FAO and IFAD.

The National Agriculture Policy (NAP) policy scope is to make a paradigm shift from subsistence agriculture to a demand-driven, entrepreneurial and export-oriented agriculture with import substitution, while uplifting living & social standards of the farming community with a special focus on youth in an eco-friendly agricultural environment.

Eight (8) thrust areas were identified through extensive consultation to be addressed by the NAP as given below: 1. Crop production and productivity improvement 2. Self-sufficiency and independence in basic food & feed requirements 3. Planned resource use 4. Market competitiveness 5. Climate resilience 6. Minimize all risks and uncertainties 7. Mainstreaming gender and youth in agriculture 8. Maintaining center- periphery relationships.

Among its policy goals are: i. Double the economic profitability of farmers/agri-producers (compared to estimates of 2020) ; ii.  Increase the contribution of the Agri-Food System up to 15% of the National Economy; iii. Establish farmer/agri-producer groups with Agri-entrepreneurship capacity, coupled with efficient market systems; iv. establish a constituted role and mandatory participation of farmers/agri-producers in the process of decision-making; and v. Establish a system of transparent, accountable, responsible and participatory governance is established for decision making.

The ten (10) thematic areas agreed upon by the stakeholders include the following:

(1) Thematic Area: Crop Production & Productivity

(2) Thematic Area: Input Management

(3) Thematic Area: Advanced Technologies

(4) Thematic Area: Food Safety & Quality Management

(5) Thematic Area: Eco-friendly Operations

(6) Thematic Area: Agri-Entrepreneurship and Markets

(7) Thematic Area: Producer Empowerment (including policy actions on strengthening POs and on empowering youth and women in agriculture with support for mechanization, access to modern technologies, and productivity-based incentive systems

(8) Thematic Area: Climate resilience & other risk management

(9) Thematic Area: Knowledge Management and Agricultural Extension

(10) Thematic Area: Governance and Operations Management, including policy action 15.9 Adopt participatory approaches involving engagement of farmers, scientists, academia, private sector, non-governmental Organization (NGOs)/Community-based Organizations (CBOs) in the national, regional and local level decision-making process in agriculture.

Other decent work aspects are not explicitly addressed, such as wages, OSH, child labour, or workers’ rights.

Since 2017, Jordan has made the establishment of green growth a top national priority. Six Action Plans have been developed, with the support of the Global green growth institute (GGGI), aiming at implementing the National Green Growth Plan (NGGP) in the main six green growth sectors, namely Agriculture, Energy, Tourism, Transport, Water, and Waste.

The Plan for agriculture identifies 17 sector sub-objectives that serve to mainstream the overarching 5 green growth objectives of the NGGP into agriculture sector policies and investments. The 5 green growth objectives of the NGGP are the following: 1. Enhanced Natural Capital; 2. Sustainable Economic Growth; 3. Social Development and Poverty Reduction; 4. Resource Efficiency; and 5. Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation.

Among the sub.objectives specific for agriculture are the following: Improve the skills and capacity of farmers, rural communities, youth and women to undertake sustainable agriculture; and Reduce the impact of environmental and economic shocks on the most vulnerable members of society (particularly farmers, women, youth, and rural communities).

14 priority actions have been identified, including: 4. Undertake sector reforms to improve access to finance for small farmers; 11. Promote the development of organic agriculture; 12. Establish an agricultural insurance company and develop agricultural risk mitigation strategy; and 14. Support rural green growth and employment through ecosystems restoration.

Decent work deficits are explicitly assessed in the Context analysis. ANNEX 1: Agriculture Sector Result Framework includes indicators on employment and youth employment growth in agriculture, as well as female formal employment in the sector.

Specific actions with regards to other decent work dimensions, such as OSH, wages, workers’ rights or social dialogue are not explicit in the documents.

The implementation of these actions is estimated to cost USD 193 900 000, which will require a mix of public, private sector and donor support for implementation.

The policy, in Spanish, “Política para la reactivación, la repotenciacióny el crecimiento sostenible e incluyente:nuevo compromiso por el futuro de Colombia”, Documento CONPES 4023, is under the responsibility of the Consejo nacional de política económica y social, in the National planning department.

The Policy aims to develop capacities in households, the productive system, the institutional framework and digital development so that, in the short term, the country can resume the development path that was interrupted by COVID-19 and, in the long term, move towards a more sustainable and inclusive growth path, including in terms of increasing the employment of women and young people (p.58).

The actions proposed by the policy in its action and monitoring plan (PAS) will have a horizon of six years starting in 2021 and ending in 2026, with a total investment of approximately 3 870 459 million pesos that come from national resources.

The background section includes a sub-section on rural poverty (p. 21) indicating that to date, public policy challenges persist to guaranteeing rural development, despite the actions that the national government has already carried out regarding young people and the processes of land restitution. Section 2.2.3. on sustainable rural development and agro-innovation recognizes how the agricultural sector is decisive for reactivation due to: its capacity to generate employment; the importance of food production during the pandemic; and the export potential. Section 4.3.15 offers an analysis of the Low levels of sustainable productive development in rural areas. Section 5.1.1. describes the policy commitment with Employment generation.

The policy is organized around 5 objectives, namely: 1. Mitigating the increase in rural poverty and economic vulnerability in the face of the Covid-19 emergency; 2. Mitigate the disinvestment in human capital caused by the pandemic; 3. Reactivate the productive sector for a more sustainable development; 4. Consolidate institutional capacities; and 5. Strengthening the digital accelerators.  

Relevant actions from an employment point on view are in particular: 1.2. Reduce poverty and vulnerability in rural areas (including for youth and women, attention to minimum wage); 2.3. Enhanced access to advanced education; 2.4 Strengthening skills for the labour market and for livelihoods’ generation, differentiated between urban and rural areas; 3.1. Improve the functioning of the labour market (including in terms of formalization and access of rural people to social security); 3.4. Increase access to finance (including in rural and agricultural sectors); 3.13. Develop the bioeconomy and green businesses; 3.14 Promote the circular economy; 3.15 Promote rural sustainable development.

The Lao Youth and Adolescent Development strategy covers all adolescents and youth from the age of 10-35 years in Lao PDR. The overall objective of the Strategy is to set the direction for the development of all adolescents and youth from all ethnic groups to become a strong force.

Decent work dimensions are clearly spelled out, even though the specific implications for decent work promotion in the agrifood system remain broad and might demand a dedicated strategy or specification.

 The Strategy has 5 Specific Objectives, namely:

1. To ensure that all adolescents and youth in the country contribute meaningfully to the mission of protection and development of the country;

2. To ensure equal rights for all adolescents and youth in the country, which is a foundation for addressing gender inequalities in the political, socio-economic and cultural spheres;

3. To promote investments in adolescents and youth development by the government, development partners, civil society, private sector, and all relevant sectors in the areas of protection, development, and participation of adolescents and youth inclusively;

4. To be used as a reference for monitoring and evaluation of the strategy and ensuring that all sectors responsible for adolescent and youth development make sure that no one is left behind in the pursuit to achieve the SDGs by 2030; and

5. To raise awareness of issues related to youth and ensure commitment from all to the development and protection of adolescents and youth, including family, community, educational institutions, concerned agencies and society.

Priority areas of the strategy include:

1. Health and well-being (with specific rural focus for some of the priority areas proposed);
2. Education, sports and training (with specific rural focus for some of the priority areas proposed);
3. Employment and entrepreneurship (including by increasing investments in traditional sectors of agriculture, forestry and fisheries to create “decent work” in rural areas leading to improvements in the standard of living in rural areas and at the same time promote emerging sectors such as ICT and tourism for the youth; promoting green jobs, entrepreneurship and access to finance, safe migration awareness and disseminating knowledge of climate change that affects livelihoods, especially in agriculture and fisheries);
4. Social protection (including by promoting the Labor Law, welfare and safety in the workplace to ensure that labor exploitation and safety issues are addressed and workers receive their rights and legitimate benefits); and
5. Civic engagement and participation.

The context section (p.8) mentions that many youths in rural areas are exposed to early marriage, unplanned pregnancy and child labor. The development of the strategy was supported by UNFPA.

This working paper published by the University of Hohenheim explores the viewpoints of 195 stakeholders from the public, private and third sectors (civil society) as well as from development partners and research bodies in four African countries, namely, Benin, Kenya, Nigeria, and Mali. The results suggest that the stakeholders perceive a need for agricultural transformation using mechanization and digital tools. However, they also perceive risks that have to be addressed. The results also reveal some neglected aspects. Examples include the role of animal traction as part of agricultural mechanization strategies and the continued appeal of state-led mechanization – despite the perception that such strategies do not work. Regarding digital agriculture, the stakeholders expressed high hopes – which have yet to materialize - but also concerns about a digital divide. Gender, age, and education influence the viewpoints on some topics, but not on others. Paying more attention to the perspectives of local stakeholder groups will help to choose and design the most promising policies and ensure their implementation on the ground.

This Rapid Market Assessment is a collaborative effort between the ILO, CAMFED and the Mastercard Foundation. It seeks to take a systems approach to analysing agricultural value chains in northern Ghana to establish opportunities for improved decent work outcomes for young women.

The Rapid Market Assessment serves two critical functions. Firstly, to select two value chains with strong potential to create entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for young women in northern Ghana. And secondly, to identify the key constraints within these value chains and their wider market systems – exploring their possible root causes and proposing potential interventions to address them for the benefit of these young women.

Vision toward 2050 is set up as: Vietnam is expected to become one of the leading agricultural countries of the world with a modern, efficient and environmentally friendly agricultural product processing industry. Rural areas will no longer have poor households and will become a "worth-living", civilized, green, clean and beautiful place with rural residents’ living conditions and incomes comparable with those of the urban area.

Specific objectives until 2030 include: 1. Growth of GDP from agriculture, forestry and fishing is expected to reach an average of 2,5% - 3%/year, growth of labor productivity in agriculture, forestry and fishing is expected to reach an average of 5,5 - 6%/year. 2. Expand and develop markets, especially export markets. Growth of the export value of agricultural, forested and aquatic products is expected to reach an average of 5 - 6%/year. 3. Increase people’s income; achieve sustainable poverty reduction. Rural residents’ income is expected to be 2.5 - 3 times higher than in 2020. Percentage of multidimensional poverty households in rural areas is expected to decrease on average by 1-1.5%/year. 4. Proportion of agricultural workers is expected to decrease to less than 20%, percentage of trained agricultural workers is expected to reach over 70%. 5. In the whole country, at least 90% of communes will meet the new rural standards, of which 50% of the communes will meet the newly enhanced rural standards. 6. Develop environmentally friendly and green agriculture; adapt to climate change, reduce rural environmental pollution, strive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10% compared to 2020. The forest cover rate is expected to remain sustainably at 42%, the forest area with a certificate of sustainable forest management is expected to reach over 1 million hectares.

Strategic directions and tasks relevant to DRE include: 3.Promoting cooperation and association to develop value chains and advanced agricultural models; 4. Developing rural economy to create jobs and increase incomes for rural populations; 6. Inclusive development, assurance of equity of social welfare in rural areas through developing equal social welfare policies (house and settlement, health insurance, retirement regime, etc.) for rural residents and aiming for gender equality.

Under 4, specific directions include:

1. Invest in the development of industrial zones, industrial clusters and services in rural areas with policies to attract investment, especially labor-intensive industries and to gradually reduce migration of workers from rural to urban areas; accelerate the process of urbanization in regional centers to reduce migration to two main cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
2. Formalize “unofficial labor" originated from agriculture; develop policies to actively register and manage workforces combined with the digitization of residential identification. Support the formation of official economic organizations (cooperatives, enterprises, registered households, organizations of farmers' association, etc.) in order that workers have official labor contracts. Develop organizations of farmers and workers (performing farmers' association activities, organizing trade unions, labor unions that are suitable for professions and fields) to protect basic rights and effectively support workers in skills training associated with the needs of the market, in equipment of degrees, loans, social insurance support and in access to the official labor market.
3. Strongly develop service economy in rural areas, diversify types, scale, etc. to create jobs and attract workforces that are not involved in agricultural production.
4. Improve efficiency and income from agricultural production, gradually form a team of professional farmers, create conditions for farmers to develop the economy, farms and economic cooperation. Through cooperatives and farmers' associations to develop programs and organize free training classes to improve professional qualifications in occupational safety, environmental protection, use of mechanized machinery, proper use of fertilizers and chemical drugs, use of information technology under their management.

Among the MAIN MEASURES in section IV: 1. Carry out dissemination and education to innovate thinking and unify perception and action, including developing responsible agriculture: Meeting consumers' needs on food hygiene and safety, ecological environment and social justice and adapt to climate change, etc.; protect the legitimate rights of producers and traders and ensure fairness for small producers and disadvantaged entities; 2. Innovate production and business organizations, complete production relationship, including by supporting the development of cooperatives, 3. Improve the quality of vocational training; qualifications, efficiency of research, application and transfer of science, technology and innovation, including for farmers and young rural workers who want to start a business with agricultural skills and new skills to meet requirements of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 and digital transformation. Other specific mentions of youth and women are not explicit in the document. 6. Carry out innovations and improve the capacity and effectiveness of state management, including by renewing and enhancing roles of the Farmers' Union and the Cooperative Alliance to truly become representatives to protect rights and serve farmers and cooperative members.

Other aspects of decent work, such as child labour are not explicitly addressed.

The specific objectives of this Policy are: 1. To provide an enabling environment for the development and growth of agriculture insurance; 2. To facilitate development of affordable, innovative and accessible agriculture insurance; 3. Capacity building and awareness creation of agricultural value chain actors in agricultural insurance; 4. To facilitate generation and use of data to support agriculture insurance; 5. To promote research and development, technology, innovation and knowledge management in agriculture insurance; 6. To promote participation and collaboration among stakeholders in agriculture insurance. The policy has no specific focus on youth, women or other marginalized groups.

The Ministry responsible for agriculture will take lead in the overall coordination of implementation, monitoring and review of the policy. (p.25) County Governments are expected to develop farmers’ support mechanisms for uptake of agricultural insurance.

The objective of this policy is to sustainably raise the level of agricultural mechanization in Kenya for increased productivity and income of agricultural producers. These will be achieved through training, research and technology development, local manufacture and distribution, agricultural mechanization quality assurance, investments in mechanization services, extension and technology adoption and improved institutional and legal frameworks.

According to the policy, in Kenya, the use of motorized power stands at 30 percent, manual 50 percent and Animal Draught Power (ADP) at 20 percent as at 2017 against the target of 50 percent of motorized power as per the Kenya Vision 2030.

The policy emphasizes (p. 12) the need to encourage and promote application of agricultural mechanization in all farming systems for effectiveness and efficiency and to remove drudgery associated with manual labour.

The specific objectives of the policy are to: (i) Create a conducive environment for access and distribution of agricultural machinery (ii) Promote investment in agricultural mechanization (iii) Strengthen regulation of agricultural mechanization quality assurance (iv) Enhance training and extension framework for adoption of agricultural mechanization (v) Enhance agricultural mechanization research, technology development and innovations along value chains (vi) Enhance adoption of sustainable agricultural land management practices and climate smart agricultural mechanization technologies (vii) Develop agricultural mechanization technologies that address the interest of people with special need

Section 3.2.9 in on Cross Cutting Issues in Agricultural Mechanization. 3.2.9.1 is about Agricultural Mechanization for Persons with Special Needs (i. Promote and support development of appropriate mechanization technologies which are suitable to the persons with special needs; ii. Support youth women and persons with special needs to access agricultural mechanization technologies. 3.2.9.2 is about Gender and Agricultural Mechanization (i. Promote appropriate gender friendly mechanization technologies; ii. Develop capacity of women and youth in agricultural mechanization; iii. Promote utilization of ICT in agricultural mechanization; iv. Promote customized, affordable and innovative financing products and packages in agricultural mechanization for women and youth.

OSH aspects are not directly addressed in the log frame - the policy only mentions that the Agricultural Mechanization Board (AMB) to be established under the policy will have the key responsibility of regulation of agriculture mechanization, including the surveillance on quality, performance and safety of agricultural machinery and equipment.

The NDP III, under the responsibility of the National Planning Authority (NPA), is the third in a series of 5-year plans, and is designed to achieve Uganda’s Vision 2040. The theme for the NPD III is “Sustainable Industrialization for inclusive growth, employment and wealth creation”.

As for the challenges to be addressed, p. xix includes:  Insufficient creation of quality and gainful jobs in the economy, especially for the youth, with an estimated unemployment rate of 13.3 % and about 78 % of the population aged 30 years and below. P. 4 also indicates that labour underutilization remains a challenge.

The NDP III has 5 objectives: 1.Enhance value addition in key growth opportunities;2.Strengthen the private sector to create jobs;3.Consolidate and increase the stock and quality of productive infrastructure;4.Enhance the productivity and social wellbeing of the population;and,5.Strengthen the role of the state in guiding and facilitating development.

(p. 28) The NDPIII job creation strategy focuses on expanding and diversifying economic growth while maintaining macro-economic stability in order to create increased demand for labour. Among others, the plan aims to accelerate the transformation of agriculture from subsistence to commercial production, by connecting smallholders with value-chains. The plan also prioritizes the need to streamline and reform youth and women employment programmes to help young Ugandans find employment. The overall growth and job creation strategy is detailed in the specific programme chapters 5-22 and aims to generate 2.5 million jobs over the course of NDPIII period, 512,000 jobs annually. The highest number of jobs are expected to come from the services sector, whileAgriculture is expected to be the second highest contributor to jobs (see Table 3.3).

To achieve the above objectives, the NDPIII has laid out 18 Programmes, including: Agro-industrialization Programme; Private Sector Development Programme; Digital Transformation Programme; Human Capital Development Programme (which includes OSH access to social protection, even though not specific for agriculture or rural areas).

The agro-industrialization programme includes dedicated employment results, namely: increase labour productivity in the agro-industrial value chain (value added, USD per worker) from USD 2,212 to USD 3,114; Increase the number of jobs created per annum in agro-industry along the value chain by 180,000; Reduction in the percentage of households dependent on subsistence agriculture as a main source of livelihood from 68.9 % to 55 %. Prioritized commodities are: coffee, tea, fisheries, cocoa, cotton, vegetable oil, beef, maize, dairy and cassava. Among the prioritized interventions is: (p. 70) Develop and equip youth with knowledge, skills and facilities for access and utilization of modern extension services; (p.71) Empower youth to use ICT in developing agro-enterprise innovations; (p. 72) Increase the number of farmers with titled land to ensure land tenure security with  special  attention  to  the  youth,  women, PWDS and other vulnerable groups; Strengthen farmer organizations and cooperatives (including for youth); Build the capacity of youth to practice climate smart agriculture; Improve skills and competencies of agricultural labour force at technical and managerial level; (p. 72) Strengthen and develop mechanisms to prevent incidences of child labour within the sector and exploitation of the agricultural labour force; (p. 73) Improve skills and competencies of agricultural labour force at technical and managerial levels in post-harvest handling, storage and value addition; Increase the pool of funds available for agricultural lending including women, youths and rural populations; Facilitate organic bottom-up formation of farmers groups (including youth) and cooperatives (production, collective marketing, provision of financial services, and savings mobilization); Establish youth led agro processing facilities focusing on incubation and demonstration centres; Support women farmers to transition to agro-business, export trade, and more profitable agricultural enterprises, including skilling and financial incentives (e.g. reduced credit interest rate and finance); Empower and institutionalize youth participation in the agro-industry value chain especially focusing on packaging and marketing.

Two of the NDP III development indicators are employment-specific, namely: Reduced Youth unemployment due to annual increase in jobs created at 513,000 annually from 13.3 percent to 9.7 %; Reduction in the percentage of household dependent on subsistence agriculture as a main source of livelihood from 68.9 % to 55 %. Productive job creation, with focus on youtha and women, is definitely a priority for the NDPIII.

This paper analyses evidence on efforts to boost decent employment for young people (15- 35-year-olds) in Africa through green jobs programmes in various sectors including agriculture, countries and regions across the continent. The paper reviews a variety of green economy interventions being implemented in Africa and discusses evidence on the impact they are having on youth employment and the ‘greening’ of African economies.

Agriculture is mentioned as one of the sectors directly implicated in climate change where current job needs and future employment opportunities exist, and is covered extensively in case studies including 3: Kenya Green Economy Strategy and Implementation Plan (2016-2030), 5: Opportunities for Youth Employment, 6: Green Jobs for young people in rural areas – Morocco, and 9: Green agriculture.

It concludes that inclusive green economy approaches should not mean choosing between growth, social progress or environmental sustainability. With strong planning and coordinated policy frameworks, inclusive green economies could be built, which also reduce inequalities and promote social well-being. A green jobs strategy for youth should incorporate three key principles of the decent jobs agenda, comprising:
strategies to support green economic growth and decent job creation; supporting youth to build skills that are relevant for the green job market; and improving income security with innovative social protection systems.

Nigerian Youth Employment Action Plan 2021-2024 (NIYEAP) aims to contribute to the achievement of decent, productive and freely chosen employment for young people by complementing and reinforcing existing policy commitments and national development priorities and related efforts. The NIYEAP has four priority areas of intervention: Employability, Entrepreneurship, Employment, and Equality and rights.

Although agriculture is not the sole focus of NIYEAP, it is identified as one of the priority sectors for job creation for youth along with manufacturing, construction, digital economy and services. Other decent rural employment aspects, green jobs and migration, are also considered in its alignment with existing initiative and policy.

Strategic lines of action in agriculture include the following:
- Support at least 50,000 entrepreneurs in five sectors, including agro-business and the digital economy, annually.
- Provide at least 3 large-scale farming settlements with facilities and amnesties to promote youth agriculture ventures in 36 sates and FCT.
- Raise awareness of agriculture as a career option and promote access to infrastructure, technology, inputs and finance.

This Rapid Market Assessment is an ambitious, collaborative effort between the ILO, CAMFED and the Mastercard Foundation. It seeks to take a systems approach to analysing agricultural value chains in northern Ghana to establish opportunities for improved decent work outcomes for young women.

The findings suggest that hand-crafted shea butter and groundnut are two highly promising agricultural value chains with potential to stimulate improved and more attractive employment opportunities for young women in the north, particularly in entrepreneurship. For these two value chains, a number of key constraints were identified within their market systems, lying outside of the core value chain, including access to machinery and infrastructure; business development services; and access to finance. The research also explores the gendered constraints that young women face, layered on top of the market-based constraints.

The Financial Inclusion and Entrepreneurship Scaling Project (FINES), funded by the World Bank and implemented by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Reserve Bank of Malawi, aims to increase access to financial services, promote entrepreneurship and capabilities of MSMEs in Malawi including addressing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) implications. Specific focus is on support women business capabilities to enhance their potential to access financing. The project has a cost of USD 86.00 million WB IDA loan.

Activities under this project are structured under four mutually reinforcing components, namely: 1) Increasing financing to MSMEs; 2) Scaling Entrepreneurship and Building Firm Capabilities; 3) Enhancing the Enabling Environment for Supporting Financial Inclusion of Entrepreneurs; and 4) Project Implementation Support. The project does not have a specific agriculture or rural focus, and does not address decent work considerations explicitly, with the exception of attention to business formalization and gender issues.

The project indicators refer to Volume of MSMEs loans and other funds received (and number of new firms established or strengthened through the project support to incubators, and accelerators (all disaggregated by gender of the owner). Also, the online project information document (PID) (available here), indicates that in the long-term, the project is expected to contribute indirectly to the creation of a large number of jobs, due to spillover effects on the supply and value chain. However, this is beyond the direct monitoring scope of the project. While this will have some economic impact, it will not be included as a core indicator. However, the project will track the number of jobs created directly by the project, disaggregated by gender and by age.

In alignment with the priorities set by the international agenda, the FAO Policy on Gender Equality, first endorsed in 2012, provides the Organization with a corporate framework to orient its technical and normative work towards clear gender equality objectives relevant to its mandate. Building on the lessons learned from the first implementation period and the recommendations made by the evaluation of FAO’s work on gender undertaken in 2018, the Policy was updated in 2019 to ensure alignment with the most recent international frameworks and commitments, particularly with the SDGs and the second generation of the UN System-wide Action Plan for Mainstreaming Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-SWAP 2.0), launched in 2018, and the United Nations Country Team SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard.

The policy goal is: Achieving equality between women and men in sustainable agriculture and rural development for the elimination of hunger and poverty. In order to achieve this goal, the policy has 4 objectives: 1. Women and men have equal voice and decision-making power in rural institutions and organizations to shape relevant legal frameworks, policies and programmes; 2. Women and men have equal rights, access to and control over natural and productive resources, to contribute to and benefit from sustainable agriculture and rural development; 3. Women and men have equal rights and access to services, markets and decent work and equal control over the resulting income and benefits; and 4. Women’s work burden is reduced by enhancing their access to technologies, practices and infrastructure and by promoting an equitable distribution of responsibilities, including at household level.

The SAY project is implemented in Uganda by AVSI and funded by the Netherlands. It provides several trainings in agribusiness and has launched a Challenge Fund For Young Agripreneurs in Western Uganda (target is youth 18-30, 5 winners expected, and Agribusiness Boot Camp for the best ten agripreneurs) and has partnered with FAO in the scaling up of the youth champions initiative in 2021.

In 2020, the King of Morocco launched a new strategy for the agricultural sector entitled Generation Green.

The strategy is organized around two Foundations, namely: I. Focus on the human element and II. Sustainability of agricultural development. Under the first foundation, the Strategy prioritizes 4 axis, namely: 1. New generation of agricultural middle class; 2. New generation of young agricultural entrepreneurs; 3. New generation of agricultural organizations; and 4.New generation of support mechanisms.  Under the second foundation, the Strategy prioritizes 4 additional axes, namely: 1. the consolidation of agricultural value chains, with the objective of doubling the agricultural GDP and exports, in addition to achieving a 70% rate of added value; 2. the improvement and modernization of distribution circuits for agricultural products, in particular wholesale markets and souks; 3. the improvement of quality and capacity for innovation; and 4. the establishment of a more resilient and eco-efficient agriculture, through the doubling of water efficiency, the conservation of agricultural soils and the support of farmers in the transition to renewable energies.

 Expected objectives are:

-  to enable 400 000 families to access the agricultural middle class, and enabling another 690 000 families to remain and settle within this class;

-   to produce a new generation of entrepreneurial youth, including by mobilizing 1 million hectares of collective land;

- to multiply by 5 the level of farmers' organization and enhance the role of agricultural interprofessional organizations;

- to connect at least 2 million farmers to digital services platforms and to dispose of 5000 private agricultural advisors.

Among the actions foreseen under Axis 1 are: Improving farmers' incomes through investments /incentives; the extension of agricultural insurance to a large proportion of farmers; access to social protection through the establishment of the status of " farmer"  to reach 3.3 million farmers and agricultural workers benefiting from social protection by 2030, against 1.4 million currently; and the reduction of the gap between the SMAG and the SMIG and the improvement of the working conditions of agricultural employees.

Among the actions foreseen under Axis 2 are: Support package for youth agripreneurs, including financial support, land access, insurance and social security coverage, to enable 180 000 young farmers to start their business; training strategy targeting 150 000 graduates, including 10 000 in higher education and 140 000 in technical training and agricultural qualification.

The strategy recognizes that with 360 000 farmers over 65 years old today, the process of passing on the torch from one generation to another has become an essential bet to ensure the continuity of the sector and its further development. In this regard, “Green Generation 2020-2030” aims to create a transition mechanism from elderly farmers wishing to sell or rent their lands to young entrepreneurs wishing to invest in the sector.

Other decent work aspects such as workers' rights, child labour elimination, occupational safety and health, social dialogue, gender equality objectives or women economic empowerment are not explicitly prioritized, according to the information available online.

The strategy benefits from a loan of 250 M USD by the WB (more information here). Gender-equality objectives and women's empowerment are included in the WB funded programme.

The programme TRACE is financed by a donation of the Government of the Netherlands (donation of 14.9 million USD) through a trust fund managed by the World Bank. The objective of the programme is to create employment targeting especially young people and women below 40 years old, in the rural, agricultural, and agri-food sectors, by enhancing productivity and resilience of small Tunisian producers. Furthermore, it aims at strengthening professional organisations’ and SMEs competitiveness thanks to a better access to knowledge, innovation and financial services. The programme will be active in the three governorates of Gabes, Kairouan and Jendouba.

The programme will be active in the three governorates of Gabes, Kairouan and Jendouba.Implementing partners are respectively: UTSS a Kairouan, Microfinanza a Jendouba and Enda inter-arabe a Gabès. In the Governorate of Jendouba, the Microfinanza, ACK International and AGER consortium is in charge of a US$ 1.2 million employment support fund with the aim of financing around 100 investment projects with high job creation potential (see more info here).

This report analyses the role of social protection in promoting young people’s transition to work (YPTW) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This report has three main objectives: (i) Analyse social protection’s potential role in promoting better transitions to work, particularly for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds; (ii) empirically analyse YPTW in the MENA region. This involves examining data on the relationships between socio-economic conditions, employment outcomes and locations (rural/urban), as well as reviewing existing research from both academic and policy literatures on the key issues and determinants to YPTW in the region; and (iii) analyse, through a programme mapping, current regional social protection schemes and policies enacted by national governments to promote employment for young people. The report includes the analysis of data and projects in agriculture and in rural areas, and directly address decent work considerations.

Findings include: (i) entrepreneurship programmes that target marginalised groups (women and people from poorer regions) have potentially strong returns (Egypt); (ii) programmes composed of different interventions are more likely to be successful than stand-alone programmes (Egypt); (iii) humanitarian cash transfers for migrants and internally-displaced persons can play an important role in reducing risk and vulnerability among beneficiaries (Lebanon); and (iv) conflict and political instability strongly jeopardise the potential benefits of activation programmes (Egypt and Yemen).

Recommendations are made: (i) to use evidence-based results and best practices to identify what works with active labour market policies for YPTW; (ii) to strengthen the mandate of social protection and labour market programmes in MENA; and (iii) to support the education, TVET and E-TVET systems.

The study was produced by a partnership between the International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth and UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Regional Office, and being finalised in collaboration with UNICEF MENARO and the ILO’s Regional Office in the Arab States.

This policy research working paper by the World Bank discusses the impact and evolution of the different forces affecting the world of work in agriculture and reflects on a policy agenda that can leverage the future global food system to generate decent employment, accelerate poverty reduction, and attain shared prosperity.

Among the policy options, the paper includes inclusive value chain development, better immigration policies, social insurance schemes, and ramp up in agricultural education and extension.

The vision of the Papua Nuova Guinea (PNG) Plan is for PNG to be the First Richest Black Christian Nation with a healthy, empowered and fruitful agricultural communities. The cross-cutting issues are: Climate Change, Gender (Women & Youth) in Agriculture, Food Quality and Nutrition, and Agro-Food Safety and Codex International Food Standards. Key strategies for women and youth participation in the sector include the following. a. Formulate National Women and Youth in Agriculture Policy. b. Mainstream women and youth participation in agriculture sub-sector programs. c. Train women and youth farmers in small agri-business ventures. d. Coordinate women and youth activities in sub-sector agencies and provinces and districts. e. Establish linkages with government agencies, development partners, private sectors and NGOs to support women and youth activities in the sector.

Under the 3.4.1 Agriculture Sector Logframe, strategies include Support MSMEs/SMEs by giving them access to financial capital viable for domestic and international markets (Women) / National Women in Agriculture MSME/ SME Program. Neither the main logframe and the subsector logframes include specific employment or youth related indicators. However, the Plan aligns with and refers to the Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP) III 2018-2022 which includes specific Outcome 1.3. Create more employment and economic opportunities for women and youth and build the capacity of productive workforce at all levels of development interface, and Goal 3.1 Resource and productive youth, with indicator Number of youths in agriculture SME.

The PNDA, under the Ministry of Agriculture, was designed to “Promote modern, competitive and sustainable agriculture through the development of agricultural value chains with strong growth potential”. Prioritized value chains are: cereals (rice, wheat, traditional cereals), horticultural sectors (vegetables and fruits), oasis sector (dates), and agro-industrial sectors (sugar).

Employment creation is presented as a general impact aspiration of the PNDA and Programme n. 4, on Enhancing quality of agricultural services, under its Sous-programme 4.1, provides for "support for the professional integration of young people and women" (with a dedicated indicator/without target in the corresponding results framework and a dedicated budget). However, expected overall results remain quantified in production terms and do not include employment figures.

The document does not specifically allude to DRE aspects, OSH, child labour elimination, social protection and other related issues. Instead, aspects of access to finance, training and environmental sustainability are explicitly addressed.

The Outlook, developed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), assesses that, while prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, West Africa region was poised to expand by 4.0 percent in 2020, the economy is now projected to contract by 2.0 percent in 2020. Growth in the region will be affected through a combination of channels, including decline in commodity prices, low financial flows, reduced tourism earnings and heightened volatility in financial markets. With intra-regional trade significantly low, opportunities for market substitution to cushion the impact of the virus on West Africa are limited.

The report looks closely into ICT issues and technological development for the future of work. According to the report, increasing demand for digital services in West Africa has the potential to transform the region’s labor market and move people out of informal activities into more productive, sustainable wage employment. However, despite the increase in access to such technologies as internet services, West Africa remains digitally under connected. Only Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal, have higher internet penetrations than the African average of 25.4 percent but much lower than the global average of 58 percent.

Further, the report looks closely into education and skills development (not specifically for rural areas). It warns that although West African countries have made improvements in school enrolment achieved over the last two decades, retention rates remain low. The inability of pupils to stay in school and successfully complete their primary education remains a challenge for most countries in the region. The cumulative dropout rate to the last grade of primary and lower secondary education is above 25 percent in majority of countries. In some cases – Benin, Liberia and Sierra Leone– it exceeds 50 percent.

As regards sectoral transformation, the report shows that (p. 37) agriculture is the main source of jobs for most countries in West Africa, accounting for 42.7 percent of total employment (largely subsistence and informal), followed by services (mainly retail and wholesale trade, motor vehicle repairs) representing 19.5 percent. Employment in manufacturing stands at 8.6 percent while other services accounted for 14.3 percent (Figure 23). Especially along the entire Sahel belt, effects of climate change and conflict over land and pasture have adversely affected agricultural productivity and food security. In Burkina Faso where the shift is more pronounced, the share of employment in agriculture declined from around 90 percent in 1991 to less than 30 percent in 2019.

(p. 40) In some countries, such as Benin, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo, the informal sector accounts for more than 90 percent of employment.

Final recommendations from the report to improve skills for the work of the future in West Africa encompass the following (not very rural or decent work specific though): i. Accelerating improvements in digital infrastructure and creating opportunities for skills development and entrepreneurship to enable creation of new jobs defined by the 4IR; Creating incentives for private sector investment in skills development and support education systems to adopt technology driven programmes; Implementing labor market and human development policies for skills upgrading to insulate workers from disruptions resulting from constant technological change; and Scaling up public expenditure in education, while ensuring that resources are efficiently allocated.

This study, funded by USAID, and developed in collaboration with IFPRI and Digital Green, identifies seven models that involve youth in extension and advisory services (EAS) as both providers and recipients of extension, as well as five key elements of successful youth engagement in private sector EAS. The 5 identified success factors are: 1. Supportive policy environment. 2. Market-based solutions. 3. Proactive measures to engage youth, particularly young women. 4. Partnerships. and  5. Integrated services.

Two programmes were launched in Kenya and will run from 2020 to 2024 on a budget of 15 million Euros funded by the German Development Agency. They will be implemented in 5 Western counties of Kenya: Kakamega, Bungoma, Siaya, Vihiga and Kisumu. They will target over 10,000 youth.

The first is the Rural youth employment in Western Kenya Initiative dubbed KilimoNiBiz; the second is the Youth Employment In Agri-food sector in Western Kenya programme which will increase their employability through competency- based training, promotion of job placement services and strengthening the self-organization of the rural youth.

The projects will be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and Cooperatives and the GIZ.

The ILO Outlook offers the following key messages: i. projected lower economic growth and the lack of inclusiveness are very likely to impair the ability of lower-income countries to reduce poverty and improve working conditions; ii. a more comprehensive measure of the underutilization of people of working age reveals major gaps in access to work; iii. even when people have a job, there remain significant deficiencies in work quality, especially in the informal economy, which registers the highest rates of in-work poverty and high shares of people who are own-account self-employed or contributing family workers who lack adequate protection; and iv. substantial inequalities prevail in the access to work and work quality.

These include key lines of segmentation among workers, according to geographical location (between countries and between workers in urban and rural areas), sex and age. Moreover, new ILO data on labour income (for all workers, including the self-employed) demonstrate that, at the global level, income inequality is far greater than previously thought.

Page 4 of the Summary indicates that geographical disparities within countries remain relevant. New ILO data make it possible to study differences in access to employment depending on whether people live in rural or urban areas. At the global level, the employment rate of the working-age population living in rural areas (59 per cent) is greater than that in urban areas (56 per cent). On the other hand, time-related underemployment in rural areas (at 6 per cent) is higher than in urban areas (4 per cent). These divisions are most pronounced in low-income countries. Rural–urban disparities may be exacerbated in the future by the transformations accompanying technological change. In Asia and the Pacific, for example, technological progress and policies designed to foster innovation seem to be creating jobs and incomes at a disproportionately higher level in urban areas.

The National Strategy for Agricultural Development 2016-2025 is a sectoral policy aiming at achieving in ten years in the agricultural field the following results, together with economic, social and environmental consequences: (i) high agricultural productivity; (ii) efficiency in the use of irrigation water; (iii) high use of technology; (iv) high partnership between public and private sectors; (v) competitive agricultural marketing linking production to demand in the internal and external markets; (vi) national quality and accreditation systems internationally recognized; (vii) agricultural production and marketing for the export primarily linked to the food needs of the Gulf markets; (viii) high self-reliance in food security; (ix) high integration with other economic sectors; (x) growing ability to face risks; and (xi) fair distribution of agricultural development revenues. The overall goal of the Strategy is a sustainable development of agricultural resources that will preserve the country's animal and plant biodiversity, favor an investment climate in the sector and create a close link between production and market demand. This objective will result in a reduction of migration from country to city and the guarantee of greater food security for the whole country, together with the economic benefits of increased exports.

The Strategy includes many specific projects, targeting youth and women and their engagement in the sector (ex. establishment of training centers for rural women; provision of small loans; provision of training with the aim of developing the individual skills of agricultural families in the countryside).

This ILO study targets enterprises in the non-agricultural informal sector and employment within these enterprises, which represents nearly 70 percent of informal non-agricultural employment and 45 percent of total informal employment in Senegal. The study therefore excludes the agricultural world (livestock, agriculture and forestry) while covering the processing of food products and post-capture fishing.

The Agricultural roadmap 2020-2024, under the coordination of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, is implemented within the framework of the orientations of the President of the Republic, notably the 54 commitments of the governmental action plan.

The development areas retained are as follows: 1. the development of agricultural production, through the extension of irrigated areas; 2. increasing production and productivity; 3. rationalizing the exploitation of agricultural land; 4. agricultural and rural development in mountain areas; 5. the preservation, development, and enhancement of the forestry heritage; 6. agricultural and rural development in steppe and agro-pastoral areas; 7. development and enhancement in the Saharan territories; 8. the integration of knowledge and digitalization in development programmes.

The Roadmap covers both: 1. priority programmes for implementation in the very short term (2020/2021) and cross-cutting and continuous actions in the medium term. (2020-2024).
Under the priority programmes, the Roadmap contains actions that are directed to youth and rural women and their engagement in agriculture, support to cooperatives, as well as specific action on (11.2) revitalizing the mechanism for farmers' access to social security, employment and agricultural labor monitoring (also disaggregated by gender) (10.2)
Under the cross-cutting and continuous actions, the roadmap includes: multiple value chain interventions, as well as under 1.4 (Support for agricultural financing) actions on Covid-19 exceptional measures to protect farmers’ incomes and implementation of Micro-credit (Crédit Mutuel Rural); and under 3.1. (Training, extension and support), actions on training and advice support of the farmers, breeders and young people with projects.

The programme, under the Secretaria de agricultura y desarrollo rural, has three objectives: 1. Achieve food self-sufficiency through increased agricultural and aquaculture and fishing production and productivity; 2.Contribute to the well-being of the rural population through the inclusion of historically excluded producers in rural and coastal productive activities, taking advantage of the potential of local territories and markets, and 3. Increase sustainable production practices in the agricultural and aquaculture-fishing sector in the face of agroclimatic risks.

Under Objective 1:

• Priority strategy 1.4 Strengthen the internal food market with micro, small and medium-sized agro-industrial and marketing companies to generate jobs and income in the territories (includes facilitating access to credit, and producers’ associations).
• Priority strategy 2.1 Promote the productive inclusion of small and medium-scale producers for inclusive regional development (including through access to credit, technical assistance, value chain linkages, land, innovation networks).
• Priority strategy 2.2 Improve employment, income and the supply of the basic food basket for small producers in rural and coastal territories to reduce food deficiencies (including through cooperatives, family farming support, securing access to the food basket to families in need; youth employment and generational renewal in agriculture and 2.2.6 Promote before the competent authorities actions to guarantee the human and labor rights of agricultural laborers.
• Priority strategy 2.3 Promote gender equality in agricultural and aquaculture-fishing activities for the promotion and protection of the rights of rural women, including 2.3.8 Strengthen the participation of rural women in the sector in decision-making.
• Priority strategy 2.4 Strengthen the productive activities of indigenous communities in rural and coastal territories for their integration into the local food system.

The NAS long-term Vision is to make the agrifood system a main contributor to the achievement of food security and a key driver of resilience and transformation of the Lebanese economy into a productive economy. Its overall objective is to transform the Lebanese agrifood system in a more resilient, inclusive, competitive, and sustainable agrifood system. Its development was supported by FAO.

The NAS core structure is composed of five strategic axes (pillars), structured in programmatic areas of interventions (programmes). The five pillars, and related programmes, are the following:

• Pillar 1: Restoring the livelihoods and productive capacities of farmers and producers (including through 1.1 access to inputs and tools; 1.2 subsidized agri-loans for farmers and agri SMEs). P. 27 indicates that “This Pillar will ensure that women’s priorities and vulnerable groups are duly taken into account at planning, and implementation stages. It will emphasize the need to facilitate the access to productive inputs for farmers including women, especially women headed households”’
• Pillar 2: Increasing agricultural production and productivity (including by 2.2 supporting the adoption of GAP and 2.3 innovative and modern technologies). P. 29 indicates that “This programme will mainstream a gender approach by focusing on the inclusion of women in agricultural production, processing and marketing being essential and needs to be valorized”.
• Pillar 3: Enhancing efficiency and competitiveness of agrifood value chains (including by 3.1 supporting the modernization of value chain infrastructure and post-harvest handling systems, wholesale and local markets; 3.2 encouraging private investment, 3.4 supporting agricultural exports and access to new markets and 3.5. promoting and organizing cooperative work and farmers’ associations and groups at the level of the value chains (targeting smallholders producers). P. 31 indicates that “interventions under this pillar focus also on women and youth inclusion in the agrifood industry, especially for the high potential for employment and self-employment generation. To this end, the digital agenda plays a critical role”.
• Pillar 4: Improving climate change adaptation and sustainable management of agrifood systems and natural resources
• Pillar 5: Strengthening the enabling institutional environment (including by 5.4 creating enabling conditions for the development of agricultural insurance also to mitigate the impacts of natural disasters, and 5.5 developing a social protection system for vulnerable farmers, farm workers, producers and fishers).

Inclusiveness is a guiding principle of the NAS or how to maximize social targeting and focus on target groups (women, youth and vulnerable farmers). Other dimensions of decent work like OSH, workers’ rights or wages are not explicitly addressed. Indicator 3.2.3 specifically refers to the Number of small farmers, youth and women benefiting from soft loans. Indicator 5.5.1 is on Social protection system for vulnerable farmers, farm workers, producers and fisher folks is in place; and 5.5.2 on Percent reduction in child labour in agrifood sector.

The brief provides updated statistics on rural and urban labour markets and different challenges for promoting decent work. It explores the rapid urbanization observed in the world and the accompanying shifts in employment from agriculture to non-agricultural activities. It sheds light on differences between rural and urban areas in labour force participation and labour underutilization (and especially unemployment).

Key points include:

-          The world is witnessing a pronounced urbanization trend, accompanied by shifts in employment from agriculture to the services sector.

-          89 per cent of the world’s agricultural employment is based in rural areas, meaning that 11 per cent of agricultural workers in the world live in urban areas. Only 49 per cent of all workers in the world who live in rural areas work in agriculture, while 10 per cent work in manufacturing and 8 per cent in construction.

-          With 94 per cent of the world’s agricultural workers in informal employment in 2016, deficits in job quality are a major issue in rural labour markets.

-          Youth face a major labour underutilization challenge, which in rural areas adds to difficulties to access education and training. Particularly, young women in rural areas have a higher tendency to be neither in employment nor in education or training.

 The Policy Framework is organized along the following 3 pillars:

i)                    Development of competitive markets;

ii)                   Land tenure;

iii)                 Strengthening public services, including for training and capacity building, and access to finance. Under training and capacity building, specific actions foreseen include: i. coordination of public and private actions aimed at formal education or agricultural technology for rural youth and training for workers, such as granting working conditions that correspond to the level of development achieved; and Development of the association of agricultural producers, including the organization of pre-cooperatives and production cooperatives.

Other aspects of decent work, such as gender equality, child labour or social protection are not explicit in the document.

Vision 2050 establishes the development framework for 2020-2050 in Rwanda, building on the achievements of the previous Vision 2020.

Its overarching objectives are Economic Growth and Prosperity including the creation of decent jobs for its citizens through both economic and human capital investments, and High Quality and Standards of Life for Rwandans in both urban and rural areas. Employment creation is an overall impact objective (together with Quality Wellbeing and Inclusive accelerated economic growth), and the related Vision 2050 targets are: the reduction in unemployment rate (from 14% to 0.05) and equal male and female labour force participation by 2050.

Vision 2050 consists of five pillars: 1) Human Development; 2) Competitiveness and Integration; 3) Agriculture for wealth creation; 4) Urbanization and Agglomeration; and 5) Accountable and Capable State Institutions.

Pillar 1 focuses on a transformed workforce with particular attention to youth and gender-specific impacts. It states that (p.9) in the medium term, mass jobs will need to be created in low-end, low-wage economic activities and in the long run, jobs will need to be created in high value-added products and services resulting from the specialized extension services in agriculture, knowledge-based services in IT and Finance and light manufacturing. Among the indicators for Pillar I is Access to comprehensive social safety nets, even though not specifically addressing agriculture/rural sectors.

In pillar 3, Rwanda aims to achieve a transformed agricultural sector that will be market-driven, linked to urbanization and trade, and nearly 15 times more productive than today. Focus is on scaling up the use of modern inputs and technologies to maximize productivity, increasing access to agriculture finance and risk sharing facilities, and integration within global value chains for higher-value products.

In pillar 4, (p. 17) the document states that sustainable and green urbanization process will transform the quality of livelihoods and promotes skills development and decent employment opportunities in both urban and rural areas with special attention to the needs of youth and women.

Other aspects of decent work, such as child labour, OSH or workers’ rights and working conditions are not addressed. Aspects of environmentally sustainable agriculture production are also not explicitly addressed, even though the narrative part of pillar 3 mentions "Modern market-oriented and climate resilient agriculture" (p.14).

The following study has been developed by FAO under the framework of FAO’s Integrated Country Approach for boosting decent jobs for youth in the agrifood system (ICA), which is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

The aim of this publication is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the current state of financial inclusion of the rural youth in Uganda, with a specific focus on their engagement in the agricultural sector, as well as the financial services they can access to pursue their business ventures in this area. It seeks to illustrate and bring to light the core constraints and opportunities associated with the provision of tailored financial services to young entrepreneurs in the country, while showcasing the essential role that a host of key support actors (such as the Government, Central Bank, international development institutions, NGOs, foundations and many others) can play in fostering the provision and uptake of such services.

The FAO five-year Action Plan endorsed by the FAO Committee on Agriculture (COAG) in October 2020 aims to contribute to the realization of the SDGs by equally empowering rural young women and men, protecting children and other excluded youth groups.

The Action Plan is developed under 5 pillars: Pillar 1: Support youth participation in rural development, within the context of integrated Landscape and Territorial Approaches; Pillar 2: Foster youth employment in an inclusive green economy; Pillar 3: Strengthen rural youth capacities for the use of innovative approaches and technologies in food and agriculture; Pillar 4: Promote rural services for youth and agripreneurs, and Pillar 5: Building FAO institutional capacity to address rural youth areas of work.

The action plan is considered a “living” document to ensure it has the flexibility to accommodate new developments such as the emerging challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The South Agro-Industrial Processing Zone Project (PZTA-Sud, or Agropole Sud) is among the flagship projects of Senegal’s Vision 2035 Emerging Senegal Plan (PSE). It raises the number of growth drivers from two (telecommunications and services) to six, the four new ones being agriculture and agribusiness, housing, mining and tourism. PZTA-Sud aims to create the conditions for increased private investment in targeted value chains, including agricultural processing, input supply and service provision. The expected outcomes concern improving the food and nutritional security of beneficiaries as well as their income through improved access to markets, agricultural inputs, and services. To this end, the project provides for (i) the increase in private investment thanks to the facilities provided (more favourable business ecosystem, construction of a central agro-industrial module (Adéane), three (3) regional modules (Bignona, Sédhiou and Kolda) and five (5) aggregation and service platforms; and (ii) capacity building of value chain actors in agro-industrial sectors (structuring/organisation of value chains, training, ease of access to finance, production by researching in-vitro mango, cashew, maize seedlings, etc.). The project consists of three (03) components, namely : (a) support for the establishment of a business ecosystem conducive to private investment in agro-industry; (b) sustainable improvement of the capacities of producers in the agro-industrial sector; (c) coordination, management and monitoring-evaluation.

According to the prodoc, the project will enable the creation / consolidation of about 14,500 direct decent jobs (of which 50% women and 60% youth) and 35,000 indirect jobs (of which 50% women and 60% youth). The project has a component on facilitating access to financial services for SMEs, as well as non-financial services, including the implementation of an e-platform for access to agro-industrial services.

The main beneficiaries of the project are the populations of the regions of Ziguinchor, Kolda and Sédhiou. The number of households that will be affected is estimated at 65,000, or about 365,000 people (of which 50% women and 60% youth). The number of people who will be indirectly affected corresponds to the population of the natural region of Casamance estimated at 2 million in 2018.

According to the prodoc, actions to be taken to promote gender equality include: (i) promoting a gender - sensitive regulatory and institutional framework; (ii) equity  in implementing project activities, including a  quota of 50% of agricultural project aggregation/primary processing of women run cooperatives and SMEs; (iii) development of gender -sensitive infrastructure (childcare facilities, separate showers and toilets, secure and equipped with water, etc.); (iv) support for women's cooperatives and  SMEs  through  the structuring of their businesses and adapted training (including  functional  literacy, financial inclusion, processing, storage and conservation of agricultural products , leadership, natural resource management, etc.); (v) promoting women’s inclusion and leadership in the committees set up/consolidated under the project (50% women); (v) a campaign/sensitization to fight and prevent malnutrition ; and (v) the  recruitment of a social development and gender specialist. The budget allocated for specific and gender sensitive activities is EUR 6.3 million, or about 14% of the total amount.

Further, for better social inclusion, the youth and women who will be selected for the labour -intensive works during the constructions on the agricultural hub sites will come largely from the poorest households. To this end, the project will use the single national registry targeting community -based activities. According to the appraisal prodoc, the mapping of vocational training institutions in the project area indicates the existence of several Vocational and Technical Training and Handicraft (FPTA) structures and the project will work with these centres to ensure that agribusinesses moving into the region will have on site skilled labour for the different trades. The project will also address the key challenges related to youth  entrepreneurship,  namely access to land and  finance and the acquisition of technical skills for managing agro-industrial enterprises. The business incubator to be established at the Adéane central module will enable the incubation  of youth initiated projects. As regards access to finance for SMEs, the project will carry out capacity building of at least three financial institutions to develop services tailored to the needs of agro - industrial enterprises, particularly those of youth.

Other aspects of decent work are not addressed.

PZTA - Sud is a pilot project to be implemented over five years for a total cost (net of taxes) of approximately EUR 87.75 million, broken down as follows: (i) ADB loan: EUR 43.1 million; (ii) IsDB loan: EUR 27.85 million, and (iii) the State: EUR 16.8 million.

This publication provides a comprehensive picture of migration in North and West Africa and the Central Mediterranean, compiling evidence from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations and academia. With a view to inform targeted protection and preventative measures, safe alternatives and effective policy approaches, it sets out to enhance understanding of what contributes to migrants’ resilience and development in countries of origin, transit and destination, as well as how policies and programmes interact with and affect such realities. While this publication does not have an explicit focus on agriculture or rural areas, they are mentioned when describing different types of migrants. The document also covers COVID-19 considerations with initial findings suggesting that COVID-19 exacerbates pre-existing vulnerabilities.

The document has four sections that deal with four of the most salient features of migration along the Central Mediterranean Route (CMR). Section I – Key migration trends – tackles its highly volatile nature. Migration routes, trends and flows change very quickly in response to contextual and political factors in Africa and Europe. Section II – Migration and risks – addresses situations of vulnerability migrants face in countries on the CMR and the various threats, from environment to conflict, that prompt them to move. Section III – Migration and development – explores the generally positive contribution of migrants to development and resilience in their countries of origin, and the particular situation of migrants in transit with irregular status. Section IV – Migration governance, and policy and programming responses – examines migration policies in West and North Africa, how they are influenced by national and international processes, and by changing public perceptions of migration and emerging evidence; and discusses some of their effects.

Eight key takeaways are drawn, which are: 1) Recognize migrants’ agency; 2) Address inequalities in migration; 3) Understand linkages between migrants’ profiles and circumstances, and exposure to risks and their ability to cope with them; 4) Ensure the basic rights of migrants irrespective of their legal status; 5) Recognize the complexity of migrant smuggling; 6) Deconstruct misconceptions and fears about African migration; 7) Support policies informed by evidence and monitor their impact; and 8) Produce and analyse administrative data to inform opinions and governments.

The document of State Policies for Agriculture in Ecuador (Políticas de Estado para el Agro Ecuatoriano 2020 – 2030) is under the respondability of the Ministry of Agriculture (Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería (MAG) and was developed with support from FAO and RIMISP.

Its strategic objectives are (art. 3): a. Contribute to overcoming poverty and provide decent life opportunities to farmers through credit, insurance and extension; b. Contribute to the economy, increasing the GDP of the sector, through sustainable and quality exports, diversifying products, markets and exporters, as well as strengthening national production for the domestic market. Promoting the generation of direct and indirect jobs; c. Strengthen agricultural production by increasing its profitability, through productivity and the reduction of productive costs through modernization, research and qualified labor; d. Encourage agricultural production through specialized credit for agricultural insurance items; e. Reduce the rural-urban territorial inequality gap and the conservation of rural spaces and cultures; f. Minimize the negative impact of agricultural production on the environment.

Inclusivity and intergenerational and gender equity are among its guiding principles.

The document is organized around 6. Strategic axes, namely: 1. Promotion of Productivity and Quality; 2. Orientation and Market Development (including public procurement); 3. Access to Services and Infrastructures; 4. Strengthening of Association and Participation (including of rural youth and women); 5. Environmental Sustainability. Adaptation and Mitigation to Climate Change: and 6. Modernization and Institutional and Legal Innovation.

Other dimensions of decent work are not explicitly addressed, like workers’ rights, working conditions, OSH or child labour.

The National plan implements the State Policies for Agriculture in Ecuador (Políticas de Estado para el Agro Ecuatoriano 2020 – 2030)

Its main aims are (“líneas generals” in Spanish):  1. Adopt an agricultural zoning approach with a sustainable development lens; 2.  Strategically direct the interventions of all levels of government regarding agriculture, guaranteeing efficiency in the allocation of financial and non-financial resources; 3. Promote a differentiation and value addition approach in sustainable and diversified agricultural production through a demand-based prioritization of value chains; 4. Ensure a better distribution of income and benefits of national agricultural production; 5. Guarantee food sovereignty with special emphasis on consumers’ nutrition.

As in the corresponding policy, the engagement and empowerment of rural youth and women is a priority for the PNA, especially linked to entrepreneurship development.

Among the impact indicators is the reduction of the rural-urban income gap to less than 2.5, while intermediate impacts include the registration of youth and women-led enterprises and their engagement in management positions in the new Associative Rural Enterprises to be established (Empresas asociativas rurales - EMARs in SP).

Other dimensions of decent work are not explicitly addressed, like workers’ rights, working conditions, OSH or child labour.

The National Labour Migration Policy (NLMP)’s mission is the maximization of benefits of both inward and outward labour migration through safe migration, provision of decent working conditions for labour migrants especially female labour migrants and protection of their fundamental human and labour rights and those of their families.

NLMP’s strategic objectives are: (a) to enhance labour migration governance for strengthened protection and empowerment of Zimbabwean migrant workers in line with international norms on safe migration and decent work for all; and (b) to harness and maximize the benefits of (inward and outward) labour migration for national development, including through remittances and investment promotion and functional labour market information systems.

NLMP is divided into the following four sections:

(a) Governance of labour migration;

(b) Protection and empowerment of migrant workers;

(c) Harnessing labour migration for development; and

(d) Migration data.

NLMP does not have a specific focus on rural agriculture, but agriculture is mentioned as one of unregulated sectors where women migrants’ most job opportunities exist, and as one of the sectors where sector-specific labour agreement or MoU is needed (p.21). NLMP does not cover other decent work topics such as child labour or Occupational Safety and Health (OSH).

The National Child Policy (NCP) of Uganda falls under the coordination of the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD). Its development was supported by UNICEF.

The NCP replaces the National OVC policy (NOP) 2004 that focused narrowly on Orphans and other Vulnerable Children (OVC) rather than all children.

The policy has the following specific objectives: a) To prevent child mortality and promote children’s health, including refugee children b) To promote nurturing, care, stimulation and holistic development and learning for all children c) To prevent, respond to, and protect children from all forms of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation d) To promote the right of all children to be heard and express their opinions in all matters that affect their lives according to their developing capacities e) To strengthen systems for planning, programming and delivery of quality child care and protection services.

Section 2.3.11 of the context analysis is on Child Labour. As for the Strategies, more relevant for DRE are the following:

- Strategy 2 Improve access to and strengthen the provision of equitable, inclusive and quality primary and secondary education (but no focus on rural areas or agriculture); 

- Strategy 3: Increase access to and improve provision of relevant training and quality apprenticeship, technical, vocational and tertiary education (with mention of the need to reach refugee settlements, marginalised communities like mountainous areas, pastoral communities, fishing communities on lakeshore areas and islands)

Strategy 4: Strengthen the capacity of the local government and community
childcare and protection structures for effective response to prevent, and
protect all children against all forms of violence, exploitation, abuse and
neglect (including child labour, but not specific to agriculture and not mentioning the role of agriculture stakeholders)

- Strategy 7: Strengthen economic livelihoods of young people (including b) Strengthen youth participatory agro-enterprise approaches for household economic resilience with relevant value chain systems).

Overall the NPC puts very limited emphasis on the challenges and needs of rural children or children engaged in agriculture activities.

The 2020 Agricultural Finance Yearbook, developed by the Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC), offers an analysis of the agricultural financing landscape in Uganda. It is the tenth edition in the series, and the theme for this edition is “Digitalization and Agricultural financing in Uganda”. It includes the analysis of the impact of government’s policy and strategy, the results of research into recent innovations in support for smallholder farmers and the provision of rural finance, and the presentation of evidence regarding the financing of agricultural value chains, including several agri-financing models for various commodities (rice, dairy, coffee). The Yearbook also covers the impact of COVID-19 containment measures and agricultural financing for refugees.

Recommendations include: 1) to provide a legal framework that can attract intra-African investments and ease trade (particularly for fertilizers and agro-machinery); 2) to develop relevant agro-industrialization policies that ensure enforcement mechanisms for commodity auctions, warehousing and central trading platforms; 3) to invest in research for quality; public-private partnership for financing research and innovations promoted and investments in roads extended to the rural areas including ‘last mile’ roads; and 4) to improve the effectiveness of Government’s affirmative schemes (Uganda Agricultural Insurance Scheme, the Agricultural Credit and Guarantee Facility, aBi financing and grant schemes etc.) in the agricultural sector.

As per its vision, through this National Family Farming Plan, Costa Rica intends to develop an innovative, inclusive, organizationally strengthened and market-linked family agriculture, grounded in healthy and sustainable food systems, thus promoting the comprehensive development of families and communities. The general objective of the Plan is to promote actions that guarantee the holistic and inclusive development of family farming and its recognition as a way of life, based on the strengthening of governance and intersectoral articulation, the creation of capacities, the generation of income and the promotion of sustainable and culturally relevant agrifood systems.

The Specific Objectives of the Plan are: 1) Promote a normative, political and institutional framework that ensures governance and intersectoral articulation at the local, regional and national levels, for the holistic development of family farming; 2) Promote agrifood systems that generate nutritious, culturally relevant, and low-carbon products and foods that protect agrobiodiversity and generate ecosystem services from nature-based family farming solutions; 3) Facilitate the access of family farmers to differentiated markets by strengthening capacities and timely and equitable access to production systems, rural services and the added value of products; 4) Promote the inclusion and economic empowerment of women, youth and the population with differentiated abilities, based on innovative initiatives for income generation; 5) Promote the strengthening of rural extension services through the development of skills in professionals who work extension processes for the horizontal approach to family farming.

The Plan contains seven pillars and a transversal pilla: Pillar 1: Articulate and strengthen the institutional environment (legal and political) for the comprehensive development of family farming; Pillar 2: Promote the integration of rural youth and ensure the intergenerational sustainability of family farming;  Pillar 3: Promote gender equality in family farming, leadership, effective participation and economic empowerment of rural women; Pillar 4: Strengthen family farming organizations, their capacity to generate knowledge, represent their members and provide inclusive services in the urban-rural continuum; Pillar 5: Improve the economic inclusion of family farming by promoting entrepreneurship, sustainable production, access to financial resources and efficient insertion into markets;  Pillar 6: Promote the environmental sustainability of family farming to achieve food systems that are resilient to climate change; Pillar 7: Strengthen the multidimensionality of family farming to achieve social innovations that contribute to the development of food systems that safeguard agrobiodiversity and culture; Pillar 8: Develop a communication strategy that transmits what family farming is, its value, its scope and its contribution to the sustainable development of the country and national identity.

Under Pillar 5, specific actions refer to (5.6) promoting sustainable school programmes and (5.7) providing institutional support to vulnerable family farmers and promote their inclusion through social protection schemes.

Other aspects of decent work are not explicitly addressed, such as workers’ wages and rights, OSH or child labour prevention.

Led by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, the Jordan Response Platform for the Syria Crisis (JRPSC) constitutes the strategic partnership mechanism for the development of a comprehensive refugee, resilience-strengthening and development response to the impact of the Syria crisis on Jordan.

The current plan 2020-2022 is the latest update of an effort started in 2015.

The plan consists of three essential parts: i. aiding host communities, ii. enhancing institutional capabilities, and iii. aiding refugees. Seven sectors—economic empowerment, education, health, water and sanitation, social protection and justice, housing, and public services—make up the response plan for the years 2020–2022.

The Economic Empowerment Sector under Jordan Response Plan 2020-2022 entails two related interventions: A- Livelihoods and B- Food Security.

The specific objectives for the food security sub-sector are: 1. Access to quality food for vulnerable women, girls, boys and men affected by the Syria crisis through the distribution of food assistances (both cash and in kind) to Syrian refugees and vulnerable Jordanians; 2. Enhance efficient and sustainable use of agricultural resources to promote food security for host communities and Syrian refugees, through green infrastructure projects, promotion of sustainable agriculture development projects, manufacturing of plant and animal waste, agriculture labor and working with agriculture cooperatives; 3. To improve the efficiency of the value chain of agricultural products and food commodities to enhance food security and livelihoods of host communities and Syrian refugees.

The specific objectives for the livelihoods sub-sector are: 1. Improved short-term self-reliance measures in order to promote access to income in preparation for long-term economic opportunities, including interventions that offer short term job opportunities; 2. Increased access to formal employment opportunities meeting decent work and protection standards, through Vocational Training and employability programmes; 3. Increase support to entrepreneurs to develop and scale market-driven businesses within an improved enabling environment; 4. Promote sustainable development and long-term growth through increased capacity of national and local institutions, as in Ministry of Labor, Cooperatives and Community Based Organizations, in addition to fostering implementation of Jordan Compact and enhancing the engagement with the private sector .

Under the Social Protection & Justice Sector, child labourers are prioritized.

Under decent work dimensions (OSH, social dialogue, etc.) are not explicitly addressed.

Total budget requirements for its implementation amount to USD 6 607 129 404.

Led by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, the Jordan Response Platform for the Syria Crisis (JRPSC) constitutes the strategic partnership mechanism for the development of a comprehensive refugee, resilience-strengthening and development response to the impact of the Syria crisis on Jordan.

The current plan 2020-2022 is the latest update of an effort started in 2015.

The plan consists of three essential parts: i. aiding host communities, ii. enhancing institutional capabilities, and iii. aiding refugees. Seven sectors—economic empowerment, education, health, water and sanitation, social protection and justice, housing, and public services—make up the response plan for the years 2020–2022.

The Economic Empowerment Sector under Jordan Response Plan 2020-2022 entails two related interventions: A- Livelihoods and B- Food Security.

The specific objectives for the food security sub-sector are: 1. Access to quality food for vulnerable women, girls, boys and men affected by the Syria crisis through the distribution of food assistances (both cash and in kind) to Syrian refugees and vulnerable Jordanians; 2. Enhance efficient and sustainable use of agricultural resources to promote food security for host communities and Syrian refugees, through green infrastructure projects, promotion of sustainable agriculture development projects, manufacturing of plant and animal waste, agriculture labor and working with agriculture cooperatives; 3. To improve the efficiency of the value chain of agricultural products and food commodities to enhance food security and livelihoods of host communities and Syrian refugees.

The specific objectives for the livelihoods sub-sector are: 1. Improved short-term self-reliance measures in order to promote access to income in preparation for long-term economic opportunities, including interventions that offer short term job opportunities; 2. Increased access to formal employment opportunities meeting decent work and protection standards, through Vocational Training and employability programmes; 3. Increase support to entrepreneurs to develop and scale market-driven businesses within an improved enabling environment; 4. Promote sustainable development and long-term growth through increased capacity of national and local institutions, as in Ministry of Labor, Cooperatives and Community Based Organizations, in addition to fostering implementation of Jordan Compact and enhancing the engagement with the private sector .

Under the Social Protection & Justice Sector, child labourers are prioritized.

Under decent work dimensions (OSH, social dialogue, etc.) are not explicitly addressed.

Total budget requirements for its implementation amount to USD 6 607 129 404.

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the ILO launched this project in Iraq to contribute to socio-economic development by enhancing the application of International Labour Standards and national labour legislations and promoting social dialogue, social justice, and decent work. The initiative is funded by the EU with a total budget of 3 million EUR.

The project focuses on strengthening the labour inspection system and improving OSH in line with ILS, through policy development and capacity building. The project will also work closely with social partners to raise their awareness on labour inspection, OSH and fundamental principles and rights at work, so they can better engage in programmes to promote compliance with labour legislations and respond to COVID-19. 

The importance of compliance with decent work in agriculture is emphasized. Pilot farm interventions will assist farmers in achieving labor standard compliance, which is a necessary condition to access overseas markets. In addition to supporting employees in understanding their rights, improving their employability through skill development, and assisting labor inspectors in carrying out their duties, a training was provided on labour standards to strengthen their knowledge and capacity. Under the first phase of the project, at least 2 000 workers including 30 percent women and 5 percent Persons with Disabilities, will have their working conditions and skills enhanced.

The project is implemented with a range of national partners, including the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health. Other stakeholders include the General Federation of Workers Unions and the Iraqi Federation for Industries.

More information about a specific training that was held for women in Basra, Iraq is available here.   

This case study examines a pilot initiative conducted as part of the IFAD Rural Youth Vocational Training, Employment and Entrepreneurship Support Project (FIER). The total FIER project cost is USD 52.1 million (of which USD 16.6 million IFAD grant and USD 16.6 million IFAD loan) and is co-financed by IFAD, domestic financing institutions, national government, and beneficiaries. The executing agency is the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training. FIER has a focus on agriculture and rural youth.

For this initiative, IFAD partnered with France’s ABC Microfinance using its crowdfunding platform, Babyloan, to establish a direct connection between Malian migrant lenders in France and rural microentrepreneurs in Mali. It aims to tap into the more than USD 500 million in annual remittances that the large Malian diaspora in France sends home to Mail to support their families. The money raised through Babylon was lent to partner microfinance institutions (PMFIs) to finance microentrepreneurs with a focus on rural youth in agriculture. Babyloan created a Mali-dedicated webpage on its website where PMFIs upload entrepreneur profiles and descriptions of their projects.

Although the initiative did not meet its targets in terms of the numbers of Malian lenders and the total amount of loans, it was able to crowdfund 307 projects in Mali. In addition, the case study found that the majority (almost 70 per cent) of diaspora lenders surveyed have a positive opinion about the initiative.

A number of lessons learned were drawn, such as i) The Malian diaspora in France is not a homogeneous group of people. Babyloan must go further to adapt its outreach strategy to reach distinct groups within the community; ii) Ongoing communication with the donor base begins with building awareness about the platform and with start-up fund-raising campaigns, and this must be sustained throughout the project cycle; and iii) It is too early to fully assess the microentrepreneurs’ performance.

FIER Project information is available on IFAD Project and Programmes (available here)

Incorporating the most recent labour market information available, the ILO publication Global Employment Trends for Youth sets out the youth labour market situation around the world. It shows where progress has or has not been made, updates world and regional youth labour market indicators, and gives detailed analyses of medium-term trends in youth population, labour force, employment and unemployment.

In particular, the 2020 edition discusses the implications of technological change for the nature of jobs available to young people. It focuses on shifts in job characteristics, sectors and skills, as well as examining the impact of technological change on inequalities in youth labour markets.

The report does not assess in detail the situation of the rural youth and does not included a dedicated assessment of the agricultural sector. On p. 96, the report indicates that, in developing countries, where a large proportion of the population, the majority of whom are young people, lives in rural areas, the adoption of technologies not tailored to the local level of development and infrastructure may lead to the alienation of young rural inhabitants.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Guatemala is aligned with the Plan Nacional de Desarrollo K’atun 2032 (PND) and the Politica General de Gobierno (PGG) 2020-2024. It is organized around five main pillars: namely: i. economic development, focused on access to decent work, productive means and economic services; ii. social development, which includes the issues of decent housing, social protection, education, health, and food and nutrition security; iii. strong institutions, addressing democratic governance issues, transparency and data, human mobility, and political and civic participation; iv. peace, security and justice, including in particular violence against women, youth, adolescents and children; and v. environment, focusing on ecosystem management and climate change, as well as natural resource management.

Compared to the previous UN framework, decent work has become a more explicit result. In the results framework (Annex 1), prioritized strategies under Pillar 1 include: Strategic alliances between private sector and national institutions for women economic empowerment and labour inclusion; Strengthening TVET for youth and adolescents to prepare them for the world of work, and the enabling environment for urban and rural entrepreneurship, taking advantage of innovation and technology; Respecting and protecting indigenous peoples rights and forms of organization, especially access to land; Supporting labour and business formalization; Accompanying MINTRAB in  protecting labour rights; Fostering capacity building for employability and entrepreneurship in urban and rural areas with emphasis on MSMEs, small scale producers, and cooperatives; Promote economic diversification, including through the use of ICTs and with emphasis on rural areas; Promoting partnerships and value chain development for decent work in both urban and rural areas; Partner with private sector for promoting human rights; Promote South-South and triangular cooperation, especially for the productive use of remittances.

Under Pillar 2, priorities include: Facilitate the implementation of municipal and territorial development plans, including to foster rural development; Foster inclusive processes of territorial development, establishing rural-urban linkages; and Support the establishment of a public holistic social protection system. Under Pillar 5, priorities include: Promote capacity building and partnerships for the economic empowerment of women and youth related to the sustainable management of natural resources.

The targeted population includes, among others, women, indigenous peoples, children (boys and girls) and adolescents, persons with disabilities, LGTBIQ people, migrants, returnees and refugees, the elderly, people living with HIV, persons deprived of their liberty, the poor and rural people.

The Strategic Plan of the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development 2020-2025 for South Africa has a vision towards “Equitable access to land, integrated rural development, sustainable agriculture and food security for all”.

Among the challenges presented, is the level of Total unemployment (29%) and youth unemployment (40%) (Fig 17).

Outcome 1 is on Improved governance and service excellence

Outcome 2 is on Spatial transformation, effective and efficient land administration

Outcome 3 is on Redress and equitable access to land and producer support, with indicator on Smallholder producers commercialized. The priority area that this outcome relates to is the economic transformation and job creation. “Specifically aiming at achieving economic transformation through the distribution of land to black people, allowing them to have right of ownership and/or right of use of the land. The achievement of economic transformation will be because of comprehensive support packages given to smallholder producers to enable them to graduate to commercial producers.” (p.62)

Outcome 4 is on Increased production in the agricultural sector. Outcome 5 is on Increased market access and maintenance of existing market. Outcome 6 in on Integrated and inclusive rural economy, with an indicator on Jobs created in rural areas (baseline 36 875; 5-year target 40 000). Outcome 7 is on Enhanced biosecurity and effective disaster risk reduction.

Targets for many indicators are disaggregated for women, youth and persons with disabilities.

The Policy concept serves three main purposes: 1. Creation of favourable conditions for adequate health-care, socio-economic well-being, multifaceted development and self-realization of young people; 2. Ensuring appropriate conditions for full participation of young people in public life and democratic processes; and 3. Improvement of the National Youth Policy management system at central and municipal levels.

Its goal is to create an environment that ensures the participation of young people as full-fledged members of society, decent employment, health care and well-being, and equal access to information, resources and opportunities for development. A specific strategy directed at rural youth or at the contribution of agrifood systems to youth development is not explicit in the document.

The Concept has been developed by the Committee on Sports and Youth Affairs of the Parliament of Georgia, with the financial and technical support from the United Nations agencies (UNFPA, UNICEF, UNDP, UNIDO, ILO), as well as with the active support of the State Youth Policy Monitoring and Development Working Group at the Committee on Sports and Youth Affairs of the Parliament of Georgia, the LEPL “Georgian Youth Agency”, and the USAID and UNAG Programme - PITA.

The Policy concept is organized around 5 main strategic priorities and 22 outcomes, namely:

1. Active Participation of Young People in Public Life and Democratic Processes (see in particular Outcome 1.1 on Increased participation of young people in the decision-making processes and 1.3 on State support for youth organizations and initiative groups)

2. Promoting Youth Development and Realization of their Potential (see in particular Outcome 2.1. on the introduction and operationalization of the institute of youth workers and 2.2. on quality non-formal education opportunities, especially for disadvantaged young people, especially young people with disabilities)

3. Health and Well-being of Young People;

4. Economic Empowerment of Young People (see in particular Outcome 4.1. Significantly reduced rate of unemployment in youth age group; 4.2. Significantly reduced proportion of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET); 4.3. Reduced inequalities in youth employment and labour force participation, which mentions the specific challenges of rural areas as well as young women, IDPs and other vulnerable groups); 4.4. Reduced improper youth hiring and employment practices (which mentions the need to ensure decent working conditions by promoting sectors that do not recur to informal recruiting practices and which offer decent jobs); and 4.5. Strengthened youth entrepreneurship); and

5. Improving the Management of the National Youth Policy at the Central and Municipal Levels (including Outcome 5.3. on Youth participation in the development, implementation and monitoring of the Youth Policy and relevant programmes)

Other specific decent work aspects are not mentioned, such as OSH, social protection or incomes and wages.

The vision for the next ten years is for Armenia to have sustainable, innovative, high value-added agriculture in a harmony with the environment, ensuring care of natural resources, producing organic products and ensuring the well-being of the people living in the village.

This strategy is based on seven principles and aims at inclusive growth, gender equality, as well as institutional sustainability: i) Aggregation; ii) Commercialization; iii) Orientation to quality; iv) Youth Engagement ( Include young people in all agriculture development activities-from policy making to production, processing, and marketing activities to foster engagement and build a sustainable supply of talent for the sector); v) Diversification and risk management; vi) Climate change adaptation, resistance and environmental sustainability; vii) Technology-focused modernization.

This focus is articulated in seven strategic priorities that have been defined for Armenia's agriculture sector: (1) Increase agriculture sector competitiveness and enhancing efficiency; (2) Ensure food safety; (3) Develop local markets and increase export possibilities (including by fostering cooperation, aggregation, and value chain integration); (4) Improve food security and nutrition; (5) Develop institutional and human capacity; (6) Support sustainable rural development (including by developing measures to encourage rural entrepreneurship development); (7) Promote digital agriculture and technology innovation.

Decent work aspects are not explicitely addressed.

The development of the strategy was supported by FAO and USAID.

The Kiribati Agriculture Strategy (KAS) 2020–2030, an addendum to Kiribati 20 Year Vision (KV20), was formulated by the Ministry of Environment, Lands, and Agriculture Development (MELAD).

According to the Strategy, Kiribati needs 50 percent more food by 2030 to feed its growing population, while extreme weather conditions and rising sea levels threaten agriculture production and livelihoods. Also in 2010, the unemployment rate was 30.6%, with youth unemployment rate at 54%. Three groups are considered especially vulnerable to the lack of opportunities, namely women, youth and people with disabilities.

The Vision states that: Household incomes, nutrition, health, food security and living standards in Kiribati are improved through increased domestic agricultural production and productivity. The mission is to “increase national and community engagement to raise agricultural production and productivity for household consumption, domestic markets and exports”.

Within its Key Strategic Issues there is: i) Gender and social inclusion, particularly for gender equality and enhanced livelihoods for women and youth and people with disability can be meaningfully engaged in agriculture.

As for the Objectives:

Objective 1: Sustainable atoll crop production systems developed and promoted (with indicators of production/sales but also household income for crop farmers (disaggregated by men and women).

Objective 2: Sustainable small-animal livestock production systems developed and promoted (including indicator on Increase in household income for livestock farmers (disaggregated by men and women).

Objective 3: Enabling environment and marketing mechanisms developed, including OUTPUT 3.2: Domestic value chains developed; and OUTPUT 3.1: Agriculture sector financing and investments mobilized.

Objective 4: Climate change mitigation and adaptation enhanced.

Objective 5: Improved biosecurity.

Objective 6:National nutrition and health education and awareness-raising about consuming local produce.

Objective 7: Capacity building for government officials and stakeholders, including OUTPUT 7.1: Farming and business skills of farmers improved (with emphasis on youth and women, even if the respective target disaggregates them only by gender).

Employment aspects are not explicitely inluded in the objectives but the strategy focuses on agriculutre-based livelihoods for both women and men. Other aspects of decent work are not explicitly addressed.

The Plan has four components, namely: i. Sustainable production model (including attention to agroecology); ii. Processing and commercialization (including prioritization of short and diversified circuits); 3. Access to (local) resources (including access to finance and increased incentives to reverse internal rural migration and maintain job stability); and iv. Nutrition education for Cuba's food sovereignty. Gender and generational approaches (to engage the youth further) are indicated as crosscutting, but the respective strategies are not made explicit.

This FAO study carries out an evaluation of Ethiopia’s Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA)’s first ten years of work, including in terms of its effects on agricultural growth and poverty reduction.

FAO’s evaluation utilized a two-stage analytical approach. The first stage of the analysis (micro-level analysis) draws on quantitative quasi-experimental evaluation methods to assess priority area outcomes in ATA treatment areas against a counterfactual population. The second stage brings the results from the micro-level analysis to a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model in order to measure the ATA’s impact to the economy-wide and multisectoral functioning of the Ethiopian economy.

The micro-level evaluation finds that ATA has achieved many of the outcomes it is being measured against, in terms of input use, extension services, and agricultural technology, and the effective removal of bottlenecks in the rural agricultural economy that have since improved the links between producers, input markets and agricultural services. Enhancements in those priority areas are reflected in productivity gains for certain priority crops and in market orientation. FAO’s evaluation has also found positive macroeconomic effects from ATA’s interventions, including in terms of the development of agroindustry and transportation services.

The role of ATA in i. reducing gender inequalities in agriculture and ii. employment creation is also assessed. On gender, the evaluation found that (p. Xiii) “female-headed households disproportionately gained from priority area interventions related to fertilizer and extension, but not from the rest of the priority areas.” On employment, the evaluation found that ATA operations had a positive impact on wages and created a total of 11 000 jobs in the 2013–2019 period, in both agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. (P. Xv) Finally, boosting productivity enabled wage growth in agriculture and a reduction in food prices which combined with employment creation explain why the evaluation finds a considerable effect of ATA’s operation on poverty reduction.

Other aspects of decent work, like working conditions, have not been assessed.

The study assesses barriers and opportunities for youth engagement in agribusiness in Zambia and Vietnam. Results show that the majority of youth were engaged in agricultural production, especially in Zambia, while in Vietnam, they engaged in more diversified agricultural activities including input supply, transportation and advisory services delivery. Perceptions regarding the agricultural sector showed significant negative impact on youth participation in agribusiness in Vietnam, but not in Zambia. Barriers to effective youth engagement were: lack of start-up capital, low profitability of enterprises, and personal aspirations.

The study concludes that employing innovative value chain financing and market linkages can enhance enterprise profitability and youth participation in agribusiness.

This work was supported by Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI) Development Fund.

This study has been developed by FAO under the framework of FAO’s Integrated Country Approach for boosting decent jobs for youth in the agrifood system (ICA), which is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

The aim of this publication is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the current state of financial inclusion among the Kenyan youth, especially those residing in rural and financially underserved areas. The research sets out to analyze the core constraints and opportunities associated with the provision of tailored financial services to young Kenyans (especially first-time entrepreneurs), while showcasing the essential role that key supporting actors (such as the government, international development institutions, NGOs, foundations and many others) can play in fostering the provision and uptake of such services.

Recommendations are: 1) to foster initiatives and programmes that promote entrepreneurship and financial access in a synergic manner; 2) to focus on developing public, private, multi-service digital platforms for agricultural entrepreneurship; 3) to reform the digital credit market to ensure a level playing field and better consumer protection; 4) to promote the digital financial inclusion of young women by leveraging their unique client features; and 5) to leverage the potential of digital solutions for agriculture companies as public private partners to foster youth financial inclusion.

The National Plan for supporting income generation for the farming economy (family and community based) is under the overall responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

It has three main pillars, namely: 1. Improve the institutional environment and the generation of income from rural entrepreneurship. 2. Strengthen the incidence of productive rural associativity as an income generation strategy. 3. Improve access and the use of financing and risk management mechanisms for the development of sustainable rural enterprises. Youth and women, as well as small producers and the rural poor, are explicitly targeted.

This report has been developed by the Rural Youth Thematic Working Group, which is one of the working groups within the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development. It was established in 2018 to boost significant youth participation to advise donors, governments and civil society organizations on the most effective strategies to support and empower youth and allow them to productively contribute to and benefit from sustainable rural livelihoods and food value chain system.

This report provides insights from a study carried out to identify different youth networks and youth associations in Africa that focus on or are affiliated to agriculture and rural development. The study aimed to identify youth representation for the Rural Youth Thematic Working Group. 

This report begins with a brief background and methodology of the study and then discusses the justifications for youth networks. It then uses case studies to give insights into three categories of networks identified based on different characteristics such as their background, thematic working areas, structures, location and governance. It then highlights the challenges faced by the networks and finally conclude with recommendations on how development practitioners can continuously engage and facilitate youth networks to amplify their contribution to sustainable food systems development.

The Farm to Fork Strategy of the European Commission (EC) is at the heart of the European Green Deal aiming to make food systems fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly.

A proposal for a legislative framework for sustainable food systems will be put forward to support implementation of the strategy and development of sustainable food policy. Taking stock of learning from the Covid-19 pandemic, the Commission will also develop a contingency plan for ensuring food supply and food security.

The EU’s goals under the strategy are the following:

1. Ensure sustainable food production; which include actions on significantly reducing use and risk and dependency on pesticides and enhance Integrated Pest Management; promoting the wide uptake of sustainable farming practices; legislative initiatives to enhance cooperation of primary producers to support their position in the food chain and non-legislative initiatives to improve transparency;
2. Stimulate sustainable food processing, wholesale, retail, hospitality and food services’ practices; Develop an EU code and monitoring framework for responsible business and marketing conduct in the food supply chain; and Proposal for a revision of EU marketing standards for agricultural, fishery and aquaculture products to ensure the uptake and supply of sustainable products;
3. Promote sustainable food consumption, facilitating the shift towards healthy, sustainable diets;
4. Reduce food loss and waste.

Corresponding to Goal 1, the Strategy (p. 8) mentiones the job creation potential of the circular bio-based economy, such as advanced bio-refineries that produce bio-fertilisers, protein feed, bioenergy, and bio-chemicals. The only mention of young farmers is made under the same goal, p. 10, in referring to its job creation potential and attractiveness for young farmers.

Corresponding to Goal 2, the strategy indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic has made us aware of the importance of critical staff, such as agri-food workers. This is why it will be particularly important to mitigate the socio-economic consequences impacting the food chain and ensure that the key principles enshrined in the European Pillar of Social Rights are respected, especially when it comes to precarious, seasonal and undeclared workers. The considerations of workers’ social protection, working and housing conditions as well as protection of health and safety will play a major role in building fair, strong and sustainable food systems. Decent work is not mentioned explicitly.

Corresponding to Goal 3, the strategy indicates that the Commission will take action to scale-up and promote sustainable and socially responsible production methods and circular business models in food processing and retail, including specifically for SMEs, in synergy with the objectives and initiatives put forward under the new Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP).

Chapter 3 on Enabling the transition, (p.17) mentions that the Commission will also update its Skills Agenda to ensure that the food chain has access to sufficient and suitably skilled labour.

This context analysis provides an overview of Guatemala, describing youth employment challenges, policies and programmes in place as well as FAO’s priorities on decent rural youth employment. Finally, it also analyses the country’s child labour and migration trends and dynamics.

The document was developed by FAO during the inception phase of its Sida-funded Integrated Country Approach (ICA) for boosting decent jobs for youth in the agri-food system project, currently implemented in Senegal, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Guatemala (2019-2022).

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies. ITU's Measuring digital development: Facts and figures 2020 offers a snapshot of the most important Information and Communication Technology (ICT) indicators, including estimates for the current year.

According to the report, in 2019, just over half of the world population was using the Internet, but this proportion increases to over 69 per cent among youth (aged 15-24 years). However, a digital divide emerge. In developed countries virtually all young people use the Internet compared with 66% in developing countries and only 38% in the 47 UN-designated Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

While virtually all urban areas in the world are covered by a mobile-broadband network, many gaps subsist in rural areas. In LDCs, 17 per cent of the rural population has no mobile coverage at all, and 19 per cent of the rural population is only covered by a 2G network whereas in urban areas, 99 per cent of population is covered by either 4G or 3G network.

Agriculture is not a focus of this report.

This brief provides updates on youth labour market trends and school to work transition indicators in Rwanda. In regard to the employment in agriculture, for women, agriculture still employs almost half the workforce at 49.2 per cent. For men, this figure is much lower at 31.9 per cent. Young people (aged under 30) are less likely to work in agriculture – and more likely to work in services – than their older counterparts. Less than 30 per cent of young men (aged 15-29) and just over 40 per cent of young women are engaged in the sector.

The first paragraph of the strategy indicates that the Agroindustrial Sector in Nicaragua generates 32% of national employment and represents 60% of exports. The most important items are Dairy, Coffee, Sugar Cane, Cereals, Cocoa, Fruits, Meats, Fish and Bee honey.

The strategy has the following priorities:

1. Increase the value added of agricultural production (mainly through access to technology and innovation, value chain development, and capacity building to small producers, family businesses and MSMEs);
2. Improve the quality and safety of Nicaraguan agribusiness, and
3. Promote agro-industrial products and brands (including through fairs and exchanges, and ICT use.

Specific vulnerable groups, such as youth or women, are not explicitly addressed. The same applies to specific decent work aspects, from child labour, to OSH, wages or informality.

This report pulls together different rounds of the labour force survey conducted within a specific year namely February, May, August and November. In addition to the annual results of the year 2020, the current report bring together the annual results of the previous years (2017, 2018 and 2019) to analyze the annual changes of different labour market indicators and provide the trends of Labour force indicators on annual basis.

The distribution of employment under agriculture is 39.1 percent. Under the new international standards, employment in agriculture sector includes only those who produce agriculture goods intended mainly for sale or barter and those who work for pay in agriculture. Compared to 2019, the share of employment increased in agriculture (3 percentage points). Average monthly salary in agriculture (In Frw) in 2020 is 20 813.

Employment to population ratio among youth (aged 16-30) is at 42.6 per cent compared to 49.5 per cent of its adults counterparts. Youth unemployment rate is 22.4 percent, and youth unemployment rate of those participated in subsistence agriculture is at 27.5 per cent while is is 19.2 per cent for those not participated in subsistence agriculture.

Other decent work areas such as child labour are not the scope of this survey.

UNFPA Youth Situation Analysis in Cambodia provides an update on the situation of adolescents and youth in four priority areas: education, employment, health, and participation. A structured survey (sample size: 1,000) and focus group discussions (sample size: 288) were conducted and analyzed as the primary data, along with secondary data.

The study points out the high dropout rate of youth from formal education, and says that Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) should be promoted as an educational option, especially for those aged 10-24 who are not in formal education or work (NEET). Providing youth with technical training (e.g. Life skills training and entrepreneurship programmes) and internships are also important for youth to gain adequate employment.

Agriculture is not the main focus of this study, though is often mentioned in the context of describing the employment situation of youth. Other decent work areas, migration and child labour are also covered in the study. It says that migration for work is a key driver for students dropping out at all education levels, and child labour still exists and must be addressed through the education of the community.

The National Development Strategy 1: 2021-2025 (NDS1) is developed as the successor to Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP: October 2018-December 2020) which was implemented as a first step of a three phase process to attain the country’s Vision 2030 outcomes. NDS1 is the first 5-year Medium Term Plan aimed at realising the country’s Vision 2030.

NDS1 sets seven objectives below:

 i. Strengthen macroeconomic stability;
ii. Achieve and sustain inclusive and equitable Real GDP growth;
iii. Promoting new enterprise development, employment and job creation (Create at least 760,000 formal jobs);
iv. Strengthen Social Infrastructure and Social Safety nets;
v. Ensure sustainable environmental protection and resilience;
vi. Promote Good Governance and Corporate Social investment; and
vii. To modernise the economy through use of ICT and digital technology.

NDS1 positions agriculture as one of the key locomotive (anchor) sectors along with mining, manufacturing, and tourism in achieving the overall goal of sustainable economic growth. It focuses on increasing agriculture production and productivity, especially by smallholder farmers will ensure food and nutrition security, enhanced income, increased opportunities for value addition and the development of agro-business value chains.

Cross cutting issues including Youth and Gender; Financial Inclusion; Social Protection; Poverty Alleviation and Safety Nets; Environmental Protection; Climate Resilience have been mainstreamed throughout the NDS1 period. In regard to youth, NDS1 aims to increase youth participation in decision-making and development processes from 3.3% in 2020 to 25% by 2025; and­ increase the number of youth who accessed empowerment opportunities in all sectors of the economy from 16 000 in 2020 to 200 000 by 2025.

Decent Work is emphasized, and the following three specific targets are set to be achieved through programmes including the formalization of the informal and rural development:
i. Increase the level of formal employment from 24% in 2020 to 30% by 2025;
ii. Reduce precarious employment rate from 19% to 14% by 2025; and
iii. Increase the proportion of informal sector workers covered by Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Services from 0% to 20% by 2025.
In the Decent Work context, it recognizes that good labour migration governance is essential to promote export of human capital. It ensures that those who elect to work in the diaspora find decent jobs in host countries. During the NDS1 Period, priority will be to develop standard operating procedures for recruitment of Zimbabweans in the diaspora.

Child labour is mentioned as one of the key challenges in improving the social protection system.

This paper highlights the importance and magnitude of internal migration in Senegal. It analyzes the socioeconomic determinants of the decisions of youth for migration to rural and urban areas, and whether these factors differ by gender. Authors use household survey data, and the multinominal logit model for their analysis targeting youth between 21 and 35 years old.

Findings include that young people undertake mostly rural-to-rural and urban-to-urban migrations, and more than half of them are temporary migrants. Also, childhood socioeconomic conditions such as migrants’ father’s education, the demographic composition of the household, and access to educational opportunities in youth’ childhood residence influence the decision of youth to migrate differently by gender. For example, father’s education has an important role in daughters’ migration choices (more than in sons’ ones): the more educated the father, the more likely are daughters to move to urban areas and less likely are they to move to rural areas. In addition, the presence of younger siblings in childhood is associated with high likelihood of female migration. Furthermore, proximity to social infrastructure during childhood, particularly primary school and hospitals, is associated with lower probability of youth migration for both men and women.

The paper concludes with a motivation for further research on the expected consequences of internal youth migration for individuals, their households, and their communities. It points out that despite all the benefits of remittances from young migrants, high costs of financing migration and “brain drain” can possibly leave negative effect for households and communities, and whether benefits outweighs the cost of migration remains an empirical question.

The vision of the Agri-food sustainability strategy of Chile is that the national agrifood sector is recognized as a provider of sustainably produced food for Chile and the world, committed to people, communities, the environment and the development of local economies.

The strategy has 3 dimensions, namely:

1. Environmental dimension, including strategic objectives on water, biodiversity, climate change, and soil;
2. Social dimension, including strategic objectives on relations with local communities, heathy food and food safety, and labour practices;
3. Economic dimension, including strategic objectives on resilience, market development and competitiveness (including by promoting the circular economy).

The respective strategic objective on labour practices aims at to promote working conditions that allow job stability, health and safety at work, protection and social dialogue and labor development for the sustainability of the agri-food sector. Corresponding areas of intervention are: i. Promote a specific labor regulatory framework for the agrifood sector that considers its particularities, such as the seasonality of jobs, subcontracting, and the existence of a smaller size and family-based agriculture, and promoting gender equality in labor relations; ii. Promote safe working conditions for the effective protection of workers in the agrifood sector based on the periodic collection of information and monitoring; iii. Promote social dialogue between companies, workers and the public sector that contributes to development of the agrifood labor market.

Cross-cutting pillars include capacity development and innovation (with a gender focus), networks and collaboration, and economic capital.

Youth are not explicitly targeted.

The 2019 Labor Outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean contains a synthesis of the economic evolution of the countries of the region and an analysis of the impacts registered in the labor markets in 2019, as well as those expected for 2020. In addition, the report includes a special section on "Youth Employability", which reviews the employment situation of the population between 15 and 24 years of age.

The report alerts on the worsening of quantity and quality of rural employment (p.14), noticing in particular a significant drop in employment in agriculture.

This edited volume provides comprehensive evidence on migration from and within West and North Africa and across the Mediterranean.

It highlights migrants’ agency and contribution to transnational development, as well as the inequalities that shape migration and the risks that migrants are exposed to.

The volume is divided in four sections, dedicated to migration trends, risks, development and governance. The volume features contributions from different IOM offices, as well as from other international organisations, research institutions and civil society organisations.

It was prepared as part of the programme Safety, Support and Solutions on the Central Mediterranean Route, funded by the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID).

Teh document is also available in FR here.

The FAO CPF for Senegal (in French Cadre de Programmation par Pays (CPP) has three priority areas: 1. Promoting a sustainable, diversified, competitive, inclusive and growth-enhancing agro-silvo-pastoral, fisheries and aquaculture sector; 2: Improving food security and nutrition, and strengthening the resilience of vulnerable populations; and 3. Sustainable management of the environment and natural resources.

Youth employment results and correspondent activities are explicit in the document, notably under the first priority where decent rural youth employment promotion, including for migrants, is one of the strategies proposed.

Dedicated targets are:
(1.1.1) By 2023, at least 22 integrated farms will be created with FAO’s support, 1/3 of which are run by women, and all with modern, operational infrastructure and facilities as incubation centers based on the Modèle d’Insertion des Jeunes Agro-entrepreneurs (MIJA);
(1.1.2) By 2023, at least 3,500 young people, 25% of whom are migrants or young people exposed to migration, 20% identified on the basis of vulnerability criteria and 30% women, are trained in rural entrepreneurship, with FAO’s support;
(1.1.3) By 2023, at least 14,000 young farmers are certified, with FAO’s support.
(1.1.6) By 2023, 5,000 producers (70% of whom are women and young people) enhance their access and control of inputs, equipment, financing and other resources and services, with FAO’s support;
(1.1.7) By 2023, more than 20 rural microenterprises, involving at least 300 people, 50% of whom are women, are created and / or supported in the region in terms of production, transformation and commercialization.
Decent work relevant entry points also exist under the second priority, with regard to small producers’ (including youth and women) access to public sector food procurement (2.1.3), access to social protection for the rural population (2.2) and the implementation of the “ caisse de resilience” (resilience funds) approach to enhance risk management at the farm level (2.3).

Finally, relevant to green jobs promotion is target 3.2.1, under the third priority, which aims to establish 25 community micro-enterprises based on non-timber forest products (NTFPs) by 2023.

It is a national initiative endorsed by H.E President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, in January 2019. It seeks to unify the efforts of all the state’s institutions in cooperation with the civil society, the private sector companies and the development partners inside and outside Egypt in the sustainable development field.

The first phase of the initiative targets villages having 70% of poverty rates or more (1413 villages most in need and the most vulnerable ones to extremism and intellectual terrorism).

Second phase of the initiative will target: Villages ranging from 50% to 70% of poverty rates.

Third phase of the initiative will taregt: Villages below 50% of poverty rates.

The Objectives 2 and 4 of the initiative seem more relevant to DRE.

Objective 2: Comprehensive development for the neediest rural communities to eliminate multidimensional poverty in order to provide a decent and sustainable life for citizens.

Objective 4: Providing job opportunities to support the independence of citizens and motivate them to improve the standard of living for their families and local communities.

The overall budget of the initiative or the extent of decent work prioritization could not be assessed online.

The vision of the policy is to transform the fisheries and agriculture sectors into a sustainably managed and market-oriented system that contribute to socioeconomic growth, food security and sustainable management of natural resources. As for its Guiding principles, they include: socioeconomic development, climate-smart approach, stakeholders’ engagement, community development, human resources development, and gender equality.

Of its many Pillars and objectives, many connect with DRE and SDG 8, including:

Under Pillar 2.1 Value chain coordination:

-          (Fisheries) Objective 2.1.1 on the competitiveness of the fisheries sector includes 2.1.1.F. Support the production, processing and marketing of species targeted for both primary and niche markets in order to drive greater employment opportunities and profitability in the fisheries sector.

-          (Agriculture) Objective 2.1.1. Ensure that the competitiveness of the agriculture sector is promoted, improved and sustained in both domestic and foreign markets, including by 2.1.1.D. strengthening the entrepreneurial capacities of farmers, especially in regard to their management and commercial skills.

Under Pillar 2.3 Community Empowerment:(Fisheries) Objective 2.3.1. Ensure that relevant regulations, standards and programs are implemented, in order to enhance the livelihoods of fishing communities, includes:

-          2.3.1.A. Adopt initiatives aimed at raising awareness about the opportunities that lie in the fisheries sector, notably in terms of job creation and income generation.

-          2.3.1.B. Facilitate the implementation of small and medium enterprises as well as their access to advisory services and financial support, including insurance, loan schemes and subsidies in order to enhance commercial activities in the fisheries sector.

-          2.3.1.D. Promote the inclusion of disadvantaged groups in fishing communities (i.e. women, youth, people living with disabilities) through sensitization, positive discrimination and measures facilitating accessibility in order to increase the participation and contribution of these groups of people in the fisheries sector.

-          2.3.1.E. Facilitate the implementation of a platform through which traditional and new science-based knowledge could be effectively transferred in order to attract and retain youth engagement in the fisheries sector.

-          2.3.1.G. Facilitate the implementation of employment schemes in the fisheries sector, especially for target groups, including women, youth and people living with disabilities.

-          2.3.1.I. Facilitate the implementation of entrepreneurship programs, internships, subsidized job placements, and other employment schemes in the agriculture sector, especially for target groups, including women, youth and people living with disabilities.

-          (agriculture) Objective 2.3.1. Ensure that relevant regulations, standards, and programs are implemented in order to enhance the livelihoods of agriculture-dependent communities, includes:

-          2.3.1.C. Facilitate access to advisory services and financial support, including insurances, loan schemes and subsidies, in order to encourage commercial activities in the agriculture sector.

-          2.3.1.E. Promote the inclusion of disadvantaged groups in farming communities (i.e. women, youth, people living with disabilities) through sensitization, positive discrimination and measures facilitating accessibility.

-          2.3.1.F. Facilitate the implementation of a platform to attract and retain youth engagement in agriculture.

-          2.3.1.H. Facilitate the implementation of innovative and income-diversification programs that can effectively turn farming production systems into more profitable and sustainable business ventures (e.g. agritourism).

-          2.3.1.I. Facilitate the implementation of entrepreneurship programs, internships, subsidized job placements, and other employment schemes in the agriculture sector, especially for target groups, including women, youth and people living with disabilities.

Indirectly relevant are also Pillar 1.1. Ecological Resilience and Pillar 3.1. Education, Research and Technology (see 3.1.1.B. Facilitate the inclusion of fishing activities in the education system, right from childhood as well as the inclusion of training programs and job fairs in the curricular of primary, secondary and university students in order to raise awareness, knowledge and capacities of younger generations towards the fisheries sector; and 3.1.1.C. Facilitate the inclusion of farming activities in the education system through training programs and job fairs in the curricular of primary, secondary and university students in order to raise awareness, knowledge and capacities of younger generations towards the agriculture sector).

Other aspects of decent work are not explicitly addressed. Objective 3.3.2. aims to ensure that institutional and legal frameworks are strengthened in order to sustain the development of the fisheries sector, including 3.3.2.A. by developing national standards and regulations for quality assurance of fisheries products (nevertheless aspects of decent work are not explicitly mentioned).

The policy was developed with support from FAO.

The project aims to promote social and occupational inclusion of youth in family farms and profitable ventures that will create income and decent jobs in agro-sylvo-pastoral and fisheries value chains. The project aims to benefit 150.000 rural young people. Among this group, 45.000 young people (50% women) will receive support to start up a sustainable profitable activity in the agro-sylvo-pastoral and fisheries value chains. At project completion, 25.000 viable enterprises in the agro-sylvo-pastoral and fisheries value chains will have been created and/or strengthened, and 35.000 decent jobs generated (50% young women).

Crucial for the project strategy is the need to establish partnerships between youth and farmers’ organizations, umbrella organizations, interprofessional associations, and other private sector operators. Decent work elements are not explicitely addressed.

The project has budget of USD 93,74 millions, of which IFAD finances USD 52,31 million (loan) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) 10.74 million (loan). Executing agency is the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Equipment.

The area of intervention include four agroecological areas: les Niayes, Bassin arachidier,the sylvopastoral zone, and low and medium Casamance.

Target group is composed of rural youth aged 15 to 35 years.

According to the Vision of the Rural Development Policy of Cambodia, the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) aspires to assure high quality of life in rural Cambodia, enabling all citizens to live in a healthy rural environment with nurturing social, economic and cultural conditions.

The Mission of the MRD is to implement and support coordination for integrated, inclusive development programmes in the country-side of Cambodia, serve as an institutional platform for research, dissemination of information, knowledge management on matters related to development of rural Cambodia, and be a driving force behind the realization of the SDGs relevant for rural Cambodia.

The three objectives of the policy are: i. To strengthen institutional and human resource development; ii. To increase coverage and resilience of rural infrastructure and quality of rural public services; iii. To ensure good quality of life through inclusive social and economic development of the rural areas.

Interventions include, among others: increasing employment opportunities and income generation in rural, family households; tangible diversification of livelihood, farming, fishing, use of forests and other natural resources;  fostering community-based vocational training and local handicrafts; promotion of appropriate technology and investment for climate resilience; and gender equality as warrant for individual development of Cambodians of both sexes.

Directions and activities are further detailed through the 2019 MRD Rural Development Strategy,  implemented through 4 MRD Programmes (and related Sub-programmes): “Programme 1 for enhancing capacity building and ICT and knowledge management”; “Programme 2 for improving quality and resilience of the rural roads infrastructure network”;  “Programme 3 to increase access to improved rural water supply and healthcare”;  and “Programme 4 to ensure a sustainable rural economy and harmonious community development” (with indicators on Number of families with a diversified household economy and increased local livelihood options; Household income generation; and Number of ethnic minority villages receiving tangible support.

Other decent work aspects are not explicitly addressed.

Current cooperation programme between Senegal and ENABEL, the Belgian Development Agency, signed in 2019. It aims to support socio-economic development and decent rural employment in Siné Saloum region.

The programme consists of two main pillars: (i) sustainable entrepreneurship and DRE promotion in agribusiness, with the expected impact of creating 3.600 new jobs (including through the development of two agropoles in Kaolack et Foundiougne); and (ii) reproductive health. Cross-cutting themes include climate change and gender equality, decent work and ICT. 

Budget: EUR 45 millions

As for the corresponding 2019 Policy, the vision of the Strategy and Action Plan is to assure high quality of life in rural Cambodia, enabling all citizens to live in a healthy rural environment with nurturing social, economic and cultural conditions.

In line with the reformed 2019 MRD Policy, the three objectives of the 2019 Strategy are:  To strengthen institutional and human resource development,  To increase coverage and resilience of rural infrastructure and quality of rural public services;  and To ensure good quality of life through inclusive social and economic development of the rural areas.

The Strategy is organized around 4 Programmes and 14 Sub-programmes: namely Programme 1 for enhancing capacity building and ICT and knowledge management; Programme 2 for improving quality and resilience of the rural roads infrastructure network;  Programme 3 to increase access to improved rural water supply and healthcare; Programme 4 to ensure a sustainable rural economy and harmonious community development (including Rural economic diversification and family livelihood improvement; Options for local vocational skills; Ethnic diversity and cultural identity; Gender equality and economic empowerment and migration and spatial development). Gender is retained as crosscutting priority.

A full employment agenda or related indicators are not included and other decent work dimensions are not explicit in the document.

The Vision of the National Agricultural Policy Framework (NAPF) of Zimbabwe is: A prosperous, sustainable, resilient, diverse and competitive agriculture sector, ensuring food and nutrition security and significantly contributing to national development in the context of sustainable structural transformation.

Its policy objectives are the following:

1. Assure national and household food and nutrition security in a sustainable and resilient manner;

2. Ensure that the existing agricultural resource base is restored, maintained and improved to achieve sustainable agricultural intensification;

3. Generate income and decent employment to feasible optimum levels, with a special focus on women and youth;

4. Increase agriculture’s contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through productivity improvements in crop, livestock, forests and fisheries sectors;

5. Contribute to sustainable industrial development through the provision of competitively home-grown agricultural raw materials;

6. Improve agricultural market access, exports, value addition and competitiveness and sustainable funding mechanisms;

7. Promote conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources important for food and agriculture; and

8. Improve multi-stakeholder cooperation and exchange among government arms, private sector, farmer-owned institutions, civil society organizations and development partners.

Among its Guiding Principles there is:

- Gender, youth and other vulnerable groups mainstreaming as well as Sustainability (including by ensuring that employment within agriculture is in line with good agricultural practices and principle of social sustainability, including adhering to international commitments on child labour and ensuring the minimum standards of value chain workers are met).

Under Pillar I: Food and Nutrition Security and Resilience, strategic initiatives include:

- Promote access to finance and livelihood diversification;

- Promote production practices that enhance diversified crops for diversified diets and improved nutrition (agroecology/ organic, regenerative agriculture) and reduce barriers of entry for smallholder farmers;

- Develop strategies that support youth employment in agriculture;

- Ensure gender mainstreaming to ensure support to the roles of men and women in food and nutrition provision at household and community levels; and

- Put in place investments and incentives for promoting youth employment in agriculture.

Other specific decent work dimensions are not explicit in the document, such as OSH, workers’ rights and wages, or child labour prevention, if we exclude their mention under the sustainability principle.

The development of the Policy was supported by FAO and the regional technical partner Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute (IAPRI), under the Department for International Development (DFID) funded Livelihoods and Food Security Programme (LFSP).

This OECD report aims to assess the role of global value chains (GVCs) in terms of returns to labour and thereby employment, not only within the agricultural sectors, but across other sectors of the economy.

Based on the report, at the global level, trade and agro-food GVCs generated an average of between 20-26% of total agricultural workforce returns between 2004 and 2014, and labour returns were generated from both direct participation in trade and from indirect participation through other downstream sectors. Employment reliance on trade and GVCs varies across different agricultural sectors. It is greatest in the sectors of wool, oilseeds and plant-based fibres, which have 48%, 39% and 38% of sector employment respectively reliant on agro-food GVCs (global averages). These sectors are those that feed most into other production activities, both food, in the case of oilseeds, and manufacturing.

This report finds that the impact on economy-wide labour returns is on average greater for countries specializing in direct exports of primary products as compared to those specializing in indirect agricultural exports. Beyond the agriculture sector itself, trade and GVC participation creates employment in other sectors (notably more in the service sectors than in the industrial sector).

The study concludes that recent developments in this sector give new opportunities for rural youth but also highlight persistent barriers that prevent rural youth from accessing financial and non-financial services.

The Agricultural Sector Growth and Transformation Strategy (ASTGS) is Kenya’s strategy to transform and modernize the agricultural sector, under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation (MoALFI). The effort is supported by the Agriculture and Rural Development Donor Group (ARDDG) - comprised out of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), FAO, the German Development Cooperation (GDC), GIZ, JICA, the Swedish Embassy, UNEP, and USAID, among others.

The strategy outlines nine flagships projects, grouping them in Anchors and Enablers, as follows:

Anchor 1. Increase small-scale farmer, pastoralists and fisherfolk incomes: Flagship 1. Target 1 million farmers in 40 zones (initially) served by 1,000 farmer facing SMEs; Flagship 2: Shift nationwide subsidies focus to register 1.4 million high-needs farming households and empower them to access a range of inputs from multiple providers through e-vouchers.

Anchor 2. Increase agricultural output and value addition: Flagship 3. Establish 6 large-scale agroprocessing hubs through a one-stop shop for agro-processors; Flagship 4. Unlock 50 new large-scale private farms (bigger than 2,500 acres) and sustainable water supply for more than 150,000 acres of irrigation from existing infrastructure.

Anchor 3. Boost household food resilience: Flagship 5. Restructure governance and operations of the Strategic Food Reserve (SFR) to better serve 4 million vulnerable Kenyans; Flagship 6: Boost the food resilience of 1.2 million farming and pastoralist households in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) through community-driven intervention design. Under Flagship 5 provisions are included for protecting farmers, especially small-scale, against low prices through conditional cash transfers.

Enablers: Flagship 7: Launch three skill programmes for 200 government leaders, flagship implementers and 3,000 youth-led and digitally-enabled extension agents; Flagship 8: Strengthen research and innovation as launch priority digital and data use cases to drive better decision-making and performance management; Flagship 9: Monitor two key food system risks – those addressing sustainability and climate, and a second category for crisis management for pests, diseases and global price shocks.

The flagships are designed to ensure the inclusion of women, youth, and people with disabilities (PWDs). Flagship 1 determines a minimum participation of 33% women and 30% youth. Flagship 2 and 6 mention youth as beneficiaries without specification. Flagship 7 aims to train 3,000 youth-led and digitally-enabled extension agents. Decent rural employment specific priorities are not explicitely addressed in the document.

The Ministry of Agriculture 5-year Strategic Development Plan (SDP) 2019-2023 aims to build a “sustainable, competitive and resilient agriculture sector” and contribute to building a vibrant and progressive nation.

The SDP approach moves around the following considerations: i. a holistic approach for managing food security and resilient food systems; ii. strengthening transition of smallholder farmers to commercial level, including an enabling policy and regulatory environment which will encourage youth and women participation in agriculture (p. 6).

Section 2.0 on Situational analysis points to some relevant DRE challenges, namely: persistent structural challenges for agriculture; financing, lack of participation by youths and women, land tenure and the slow transition to commercial farming; aging farmer population and low youth involvement (especially women) in agriculture; high poverty rates in rural areas and low income among farmers. In the same section it is mentioned that the Ministry is already undertaking various programmes tailored towards engaging and educating young men and women in agriculture through the new Young Farmers Business Incubation Scheme (YFBIS).

The SDP selected 5 Strategic priorities (SPs), namely:

SP 1: Improve Food and Nutrition Security for All Fijians

SP 2: Increase Farmer Household Income for Sustainable Livelihoods, for which strategic KPIs include Increased farmer participation in existing and new demand-driven markets, including by establishing cluster commodity associations, and increased participation of women and youth in the crop and livestock agriculture sector. – see Outcome 2.2 Increased participation of women and youth in the crop and livestock agriculture sector

SP3: Increase adoption of sustainable resource management and climate smart agriculture, including KPIs on increased access to resilient crop varieties, livestock breeds and social safety nets and market products that mitigate risks for farmers (but linkages with social protection not being defined in detail); and Increased awareness and adoption by farmers of sustainable resource management and climate smart agriculture practices (not disaggregated by gender or age).

SP4: Establish and Improve Commercial Agriculture, including KPIs on; i. Increased farmer access to loans, grants, insurance and basic financial services; ii Increased farmer, youth and agribusiness participation producing market driven commodities; and iii Improved value chain opportunities, financial literacy, business planning and farm management. See specific indicator 4.2.1 Number of youths and young farmers between 20-30 years assisted and trained in Commercial agriculture - target 500 Young Farmers assisted through the Incubator Scheme (YFIBS)

SP5: Improve quality public sector performance and service deliver, including outcome 5.1 A new modern MoA structure with supportive Systems and Infrastructure (see target on MoA unit to support Repair and Maintenance Programme, OHS and Work Safety in place); and 5.2 Improved information, communication and technology (ICT) system in the agriculture sector that includes value chain opportunities, financial literacy, business planning and farm management (no gender or age disaggregated indicators).

The development of the plan was supported by FAO and New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The 100,000 MSMEs Initiative for the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises is an initiative of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD). It contributes to the “1 Million Jobs Initiative” of the African Union (AU) and aims to reach 100,000 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) across the continent by the end of 2021, and 1 million MSMEs by the end of 2024. AUDA-NEPAD launched the 100,000 MSMEs Initiative with advisory support from McKinsey & Company, financial and technical support from Ecobank (see info here), UNDP, Microsoft and the World Bank to accelerate African economic transformation, provide skills development programming and build resilience against the economic shock triggered by the global pandemic.

On 21^st June 2021, the U.S. Mission to the African Union, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), also announced their collaboration (see news here).

The Initiative comprised of three pillars underpinned by a digital platform (the latter still in the making): MSME Academy (trainings so far are not specific on agriculture), MSME Finance, and MSME Marketplace. Between August 2020 and February 2021, the MSME Academy launched in thirteen countries (Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, and Togo) and recorded the following results: registration by more than 25,000 MSMEs, 14,000 MSMEs attended online events, and more than 3 million participants tuned into webinars held on radio and online platforms. The next step is to launch the Academy in the other Member States, with training modules delivered in at least five languages accessible across all 55 African countries. Having successfully launched the MSME Academy in a few countries, AUDA-NEPAD and Microsoft are now partnering on a digital learning platform to enhance free access to learning content online to help African youths gain the much-needed skills that would be a criterion to transit to an impending digital economy post-COVID-19.

Ecobank and AUDA-NEPAD started to pilot the MSME Finance pillar in May 2021 in 8 pilot countries namely Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda and Togo. Successful candidates can access between USD 1,000 and USD 5,000. About 3,000 MSMEs applied to the MSME training for the Ecobank Financing program, out of which 850 were short-listed in the 8 pilot countries. The 6 weeks long programme covered 4 modules and 15 training sessions per country – in total – 120 sessions were delivered in all 8 countries. In Q3 2021, Ecobank will deliver a unique sandwich programme for the remaining over 2,000 SMES who registered but were not shortlisted in the training programme.

While the Initiative does not have an explicit DRE focus, it addresses the needs of micro and small businesses (all sectors), which have been among the most negative affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The evaluation was able to map two thirds of the 77 projects. In the most successful cases, a common trait was that IFAD had long experience in the project area and had supported multi-stakeholder platforms and interprofessional associations.

Para 44 indicates that engagement with youth emerged as a focus area in more recent projects. An effective strategy for reaching large numbers of young people was to select value chains in which youth were already engaged and mainstream youth inclusion across all project activities. In other cases, lack of access to land and other assets was a barrier to young people’s involvement. In general, there was little investment in vocational training linked to value chain requirements. In Viet Nam, for example, there was a shortage of skills in the expanding agrifood industry, but TVET centres did not offer the right type of training. Yet, available studies suggest that most future work opportunities for underemployed rural workers will occur in manufacturing or service industries affiliated with agriculture (e.g. food and agro-industrial processing, agro-logistics, and food distribution services). For IFAD, this is a strategic long-term opportunity in several countries.

The evaluation assesses that decent work elements have not been explicitly addressed to date, which is a gap, considering the prominence of this issue for the SDGs.

The G5 Sahel Development and Security Strategy (SDS) responds to the vision of Heads of State to turn G5 Sahel countries into an economically integrated, socially prosperous, culturally rich space where security and peace reign.  To achieve these objectives, four strategical axes have been identified: (i) Defense and security, (ii) Governance, (iii) Infrastructures, (iv) Resilience and human development. Among the main challenges identified (p.17), the document lists the creation of decent jobs for youth and women.

The 1rst axis aims at reinforcing the security of people and goods by fighting against terrorism, organized criminality, illicit traffic and clandestine migration in the respect and protection of human rights. The 2nd axis aims at promoting good governance on the basis of fundamental principles of participation, accountability, transparency and responsibility of the State and of citizens in order to guarantee a decent and fair human development. It includes a priority action on the development of a programme on the prevention of violent extremism and terrorism against young people. The 3rd axis aims at promoting internal and intra-regional exchanges through the realization of transport infrastructures, improving the access to energy supply, ICTs and potable water.

The 4th axis aims at building and reinforcing the resilience of the populations, with priority actions on contributing to the development of economic opportunities by creating decent jobs for the benefit of young people and women, and enhancing access and equity, education and training for young people living in cross-border areas. Additional priority actions in this area look into the support for improving the livelihoods of rural populations in cross-border regions; the support for land security, and prevention and management of rural land conflicts; the support for the defense and restoration of agricultural land; and the support for resilient pastoralism.

 Other aspects of decent work are not explicitly addressed.

The FAO Rwanda CPF signifies FAO’s mandate and commitment towards contribution to the GoR’s priorities in food security, nutrition and rural development, as enshrined in the Fourth Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation (PSTA 4 2018-2024) and with the National Strategy for Transformation (NST1 2017-2024).

The CPF has identified four priorities, namely:

1. Innovative approaches to promote sustainable and integrated Crop, Livestock and Aquaculture production systems promoted (See in particular: Output 1.3:Skills developed for agriculture value chain including farmers’ organization, women and youth);
2. Food security, nutrition and climate and other shocks resilient agriculture improved through sustainable and diversified production systems (no specific youth or decent work indicators included);
3. Inclusiveness of agricultural market systems as well as value addition and competitiveness of diversified agricultural commodities in domestic, regional and international markets promoted; and
4. Enhanced enabling environment and responsive institutions for effective and efficient delivery of Services (see indicator on the update of the agriculture gender strategy; see indicator on conducting cross-sectoral policy dialogues on the coherence and harmonized programming on cross-cutting issues (e.g. nutrition, food safety, youth and gender, resilience, climate change adaptation, social protection etc.)). Furthermore, Output 4.4 is on Strengthened capacities targeting private sector engagement in agriculture sector. It includes the two following indicators: By 2023, at least one youth employment facility in agriculture is established; and By 2023, at least ten (10) sessions of capacity development are conducted for youth, men and women organizations engaged in agri-business.

The main themes cutting across these outputs are the mainstreaming of gender issues and due consideration and inclusion of the youth (p. 18). Other aspects of decent work are not addressed, including OSH, child labour, access to social protection.

The current CPF is expected to cost USD 22 000 000. About 22 percent of the total required resources is available while 78 percent will need to be mobilized, mostly from bilateral and multilateral donors.

The report examines the dynamics of employment in agriculture and the agri-food system in Tanzania and Malawi by assessing the population age structure and movements of youth (aged 15-24) and young adults (aged 25-34) in and out of agriculture and the agri-food system.

Using internationally comparable integrated household and agriculture surveys, teh study indicates that the average age of a person who works in farming as own-farm labour is 34 years in Tanzania and 31 years in Malawi. Examination of the movements into and out of the agri-food system demonstrates a high degree of short-term stability of youth and young adult participation in farming in both countries. Specifically, 59 per cent of rural Tanzanian youth and 56 per cent of rural Malawian youth are consistently engaged in farming.

The study points to the fact that even though the high degree of stability in farming participation is encouraging, it is likely that the poor economic prospects outside farming are what is driving strong participation in single-occupation farming. Thestudy concludes by recommending that the countries attempt to diversify the rural economy by developing the many economic opportunities within the agri-food system.

The development and security strategy (SDS), adopted by the Heads of State of the G5 Sahel countries contains multi-annual action plans to be operationalized through the Priority Investment Programme (PIP), which is composed of structuring regional projects around the four SDS strategic axes (Defense and Security, Governance, Infrastructure and Human Development and Resilience). The PIP's overall objective is to contribute to ensuring development and security in G5 Sahel countries.

For the 2019-2021 period, a portfolio of 40 structuring projects was selected.

Under the Governance Axis, there are the following relevant projects: 2. Support youth empowerment in zones affected by conflicts and migration; 3. Youth Integrated Initiatives Project and  4. Implementation of the G5 Sahel Integrated Youth Strategy.

All the projects under the Resilience and Human Development Axis are relevant, namely: 1. Strengthening the resilience of the young small-scale farmers in the Sahel thanks to a climate-smart farming; 2. G5 Sahel Women Leaders Project to strengthen the role of women in the consolidation of social peace, development and security in the Sahel; 3. Strengthening the resilience of the mobile populations and vulnerable communities of G5 Sahel countries; 4. Educational response to children outside the education systems living in G5 Sahel countries; 5. Support the development of resilient pastoralism in the Sahel (Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Chad and Senegal); and 6. Diagnostic study of the potentials of agricultural, animal and fisheries products of G5 Sahel Member States.

The project's overarching objective is to lessen poverty and vulnerability in the mountainous pre-Rif region of Taza Province.

The development goal is to steadily raise rural households' incomes who participate in the almond, fig, olive, and honey value chains in Aknoul and Tainast regions. The technical components are: (i) the development of climate-resilient orchards and beekeeping;  (ii) the improvement and marketing of crops.

Under Subcomponent 2.3, the project aims to support 100 rural microenterprises in the poorest areas, opening up income and job opportunities for women and youth. Further, three thousand women and youth will take the functional literacy course. Four hundred young farmers, female and male, will participate in the certificate training modules.

Decent work dimensions are not explicitly addressed.

The project has an overall cost of 93.54 million USD, with a contribution from IFAD of 36.69 million USD.

FAO has partnered with EcoVentures International (EVI), a leader in market systems development approaches, to highlight successful African agripreneurs in order to inspire budding entrepreneurs and guide policy-makers to support them. This work has led to the documentation of 12 inspiring cases of successful agripreneurs, which form the basis of this publication on African agribusiness entrepreneurship. Examples were selected from 10 African countries, working in production, processing and input supply, to demonstrate the diversity of African agripreneurs. The study explores four topical themes that are at the core of agribusiness in this context – achieving success at scale, women’s entrepreneurship, youth entrepreneurship, and agripreneurship in challenging environments.

The RAYEE project, implemented by SNV, aims to create meaningful employment in agriculture and agri-business for 240,000 young people (of which 70% are women) until the end of 2024. RAYEE will target five geographical areas: the SNNPR, Oromia, Amhara and Tigray regions as well as the Dire Dawa city. 

The project is funded by the Mastercard Foundation as part of its Young Africa Works strategy. 

The project will be applying SNV Opportunities for Youth Employment product, tailoring it to local needs. In the target areas, the RAYEE project will identify the skills that potential employers require from prospective employees and will provide tailored training courses in life and technical skills for young women and men. The trainees will be actively linked to identified employment opportunities.

SNV will support existing SMEs, to grow employment opportunities for young people. They will also provide business development services to ambitious young people to enable them to establish new enterprises. Business development services include training on business, administration and marketing, improved access to inclusive financial services, input supply, and market information.  

The JEEN project aims to improve the entrepreneurship, employability and economic opportunities of young people in the Tahoua and Zinder regions in Niger to reduce emigration of young people out of these areas.

SNV implements the project together with partners Oxfam, APF/Partners for Innovation (Pfl), funded by the European Commission (9 419 400 EURO).

The project has the following objectives:

Agriculture or rural focus are not explicit; other decent work aspects are not explicitely addressed.

The programme (40 Million EUR) is the result of a partnership involving ILO, UNICEF, UNHCR, IFC and the World Bank, with financial support from the Netherlands.
The programme focuses on the creation of jobs and livelihoods so that refugees can contribute to their new communities and prepare for a possible return to their countries of origin once that becomes possible. The idea is also to strengthen the resilience of those countries and communities that continue to offer their support to refugees. Besides job creation, programme activities will focus on skills development, prevention of child labour, strengthening of public employment services and social protection, as well as partnerships with the private sector.

The IFAD Rural Youth Action Plan sets out the framework and guides youth-sensitive agriculture and rural development investments at IFAD. The targets are that all country strategies and 50 percent of IFAD new project designs between 2019 and 2021 will be youth-sensitive, and 70 percent of new project designs are to be youth-sensitive by the end of the Thirteenth Replenishment of IFAD’s Resources in 2027.

Priority themes are: i. Youth employment and entrepreneurship; ii. Access to land and natural resources; iii. Access to rural finance; iv Access to climate-resilient productive technologies and practices; and v. Profitable smallholder organizational models. Emerging themes are: Decent employment; Child labour in agriculture; and Adolescent girls, indigenous youth and youth with disabilities.

This book seeks to contribute to the quest for effective ways to consolidate the design and implementation of social policy to reduce inequalities and poverty. It was prepared under the cooperation programme between ECLAC and the Government of Norway, entitled “Vocational Education and Training for Greater Equality in Latin America and the Caribbean”.

It focuses on three types of non-contributory social protection programmes: conditional cash transfer (CCT) programmes, inclusive labour and production programmes, and social pensions. The analysis concerns progammes active in both urban and rural areas.

The study is also available in Spanish "Programas sociales, superación de la pobreza e inclusión laboral: aprendizajes desde América Latina y el Caribe".

The COSOP is intended to guide the IFAD portfolio in the Republic of Tunisia for the period 2019-2024. Its overarching goal is to increase the incomes, living standards, and climate change resilience of disadvantaged rural population, especially women and young people.

Three strategic objectives serve as the framework for the COSOP:

1. better access to productive infrastructure and sustainable natural resource management;

2. inclusion of poor rural people in more structured agricultural value chains;

3. economic and social empowerment of vulnerable rural women and youth. 

Under the third objective specific indicators refer to access of employment for vulnerable rural youth and women and increased incomes (at least reaching the minimum wage – SMAG) from agripreneurship activities. Other aspects of decent work are not explicitly addressed.

(Para 5). Two new projects will be prepared during the COSOP period: the first project will take place in the state of Kairouan, promoting a value chain approach that links the various actors in the value chain and includes a component on access to finance for economic activities, and the second project on a national scale will focus specifically on women's empowerment and rural youth employment, and will be implemented in different parts of the country where rural poverty is prevalent.

The Government of Rwanda adopted a Revised National Employment Policy and its Implementation Plan on 7 June 2019. The Policy was developed through the coordination of the Ministry of Public Service and Labour (MIFOTRA) in consultation with other key government institutions, social partners, and other stakeholders under the employment sector-working group. The revised employment policy replaces the Rwanda Employment Policy adopted in 2007. ILO provided technical support throughout the drafting and validation process, as well as background studies on employment impact assessment.

The overall objective of the National Employment Policy is to create sufficient and productive jobs in order to reduce labour underutilization and enhance productivity and competitiveness. Its target is to create 1.5 million productive jobs by 2024. The policy prioritizes the following policy areas: (i) Pro-employment macroeconomic framework and sectoral policies; (ii) Enterprise development and private sector competitiveness (including entrepreneurship support especially for youth and women); (iii)Agricultural productivity and rural development; (iv) Linkage between education, skills development and labour market needs; (v) Labour mobility and migration; (vi) Formalization of informal economy; (vii) Strengthening labour market  policies and labour market information system; (viii) Social protection, working conditions and productive jobs (across sectors, not specific for agriculture or rural areas); (ix) Promotion of employment opportunities for specific groups; (x) Coordination, monitoring & evaluation.

Under policy area iii, the following measures are given priority: (i) To maximize labour intensive by fostering productivity gains among staple and cash crops, and commercialization of agriculture and value chains;  (ii) To modernize agriculture for productive employment promotion; (iii) To encourage diversification of agricultural commodities and value addition through the development of agro-processing industries.

Youth women and persons with disabilities (PWD) are priority groups.

The role of MINAGRI is mentioned at p. 25 and refers to initiate, follow-up and evaluate policies, strategies and programmes of modernization of market oriented agriculture and livestock in line with productivity and employment generation emphasizing on professionalism. The Ministry shall develop appropriate systems of transfer of production technologies, processing, storage and transformation of agricultural products which will tackle the bottleneck of seasonality of employment, time-related underutilization and subsistence agriculture especially among women.

The SRAD Programme is a flagship programme of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MoEWA). It is one of the most important programmes under the country National Agriculture Strategy which has been formulated within the context of the Saudi Vision 2030.

It focuses on strengthening the capacities of small agricultural producers, cooperative societies, and rural institutions, with the final aim of diversifying the production base of agriculture and contributing to achieving food security on the national level by providing 43% of the total needs of food energy for the population of the targeted areas, and about 19% of the total food needs.
The national programme also seeks to ensure the consumption of safe and healthy food, and to increase the participation rates of women in the labour market in addition to preserving the environment and natural resources in accordance with the objectives of "Vision 2030".

The programme includes an integrated package to support agricultural products in various regions of the Kingdom, including: development of coffee Arabica production, processing and marketing; development of beekeeping and honey production; development of rose production and trade; sub-tropical fruits production, processing and marketing; strengthening capacity of small-scale fishermen and fish farmers; strengthening capacity of small-scale livestock herders; Development of rain-fed cereals production; Enhancing value addition from smallholdings and rural activities; and Strengthening MoEWA’s Capacity in Sustainable Management of Rangelands, Forests and Natural Resources to support Sustainable Rural Development.

The Royal Decree No 1366 has approved the following budgetary allocations for the SRAD programme (2019-2015): 1) SAR 1500 Million for one time to cover the cost of capital investment to support the implementation of the SRAD Programme; 2) SAR 1000 Million annual financial support to small agricultural producers throughout the SRAD Programme duration; and 3) SAR 50 Million annual allocation to cover the cost of FAO technical assistance to the implementation of SRAD Programme. In addition, the Royal Decree has approved the following allocations to the programme for retargeting of agricultural subsidies: 1) SAR 1200 Million annual targeted subsidy to livestock sub-sector; 2) SAR 700 Million annual targeted subsidy to poultry sub-sector; 3) SAR 150 Million annual targeted subsidy to marine aquaculture sector; and 4) SAR 250 Million annual targeted subsidy to date palm sub-sector.

FAO supported the formulation of the SRAD Programme and also support its implementation through the “Strengthening MoEWA`s Capacity to implement its Sustainable Rural Agricultural Development Programme” (UTF /SAU/051/SAU).

Under this programme, FAO provides technical and advisory assistance to the implementation of the Sustainable Rural Agricultural Development (SRAD) Programme (2019-2025) which has been jointly formulated by FAO and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MoEWA).

The programme has 6 outcomes, namely: 1) technologies and innovative practices identified and adopted to sustainably increase rural agriculture productivity; 2) Innovative practices and technologies pilot tested and adopted to restore and conserve natural vegetation cover and sustainably manage vital natural resources; 3) capacity of rural agriculture institutions and small producers enhanced for better access to resources, services and markets; 4) Technical capacity of government and stakeholders strengthened to curb land degradation and combat desertification; 5) capacity of public and private sector actors strengthened to develop rural agro-enterprises and create productive and decent rural employment, particularly among youth and women; and 6) information and knowledge products developed and disseminated for evidence based sustainable rural agriculture development.

According to section 3.2 of the prodoc: The project is expected to contribute to creation of more than 29000 new jobs for Saudis, particularly youth and women, therefore reducing the unemployment rate in the target regions from 10.14% to 6.3%. To do so the programme will promote rural natural resources and agribusiness enterprises particularly among youth and women by establishing an agribusiness incubation programme, developing agri-entrepreneurs models and a mentoring programme. Further, the programme will strengthen small producers’ collective action and representation through establishment and empowerment of agricultural cooperatives and rural institutions.

Among the impact indicators are: Average monthly income of small agricultural producers in the target regions; Average number of new jobs created for Saudis in the target regions; Average net migration rate in the target regions. Relevant outcome indicators include : (Outcome 1) productivity per unit of land; (Outcome 3) Number of specific institutions with capacity to provide agricultural services strengthened and Number of small producers whose capacity to access resources, services and markets enhanced; and (Outcome 5) Number of rural agro-enterprises established; Number of decent jobs created for Saudi youth and women; Number of rural agro-enterprises developed by rural youth women

Most relevant Outputs from a DRE perspective are the following: Output 5.1 Rural agribusiness enterprises promoted particularly among youth and women entrepreneurs; Output 5.2 Technical skills of smallholders and agri-entrepreneurs and other value chain actors strengthened on agri-business management and value chain development and decent work standards (even though specific activities on the promotion of decent work standards or a decent work strategy are not made explicit); and Output 6.3: Diagnostic assessment conducted to generate knowledge on smallholder’s farming systems, rural labor market, value chain development and gender analysis to support rural and agricultural development

The total project budget is USD 93 333 333 funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia via a Unilateral Trust Fund (UTF) modality.

According to FAO January-June 2022 progress report:

- A total of 589 MoEWA officials, farmers, cooperative members, youth, and women benefited from the training courses;

-  Under Output 5.1: An Agribusiness Incubation Programme (AIP) proposal was developed;  a compilation of 15 viable agribusiness opportunities has been prepared; several small-scale agribusiness-related training courses have been designed to capacitate agripreneurs (especially youth and women) and MoEWA staff and other value chain actors with a focus on aquaculture and honey value chain.

-  Under Output 5.2: piloting of improved technologies and practices was initiated for the targeted commodities, concentrating on reducing post-harvest losses and improving the quality of the product for better marketability and income generation (fisheries, subtropical fruits, coffee, and livestock were prioritized for the demonstration of technological packages); business management and value addition sessions were also incorporated into the commodity-specific training courses; Integration of agritourism activities with the other value chain activities was initiated to maximize profits and engage youth in agribusiness activities.

- Under Output 6.3 Report is under finalization: the findings will improve knowledge of the typology of farming systems, available resources inputs, agricultural practices, and different types of constraints faced by farmers.

Kenya Youth Development Policy is designed to promote the holistic empowerment and participation of the youth in socio-economic and political spheres for national development. The vision of the Policy is a society where youth have an equal and responsible opportunity to realize their full potential in socio-economic and political aspirations, through honest and hard work.

The Policy defines the Youth as a person aged 18 years and who has not reached the age of 35 years (Kenya Constitution 2010). However, to ensure that youth issues are addressed comprehensively, this Policy also includes young people aged between 15 to 17 years.

Rural agriculture is one of the focuses of the policy. The policy sets “transforming agriculture to make it attractive to youth” is one of the 18 policy priority areas. It recognizes the importance of agriculture as one of the main activities in the Country. However, youth are not adequately involved in agricultural activities. There is need to develop mechanisms of enhancing youth involvement in agriculture.

For this sake, the government with support from other stakeholders shall: increase investment in rural farm and non-farm activities and social and economic infrastructure to offer youth attractive job prospects and living conditions; support youth’s access and ownership of land for agri-business as well as access to innovative agricultural technologies, including climate change adaptation; and promote innovation and incubation of agricultural technologies, youth access to credit for agricultural development.

The Policy mentions other decent work aspects, such as including child labour as one of the emergency situations for youth, promoting green jobs, and developing an effective labour migration policy.

The United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) of Senegal has three priority areas: (i) Inclusive and sustainable economic growth; (ii) Access to basic social services and social protection; and (iii) Governance, Peace and Security.

Priority area 1 includes three Outcomes, all directly or indirectly relevant to the promotion of more and better jobs in rural areas, notably Outcome I on the development of integrated sectoral policies contributing to structural transformation, the reduction of inequalities and the capture of the demographic dividend, Outcome II on enhancing the access of the most vulnerable populations to economic opportunities to improve their food security and to create wealth; and III. on livelihoods resilience for vulnerable communities. Especially relevant indicators are: 1.3 on Number of projects implemented, derived from sector planning, which harness the demographic dividend; 2.2. on the employment rate; 2.3 on MSMEs access to finance, and 3.3 on the number of green jobs created.

On p. 31, the narrative description of Priority area 1 indicates that, in the employment sector, the UN System in Senegal intends to continue building the capacity for coordination among development actors under the leadership of the Government in order to (i) support SME development and income generating activities, and the modernization of the informal sector; (ii) advocate and communicate about the need to improve access to employment for vulnerable communities and youth to the international community and the Government; (iii) support the production and processing of agricultural products;  (iv) contribute to the food and nutrition security of vulnerable communities; (v) support the production and productivity of smallholder farmers and the development of value chains; and (vi) contribute to improving the food and nutrition security of vulnerable communities and households.

Priority area 2 on social protection includes Outcome 4 on enhancing access for children and the most vulnerable populations to quality education and training opportunities. However, this priority does not establish explicit synergies with agriculture and rural development.

Priority area 3 on good governance, peace and security prioritizes the enhancement of women's engagement in local governance structures. 

The financial resources available are USD, 273, 211, 303 (48%), while USD 300,594,008 are to be mobilized on the basis of a joint mobilization strategy. The employment sector (33%), followed by environment (18%) and health (17%), will absorb a larger share of resources than other sectors.

The vision of the policy for Costa Rica is the Socioeconomic well-being of the population linked to agriculture, in the rural territories.

For this, four policy axes are prioritized, namely: 1) Intelligent insertion in foreign markets and commercial defense; 2) Strengthening of the internal market; 3) Resilient agribusiness management (including actions on supporting associations for active participation, sustainable agricultural practices and value addition) ; 4) Institutional modernization and sectoral and intersectoral articulation. Transversal axes are: Rural Youth, Gender and Climate Actions and risk management.

An employment and decent work strategy is not explicit in the document.

The vision of this Plan is that, by 2030, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce. Agriculture and Fisheries (MICAF) of Jamaica has achieved innovative, inclusive, sustainable and internationally competitive Jamaican industries in agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing and services sectors. The mission is “ to create an enabling environment which grows and sustains industries in agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing and service sectors; and ensures consumer protection while fostering gender equality and social inclusion in all policies, programmes and projects”.

For 2019/20 – 2022/23, MICAF will be developing and implementing eight (8) policy priorities, which are:

1. Optimize the production and productivity of key local produce and products towards targeted markets;

2. Increase access of select local industries to emerging and existing markets;

3. Strengthen MSMEs’ contribution to Jamaica’s economy (including goal on business formalization and increasing the opportunities for youth, the disabled and women to utilize business and entrepreneurship to enhance their economic and social wellbeing;

4. Build climate-resilient agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing and services sector;.

5. Improve the ease of doing business to facilitate investment in Jamaica;

6. Strengthen the National Quality Infrastructure;

7. Strengthen Agricultural Health and Food Safety Systems; and

8. Build the capacity of Ministry and entities to efficiently and effectively implement policies, programmes and projects.

Multiple clients are targeted including: Subsistence farmers and fishers; Emerging and MSME-type agribusinesses/non-agribusinesses and Commercial Businesses.

Among the Strategic objectives is: 1. To increase the output of agriculture and fisheries resources including value-added production by Ten-percent (10%); 2. To increase the access of Jamaican MSMEs and other industry stakeholders to adequate infrastructure, access to finance and support services by ten percent (10); and 8. To have at least 30% of participants into MICAF’s programmes who are youth, women, micro enterprises or any vulnerable group from the agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing and/or service sectors.

Among the achieve results reported are: MSME & Entrepreneurship Policy received Cabinet approval as White Paper and implementation is on-going; National Youth in Agriculture Policy and Implementation Plan submitted to Cabinet for approval as green paper (p. 18). Under the details of some of the specific policy priorities, specific targets are included for youth, women and PWDs. Under the Institutional Framework and Strategies section (1.5) the Plan prioritizes Mainstreaming of Gender and Social Inclusion as well as Youth Inclusivity (e.g. all main programmes and projects will institute a youth component). Specific projects listed include: Women Entrepreneurship Support Project and Rural Youth Employment and Empowerment Programme (RYEEP).

Towards increased competitiveness and improved market access for Jamaican products through the use of standards and conformity assessments (inspection, certification, and accreditation), specific indicators include: % of consumers who experience ethical relations with providers and % of occupational exposures within prescribed limits.

Other decent work aspects are not explicitly addressed in the document.

In 2019, the ‘Youth Employment and Rural Entrepreneurship (YERE)’ project was introduced by the Government of Bhutan’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, and the World Bank, with financial support from the Japan Social Development Fund. It is a three-year project, with a total budget of USD 1.25 million. The project aims to promote youth employment in the export industry, reversing COVID-19’s negative impacts, while those aged 18–35 eligible for participation in project activities.

The project provides rural youth with access to financial, business, technical and life-skills training. Computer training is also provided to bridge the digital divide. After the successful completion of the trainings, the top 200 youth enterprise proposals are supported with grants from the project fund of USD 4,600 each, and technical assistance for the establishment of their respective enterprises. 

As of August 2021, some 500 youth have been participating in the capacity-building programme of the project, and receiving training on the basics of entrepreneurship and how to start and operate their own enterprises. In addition, approximately 400 new jobs have been created for out-of-school and unemployed young people in six dzongkhags (districts) in south-western Bhutan. 

The Plan, coordinated by the Secretaría Ejecutiva de Planificación Sectorial Agropecuaria (SEPSA), for the agricultural sector in Costa Rica includes 10 interventions, namely:

1)  Protection of the national agricultural heritage from pests and diseases for the benefit of national production and public health; 2) Agricultural marketing through the development of local markets, in the Huetar Norte region; 3) Puente Agro, a component of the Puente al Desarrollo Strategy (for which the indicator is Number of families with agro-productive initiatives for income generation); 4) Institutional Supply Program (PAI) (targeting the inclusion of agri MSMEs in the social economy and organizations of fisher folks through public procurement); 5) National Plan for the strengthening of the avocado sector; 6) Sector program for organizational and business development; 7) Techniques for the production of horticultural crops in protected environments for the agro-environmental conditions of the Huetar Caribbean Region; 8) Good agricultural practices to prevent the decrease in the population of pollinators (native bees and honey bees) due to the inappropriate use of insecticides, cultural practices and products that contribute to their viability or decrease their mortality; 9) Single Farmers’ Registry; and 10) Decarbonization.

Youth, women or other vulnerable groups are not explicitly addressed. While the Plan has a clear focus on income generation and entrepreneurship development, it does not include a specific employment and decent work strategy.

The Agriculture Gender and Youth Mainstreaming Strategy of the Ministry of Agriculture (MINAGRI) in Rwanda aims to guide the Ministry in better mainstreaming gender and youth into its programming. In so doing, it aims to support the implementation of the Fourth Strategic Plan for Agricultural Transformation (PSTA4, 2018) and the National Agriculture Policy (NAP, 2018).

The Vision is for increased and sustainable productivity in the agriculture sector for healthy and wealthy women, men and youth.

The five action areas for the strategy for the next 7 years are: 1: Financial services (including emphasis on eliminating barriers for accessing social protection finance and programmes); 2: Markets and Value Chain representation; 3: Extension, support, inputs and technologies; 4: institutional Mainstreaming; and 5: Empowerment and decision-making.

With regard to the third Decent Work Pillar (Standards and rights at work), promotion of gender equality aspects are explicitely addressed. Other qualitative aspects are not explicitely addressed (ex. labour rights and working conditions, OSH, maternity protection, etc.).

The objective of the biodiversity policy and strategy of Bolivia, under the Ministry of Environement and Water, is to promote the comprehensive and sustainable management of biodiversity, prioritizing strategic ecosystems that contribute to maintaining the integrity of living systems, overcoming poverty and promoting comprehensive development to live well (Buen Vivir in SP), in a territorial framework and respecting the rights of Mother Earth.

Gender, intergenerational justice and social justice are among its principles.

The Policy has five Strategic Areas, which are: 1. Political - Regulatory, 2. Institutionality and Territorial Governance, 3. Use, Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity, 4. Comprehensive Environmental Management for the Conservation of Biodiversity (including Strategic Objective 4.1. Guide and promote the implementation of actions for the maintenance of biodiversity in the development of economic-productive activities and strategic projects) and 5. Management and Mobilization of Knowledge. 

The two crosscutting areas are: Climate Change and development; and incorporation of the Gender Approach, including a line of action in the results framework on “Development of regulations, mechanisms and instruments to ensure that women participate, from the perspective of equity of gender, in the Comprehensive and Sustainable Management of Biodiversity”.

Youth are not explicitly targeted in the results framework and a green jobs strategy is not explicit, even the strategy is expected to condtibute to Pillar 1. 

The Guatemala financial inclusion strategy (ENIF) has the objective to expand and improve the access and use of financial products and services to the different segments of the Guatemalan population according to their needs, especially those that are not currently integrated into the financial system.

The strategy is structured according to four thematic areas, namely: Payments, Financing, Savings and Insurance (including specific measures in the action plan on Agricultural insurance provisions and Design of new agricultural risk products). The Strategy has also four crosscutting axes that complement the aforementioned four thematic areas, namely: Financial Education, User Protection of Financial Products and Services, Communication of the Strategy itself, and Entrepreneurship and development of MSMEs (with the explicit aim to contribute to employment creation).

The Strategy will be coordinated by a Financial Inclusion Commission (COMIF), made up of the President of the Monetary Board and the Bank of Guatemala, the Minister of Economy and the Superintendent of Banks.

Youth, rural areas or indigenous people are not specifically addressed.

The general objective of this sub-regional strategy, developed with financial support of the Swiss Cooperation, is to facilitate the socio-professional integration of young people (men and women) in the agro-sylvo-pastoral, fishery and agri-food value chains to: (i) reduce unemployment, and (iii) minimize uncontrolled migrations. Its ambition is to create the conditions to guarantee an appropriate integration of young people in the agro-sylvo-pastoral and fishery sector and in the agri-food value chains. Specifically, the strategy aims to support States, technical cooperation institutions, organizations of agricultural producers, breeders, pastoralists, fishermen, young people, the private sector, to develop initiatives aimed at promoting the integration of young people (men and women) in the agro-sylvo-pastoral, fisheries and agri-food sector.

The expected impacts of the strategy are that by 2030: a. At least 25% of the young people who enter the labor market each year are integrated into the agro-sylvo-pastoral, fishing and agri-food value chains; b. The rate of unemployment and youth underemployment (men and women) is reduced by three quarters; c. The proportion of young, uncontrolled emigrants is substantially reduced.

The strategy is organized along the following pillars:

• Pillar 1: Strengthen actions to prepare young people for careers in the sector (including through access to information, training and incubation);
• Pillar 2: Promote an enabling environment for the integration and empowerment of young entrepreneurs in the sector (including through access to finance, land and markets);
• Pillar 3: Support the economic and social empowerment of young people within the agri-food value chains (including by strengthening ECOWAS leadership on this topic).

While the strategy aims to generate decent jobs, decent work aspects are not reflected in the strategy. Also while the strategy targets both young men and women, a dedicated gender equality strategy or specific actions in support of young women are not detailed.

The overall objective of this youth in extension diagnostic study is to design a pilot engagement in Guatemala and one or two other Feed the Future countries to support and strengthen the inclusion of youth in extension – both as providers and recipients of extension services –as a mechanism to both improve the economic opportunities and livelihoods of youth and increase the effectiveness of extension and advisory service systems.
The assessment was conducted in the frame of the Developing Local Extension Capacity (DLEC) project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), under the Feed the Future initiative.

The recommendations from the study are the following:
1: Help reposition extension as an apolitical delivery mechanism for practical knowledge (extension research, evaluation, and innovation) by strengthening the role of Guatemalan universities in extension youth programs;
2: Update Guatemala’s National Agricultural Extension Strategy to infuse positive youth development knowledge and practice for extension staff working with youth in extension (including by building an extension system for youth under 13 years of age);
3: Strengthen engagement with marginalized populations such as women and indigenous communities.

The programme, implemented by OIM and funded by the Department of State of the United States, aims to strengthen the capacities of governments and civil society actors to develop policies and promote safe, orderly, and regular migration.

It has four pillars, namely:  Migration Management (by promoting inclusive labor migration policies), Partnerships (including by supporting the Regional Conference on Migration, the establishment of the Caribbean Migration Consultations and improving regional coordination on topics such as labor migration, emergency migration management, combating migrant smuggling and human trafficking, diaspora engagement, and health and migration), Emergency and Crisis Response, and Communication  (especially Communication for Development (C4D) initiatives and the mobile app MigApp).

The FAO-led, European Union-funded programme for Support to Rural Entrepreneurship, Investment and Trade in Papua New Guinea (STREIT PNG) aims at improving sustainable and inclusive economic development and job creation in the Momase Region, with a specific focus on women, youth and climate change.

The Project will enable ‘hard components’ (transport infrastructure, energy access) to be connected with ‘soft components’ such as financing, training, market access, trade and other value chain support services for commodities, facilitated by the sustainable implementation of digital technologies, services and solutions, under a conducive business environment in order to foster and stimulate climate resilient rural development activities.

The geographical scope of the project will initially be focused on the East Sepik and Sandaun provinces. After the mid-term review of the project, cocoa value chain development activities will be considered for expansion to the neighbouring provinces of Morobe and Madang.

The focus area of this project is sustainable development of the value-chain for Cocoa, Vanilla and Fisheries sectors. A total estimate of 250 000 beneficiaries of which twenty-five (25) percent are women will benefit from this project. The total estimated value of the project is € 85 million (c. PGK321 million) with a five-year duration with a one-year inception period included to ensure consultative processes and optimize risk management.

Among the expected impacts which are relevant to DRE are: Improved income: 20% increase for cocoa, vanilla and fisherfolk, and other value chains actors e.g. fermentaries; Job creation: 2,000 jobs

Other decent work aspects are not explicitly mentioned in the documentation available online. See project brief here.

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) conducted an assessment of youth participation in small-scale fisheries (SSF), aquaculture and value chains, as part of the CGIAR Research Program (CRP) on Fish Agri-Food Systems (FISH) led by WorldFish and IWMI. The geographical focus of the study was Africa and the Asia-Pacific, particularly the FISH focal countries of Egypt, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zambia (in Africa) and Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar and Solomon Islands (in the Asia-Pacific). This study has a specific focus on rural agriculture.

The study finds that in many contexts, involvement in SSF, aquaculture and value chains, especially SSF is not the first choice of livelihood for most youth. An in-depth understanding of how youth participate in the SSF and aquaculture value-chains is, however, obscured by the limited number of studies available on the topic. Information on the participation of young women is scarcer.

While there are youth-specific challenges such as in accessing land, financial services, and other resources as well as their limited knowledge and experience, the study mentions that there could be potential in existing and newly opening up spaces for youth participation in SSF and aquaculture. The aquaculture sector appears to employ a large number of young people in certain contexts, and it is believed that this potential can be further strengthened. It might be possible that moving further down the value chain to areas such as processing and trading may hold opportunities for youth employment. Since young people are commonly associated with being agile, able to take risks, and responsive to new knowledge and technology, increased integration of information and communication technology (ICT) and a focus on entrepreneurship are widely considered as pathways for youth engagement.

Taking stock of these findings, the study recommends that further work is needed to understand better why, where, how (and which) youth engage in SSF and aquaculture, and how these sectors can be made more youth inclusive. In particular, it proposes the following four research pathways:

1. understanding the impact of economic, political and social shifts at global to local levels on youth involvement in SSF and aquaculture

2. analyzing the policy architecture that impacts youth involvement in the SSF and aquaculture sectors

3. understanding the diversity among youth engagement in SSF and aquaculture

4. building a youth-oriented approach to SSF and aquaculture.

This National Agriculture Investment Plan (NAIP) is a nationwide sectoral document accompanying the Agricultural Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy (ASTGS) to support transformation of the agricultural sector over the 10-year period 2019-2029. The NAIP covers the first five of these years. The NAIP will underpin Kenyan agriculture’s shift towards a commercial and modern agricultural sector that sustainably supports Kenya’s development and 100% food security aspiration.

To this end, there are three main outcomes for which targets are set for the NAIP, they are (i) increasing of small-scale farmer incomes and the number of farmers benefiting from the strategy; (ii) increasing of agricultural GDP and value addition; and (iii) reduction in food-insecure population and a reduction in the cost of food.
The investments proposed by the NAIP cover the following (i) investment in post-harvest handling; (ii) more agricultural research and innovation; (iii) create enabling environment for partnership; (iv) strong intra-African trade policy; (v) increase investment in policy, infrastructure and PPPs; and (vi) resilience building of production systems.
Finally, there are investments in sectors other than agriculture that will support the NAIP implementation and will be borne by other government ministries. They consist of (i) access roads to the new private farms (Ministry of Transport); (ii) food price stabilization (Ministry of Finance); and (iii) electricity grid expansion (Ministry of Energy). Social protection is mainly addressed in relation to Flagship 5: Restructure the Strategic Food Reserve (SFR).

As in the Kenya Agricultural Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy 2019-2029, the flagships are designed to ensure the inclusion of women, youth, and people with disabilities (PWDs). The youth focused include: Flagship 1 and 7. 

Other specific labour/decent work aspects are not addressed, such as OSH, child labour, workers' rights, wages, etc.

This context analysis provides an overview of Kenya, describing youth employment challenges, policies and programmes in place as well as FAO’s priorities on decent rural youth employment. Finally, it also analyses the country’s migration trends and dynamics.

The document was developed by FAO during the inception phase of its Sida-funded Integrated Country Approach (ICA) for boosting decent jobs for youth in the agri-food system project, currently implemented in Senegal, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Guatemala.

This context analysis provides an overview of Rwanda, describing youth employment challenges, policies and programmes in place as well as FAO’s priorities on decent rural youth employment. Finally, it also analyses the country’s migration trends and dynamics.

The document was developed by FAO during the inception phase of its Sida-funded Integrated Country Approach (ICA) for boosting decent jobs for youth in the agri-food system project, currently implemented in Senegal, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Guatemala.

The Join Programme aims to coordinate UN efforts in the country in support of youth development. Main implementating partners are the Ministry of Youth and the Imbuto Foundation.

The project has 3 Outcomes, namely: 1. Young people in Rwanda (boys and girls) have increased access to decent jobs; 2. Young people in Rwanda are  empowered to fully participate in policy making and civic engagement; and 3. Youth in Rwanda have increased utilization of health services and adopt healthy and safe attitudes and behaviours, including in humanitaian settings.

Under the first Outcome, Output 1.1 on "Youth have increase employability/job-related skills and entrepreneurship knowledge" includes a strategy on agriculture value chain development, even though still withouth specific activities or associated indicators. No other specific reference is made to agriculture or rural areas in the project logframe, even though the Joint Programme promotes the expansion and strentghening of the Youth Connekt initiative, which has awarded and supported many young agipreneurs since 2012.

The UNJP is co-managed by UNFPA and UNDP, and among the participating agency are also WHO, UNESCO and UNWOMEN. FAO participated in the development of the programme, and will likely join the joint programme in mid-2019, when resources will be committed through the Integrated Country Approach (ICA) for boosting decent jobs for youth in the agri-food system (GCP/INT/335/MUL), starting in Rwanda in 2019 (2019-22).

The project has a total budget of USD 12 M (already funded), including funded from Koika (8 M USD).

This context analysis provides an overview of Uganda, describing youth employment challenges, policies and programmes in place as well as FAO’s priorities on decent rural youth employment. Finally, it also analyses the country’s child labour and migration trends and dynamics.

The document was developed by FAO during the inception phase of its Sida-funded Integrated Country Approach (ICA) for boosting decent jobs for youth in the agri-food system project, currently implemented in Senegal, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Guatemala.

This sub-regional strategy developed by ROPPA (Réseau des organisations paysannes et de producteurs de l’Afrique de l’Ouest) has the Objective to contribute to the transformation of family farms through the sustainable empowerment of young rural men and women in the agro-sylvo-pastoral and fisheries sector.

The strategy has 3 Pillars:

1. Rehabilitate and enhance the status of young people;
2. Facilitate young people's access to productive resources;
3. Encourage regional and national policies favorable to the integration / settlement of young people.

Decent work aspects are not explicit in the strategy. Attention is given to both young women and men, even though a dedicated gender strategy is missing. Some reference to access to social protection and insurance is included in the document.

This context analysis provides an overview of Senegal, describing youth employment challenges, policies and programmes in place as well as FAO’s priorities on decent rural youth employment. Finally, it also analyses the country’s migration trends and dynamics.

The document was developed by FAO during the inception phase of its Sida-funded Integrated Country Approach (ICA) for boosting decent jobs for youth in the agri-food system project, currently implemented in Senegal, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Guatemala.

The TVET Policy, under the coordination of the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), is to support the creation of needed employable skills and competencies relevant for the national transformational labour market as opposed to just acquisition of educational certificates. It targets all Ugandans in need of skills for employment. The Policy emphasizes a flexible workplace-oriented (practical) delivery and it shifts TVET management from the government led to Public- Private Partnerships (PPP) delivery.

The Specific Objectives of the TVET Policy are to: a) Promote economic relevance of TVET; b) Improve equitable access to TVET and employability of TVET graduates; c) Improve quality of TVET;
d) Promote sustainable TVET financing; and e) Ensure effectiveness in TVET management and organization.

The policy does not put specific emphasis on agriculture, rural aspects or decent work aspects. A dedicated gender strategy seems also missing. The policy targets both Formal, Informal and Non-Formal systems, and (G37) mentions the need for the TVET curricula to include additional courses such as entrepreneurship and enterprise
management. Para 6.2c mentions the need to enhance TVET provision and access to the vulnerable, and disadvantaged persons of all age groups through affirmative action.

The Ministry of Agriculture is part of the multi-ministerial committee at the Permanent Secretary level to give policy direction.

The Cadre stratégique pour la Relance économique et le Développement durable (CREDD 2019- 2023) is Mali's national development strategy with a vision of a well-governed Mali, where social cohesion, peace and security are strengthened by sustainable economic growth inclusive of youth and women.

Its overall objective is: to promote inclusive and sustainable development in favour of poverty and inequality reduction in a united and peaceful Mali, building on the potential and resilience to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. To achieve these objectives, the CREDD 2019- 2023 is structured around 5 strategic axes, namely: (i) Consolidation of democracy and improvement of governance; (ii) Restoration of peace, security and strengthening of living together; (iii) Inclusive growth and structural transformation of the economy; (iv) Protection of the environment and strengthening resilience to climate change; and (v) Development of human capital.

 The third axis, which aims at inclusive growth and structural transformation of the economy, deals with youth employment. Under this axis, global objectives 3.2 and 3.3 deal in particular with job creation in agricultural value chains.

Axis 5 addresses migration issues: Better manage population growth and migration so that it contributes to poverty reduction and sustainable development of the country. The same axis also includes strengthening the participation of women and youth in socio-economic activities, girls' schooling and women's empowerment. The ambition of this axis is to ensure that development efforts translate into quality education, good health, decent jobs, universal access to safe drinking water, with a focus on strengthening social protection for the population, especially young people, women and people with disabilities.

The ‘High Flyers’ programme is implemented by ICCO Uganda (part of the wider global Dutch not-for-profit organisation ICCO Cooperation) in partnership with Youth Business International (YBI) and Enterprise Uganda and is funded by the Argidius Foundation, Government of Uganda, Accenture and Enterprise Uganda. 

It plans to provide 1,700 young high-potential entrepreneurs in Uganda with financial and non-financial support including enterprise training (focused on access to markets, value addition and value chain integrations), ongoing mentoring support, access to finance and additional business development support. In addition to this, the programme aims to help these entrepreneurs increase their income and generate 1,700 new paid jobs. 

As part of the programme, YBI together with the consortium of partners will also establish a cross African Regional Community of Practice. This initiative will act as platform for YBI member organizations such as ICCO Uganda in Africa, enabling them to share knowledge and expertise, products and services and collaborate in tackling the common challenges faced in the region.

This document provides a review of the main findings in the literature on rural youth in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), as well as a systematization of the data available for this population group, addressing the period between 2008 and 2018. The rural youth of the region, although they are a heterogeneous group, face significant disadvantages and have higher levels of poverty than rural adults, as well as urban youth, which places them as a particularly vulnerable group, a situation that is aggravated even more for young woman, indigenous or Afro-descendant. In terms of education, although the gap between urban and rural areas has tended to close, it still persists; worse indicators of educational completion, attendance and access to tertiary education are evidenced.

In terms of employment, rural youth enter the labour market earlier than their urban peers and do so in a greater proportion in low-productivity jobs, with lower income and less social security coverage. Due to this lack of opportunities, rural areas continue to be poles of expulsion for the young population, which presents the highest rates of emigration to urban sectors. Likewise, particularly problematic situations are recognized in some countries of the region regarding digital skills, sexual and reproductive health, and situations of violence. A series of recommendations are made that aim to recognize rural youth as subjects of productive, social and political change in Latin American societies, realizing the importance of having up-to-date information and of including the focus of youth in public policies oriented to rural development.

This project, implemented by GIZ and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), aims to promote rural employment through three different axis:

Labour supply: it targets young people to increase their job opportunities and access modern, market-oriented agricultural qualifications.
Labour demands: trhough MSMEs growth and startups.
Matching: bringing together potential employers and employees trhough a supportive business environment.

The project adopts a gender approach as it takes into consideration the different roles of young men and women and integrates them in the world of work on the basis of their roles and needs.

The implementation of the project in the various countries is expected to contribute to the exchange of good practices and educational experiences.

According to information abvvailable on the project webpage, this project has already reached 29000 young women and men in the four countries.

The objective of the project, co-funded by the EU and implemented by FARM AFRICA in partnership with Twin and  the Ugandan National Young Farmers Association, is to enhance youth employment opportunities by setting up profitablee coffee business.   

The project, implemented in Kanuangu, has three compontents, namely: i. improving agricultural knowledge; ii. creating jobs and building businesses;  and iii. providing young agricultural leaders with training in advocacy.  

Farm Africa is equipping 168 lead farmers with the ability to deliver training in sustainable high-quality coffee production. Lead farmers will use smartphones, preloaded with interactive learning materials, to train 4,800 farmers in sustainable production practices, how to increase yields, when to harvest and post-harvest handling. Also, through tailored training and mentoring, Farm Africa is supporting the growth of businesses at all steps of the coffee production process from selling seedlings to processing the coffee to adding value before it’s sold. The project is linking these enterprises to financial institutions to fund their growth.

Finally, Farm Africa has set up the Kanungu chapter of the Ugandan Young Farmers’ Association. Young leaders have been trained in advocacy, and are carrying out a community-level land access campaign. The project is working with families to set up voluntary land use agreements, which provide young and female family members with land to grow coffee on for an agreed period of time.

This paper analyzes the role of the food economy in West Africa, where the sector is the the biggest employer accounting for 66% of total employment. It considers that while the majority of food economy jobs are in agriculture, off-farm employment in food-related manufacturing and service activities is increasing as the food economy adapts to rapid population growth, urbanisation and rising incomes. In particular, the paper quantifies and describes the structure of employment in the food economy across four broad segments of activities: agriculture, processing, marketing and food-away-from home.

Given the importance of the food economy in generating employment, the paper indicates that the current structure and projected changes in the sector should have major implications for the design of jobs strategies. It looks at policy considerations for designing targeted employment strategies that leverage the links between agricultural productivity, off-farm employment and rural-urban areas and that ensure inclusiveness, particularly for youth and women.

The paper has been developed within the framework of the programme of work and budget of the Sahel and West Africa Club Secretariat, which is an independent, international platform, whose Secretariat is hosted at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has contributed additional funding to this work.

The new General Delegation to Women's and Youth Fast Entrepreneurship (DER) was created by the President of the Republic with the objective of financing more than 50,000 entrepreneurs per year and creating 100,000 direct jobs and 200,000 indirect jobs per year.  It is one of the flagship programmes of the Senegalese Government and is mainly financed by national resources.

The DER targets men aged 18 to 40 and women with no age limit. Positive discrimination is also practiced in favour of people with disabilities for whom a 0% interest rate is applied without any age limit. So far, the DER has prioritized the fowwlowing sectors: i. agriculture, livestock and fisheries, ii. crafts and iii. transport.

The DER has four funding modalities: i. the entrepreneurs' fund for economic empowerment (up to 500,000 FCFA, without contribution); ii. the enterprises' fund (investments and / or working capital beyond 500,000 FCFA); iii. the value chain fund ; and. iv. the incubation fund. Across modalities, financing is granted at the maximum rate of 5%.

According to the document of the Plan D'Actions Prioritaires (2014-18 and 2019-23) of the Plan Senegal Emergent (PSE), the preliminary results for its first year of operation (2018) include: nearly 300,000 requests for financing received, representing 361 billion FCFA; 4 partnership agreements signed with the Banque Nationale pour le Développement Economique (BNDE), the Caisse Nationale de Crédit Agricole du Sénégal (CNCAS), the Crédit Mutuel du Sénégal (CMS ) et the Programme d'Appui aux Mutuelles d'Epargne et de Crédit au Sénégal (PAMECAS) to create a national network of nearly 370 distribution points to increase the accessibility of financial products and services throughout the country; 17 billion FCFA already invested in the bank accounts of 15,000 beneficiaries whose accounts were opened by the DER at the BNDE and the CNCAS; the establishment of a decentralized system involving all territorial authorities through the establishment of 45 windows to ensure territorial equity; nearly 50 start-ups financed in the digital sector for a total of one billion FCFA.

The Sindh Agriculture Policy (2018-2030) is a sectoral policy document at the provincial level. The vision of the Policy is: An efficient, prosperous and resilient agriculture sector that can provide good incomes and decent employment to those involved in production, processing, transport and storage; and at the same time provide safe, nutritious and cheap food to urban and rural Populations.

Under the priority 2.4 on Agricultural growth (considered a necessary condition to raising incomes and reducing poverty and food insecurity and providing decent employment, particularly to the large numbers of youth entering the labour market) key actions include: Increase credit flows into crop, livestock and fisheries activities and for associated rural off-farm activities, including development of new instruments, such as warehouse receipts, and building linkages between formal and informal sources of credit;  Simplify the procedure for land use, land transfer and lease for establishment of rural enterprises; Launch special training and extension programs, in close collaboration with the private sector, to minimize the post-harvest losses and proper packing, handling, storage and transportation; Promote ICT-focused research and innovation in agriculture and livestock; Promote Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) and Precision Agriculture.

Under the priority 2.5 on Poverty, Food and Nutrition Security, key actions include: Strengthen grant and credit programs, particularly micro-credit programs, to augment assets of the poor such as small irrigation or water harvesting for crops and horticulture production; livestock sheds, breeding & milking facilities, milk chillers, poultry farming initiatives; fishing gear and boats; and small-scale food preservation, storage and processing units; Provide skills and training for rural youth and women in on and off-farm activities and enterprises, providing incentives for implementing demonstrated effective interventions, for example in homestead-scale poultry rearing, kitchen gardening and aquaculture; Create targeted subsidy and assistance programs for the poor - these would include services such as extension and animal health services, as well as improved inputs such as seeds and fertilizer; Launch special training and extension programs for rural households, particularly women, on production and consumption benefits of more nutritious foods including fruits, vegetables and livestock products, and to raise incomes for the purpose of buying more and better food items to supplement subsistence. 

Otehr aspects of decent work are not explicitely addressed.

The Punjab Agriculture Policy (2018) is a sectoral policy document at the provincial level.

While the agriculture policy aims to drive benefits for the overall population of the province, especially the farming communities, it particularly targets at following beneficiary groups to ensure that the growth in the sector is inclusive and benefits are widespread and sustained: i. The Small Commercial Farmers (SCFs); ii. the rural women; and iii. the rural youth.

Among the priorities of the Policy are the following:

-            Expansion in Agriculture Produce Markets, including Build Value-Chains and Incentivize SMEs in Agro-Processing;

-            Improve Access and Quality of Agriculture Inputs, including Direct-to-Farmer Transfers of Subsidies, Easy Credit for Farmers and Strengthen Agriculture Innovation and Research, Reforms in Seed Sector Law and Regulations and Improve Farmers’ Access to Information and Advisory Services and Empowering Rural Women for Inclusive Growth and Inducing Mechanization in Agriculture for Growth and Employment (with special considerations for the rural youth).

-            Encourage Change in Crop-Mix;

-            Climate Smart and Regenerative Agriculture, including Safety Net for Small Farmers through area Yield Index Insurance;

-            And Strengthening and Capacity Building of Institutions, including Capacity Building of Human resource, Improvement in Institutional Systems.

Rwanda’s Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation phase 4 (PSTA 4) outlines priority investments in agriculture and estimates required resources for the agriculture sector for the period 2018-2024. It is the implementation plan of the National Agricultural Policy (NAP) and represents the agriculture sector’s strategic document under Rwanda’s National Strategy for Transformation.

The PSTA 4 is designed to achieve four strategic impact areas that are in accordance with the CAADP framework. Namely, A) Increased wealth contribution; B) Increased Economic Opportunity; C) Improved Food Security; D) Increased Resilience. Impact will be measured by 8 specific indicators, including specific ones on: (B2) Number of jobs related to agriculture compared to baseline (gender disaggregated) and (B3) Average income per smallholder farming household (gender disaggregated).

In the PSTA 4 scenario, with significant productivity growth in agriculture, it is projected that 45,000 jobs will be created within the agri-food system (28,000 jobs in agricultural production, while the remaining 17,000 in the agriculture-linked value chains: agro-processing, agro-inputs, trade in agri-products, and hotels& restaurants using agro-products).

Beyond job creation, maximizing the contribution of, and benefits to, women and youth in agriculture is a priority for PSTA 4. Under Priority Area 1: Innovation and Extension, Output 1.2.2 is on Quality Proximity Extension Services to Farmers, Output 1.3.1  on Support to cooperatives and farmer organizations, Output 1.3.3 on Women empowerment and skills development, and Output 1.3.4 is on Youth in agribusiness development. Under Priority Area 2: Productivity and resilience, Output 2.5.2 on Asset building of vulnerable groups and resilience addresses the issue of strengthening the linkages between existing agricultural support and the social protection programmes.

Also, cross-cutting areas of importance under PSTA 4 include nutrition, gender, youth and resilience (climate and environment) (p. 67). Other decent work aspects are not explicitly addressed.

The ILO Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) for Senegal follows the previous DWCP (2012-16), which was extended until 2018. It aims to face the selected persistent challenges in the world of work, among which: the persistent unemployment levels, especially among the youth, women and rural people; the low employability of young people due to the mismatch between training and the needs of the labor market;  the lack of financial viability of the main institutional structure for promoting youth employment (ANPEJ); and the hypertrophy of the informal sector (p. 12).

As for social protection, the document mentions the poor targeting of the most vulnerable workers, and the limited extension of social protection to workers in the informal economy and the rural economy.

Based on this diagnosis and of national priorities the DWCP adopts two priorities: (i) promoting decent job creation for men and women, and (ii) strengthening and extending social protection. A crosscutting priority is the transition from a largely dominant informal sector that is disrespectful of the principles of decent work to the formal sector. (p. 13)

Expected Outcomes that are particularly relevant for decent rural employment include: Outcome 3 (under priority i) Measures promoting employability, the promotion of MSMEs and the integration of young people in rural and urban areas are put in place (which includes Output 4 on the development of a gender-sensitive national strategy for rural youth employment); and Outcome 8 (under priority ii) OSH and working conditions are enhanced in private and public sectors, as well as in the informal and agriculture sectors.

The ILO DWCP for Rwanda has identified the following priorities: i. Employment promotion for youth, women and PWD; ii. Social Protection for all; iii. Promotion of social dialogue and iv. Rights at work.

Under the first priority, focus is on TVET, skills and enterprise development and scaling-up public works. Under Strategy 2 “Development of demand driven employability skills”, agriculture and natural resources are retained among the high priority sectors. Under strategy 3 “Enhancing entrepreneurship and enterprise development”, the DWCP mentions support to Community Processing Centers (CPC) (p. 20). Under Strategy 7 “Enhance women’s participation in productive employment”, the DWCP includes supporting women in agriculture activities.

Under the second priority on social protection, Outcome 2.1 is on Extended coverage of social security for workers in the informal sector (even though without specific mention of agriculture); while Outcome 2.2 is on Extended coverage of social protection schemes for most vulnerable groups of citizens (even though without specific mention of agriculture or rural areas).

As for priorities 3 and 4 on Social dialogue and Rights at work, there is no explicit focus on agriculture and rural areas. Strategy 3 “Support policy design and enforcement of a minimum guaranteed wage” will apply to both formal and informal sectors. Outcome 3.4 is on “Improve safety and hath conditions at work and compliance with relevant OSH legislation.

The government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation (MoALFI), is implementing the Enable Youth Kenya programme.

ENABLE Youth Kenya is one of AfDB’s ENABLE Youth Initiatives under the Bank’s Feed Africa Strategy for Agricultural Transformation in Africa. The objective of the programme is to create business opportunities and decent employment for young women and men along priority agricultural value chains in Kenya through the provision of entrepreneurship skills, funding and business linkages.

The programme components include: (1) Establishing an enabling Environment for Youth Empowerment in Agribusiness through: Awareness creation and promotion of agriculture as a business; Providing Access to land and financial services for youth agribusiness ventures; Upgrading of Youth Agribusiness Incubation Centres (YABICs); (2) Entrepreneurship and agribusiness incubation: through promoting Agribusiness Incubation and Acceleration Activities; and Supporting Business plans and loan applications; (3) Financing Youth Agribusinesses through operationalizing risk sharing & financing mechanism (RSFM).

The targeted youth beneficiaries will fall in two categories: i. unemployed graduates who have completed post-secondary education (incubation); and ii. graduate youths who are already engaged in agribusiness but have no or limited access to commercial loan to grow their businesses (acceleration).

The programme is expected to train and empower 2,080 Agricultural Entrepreneurs (Agripreneurs), out of which 1,200 agribusinesses are expected to be generated. Each of the agribusinesses is expected to employ on average five other support workers, generating about 8, 000 direct jobs (including at least 4,000 for young women) in the first five years of the programme. The programme cost is estimated at UA 25.77 million, of which AfDB is financing UA 21.28 million or 82.58 % and the Government of Kenya will contribute UA 4.49 million or 17.42%.

The Kenya UNDAF 2018-2022 articulates the commitment of the United Nations (UN) to support the people of Kenya realize their development agenda. The UNDAF is aligned with Kenya Vision 2030 and national priorities as outlined in the the Medium-Term Plan III, the “Big Four Agenda” and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The UNDAF has three Strategic Priority Areas that are aligned to the three MTP III Pillars (Political, Social and Economic) of the Government’s Vision 2030 : 1) Transformational Governance encompassing respect for the rule of law, improved security, and effective implementation of devolution, 2) Human capital development comprised of education, training and learning, health, multi-sectoral HIV and AIDS response, access to safe water and sanitation, social protection, gender based violence and violence against children, access to adequate housing and strengthening capacities for addressing disaster and emergencies, and 3) Sustainable and inclusive growth focusing on a competitive and sustainable economic growth that is increasingly resilient, green, inclusive, equitable, and creating decent jobs and quality livelihoods for all.

Under Strategic priority II, Outcome 2.6 is on Social Protection, and prevention and response to violence against women and children. Among the strategies listed under this outcome are the following two: Enhancement and scaling of complementary models which link social protection and other outcomes related to education, health, nutrition, food security, child protection and livelihood; and Improved inter-and intra-sectoral coordination of social protection both at national and county level.

Strategic Priority III includes 3 outcomes, namely: 1) By 2022, productivity in services sectors, agriculture, manufacturing, extractives, blue economy and their value chains increased; 2) By 2022, marginalized vulnerable groups (among which youth) and regions in Kenya have increased access to decent jobs, income and entrepreneurship opportunities and 3) By 2022, people in Kenya benefit from sustainable natural resource management and resilient green economy.

In addition, the UN will address youth as a specific priority group by mainstreaming youth perspectives and relevant action across all UNDAF outcome areas. The UN will promote an enabling environment that recognizes the rights of youth, and enhance meaningful engagement of youth as essential actors in civic and political decision-making processes at all levels (p.22).

The UNDAF will mainstream the principle of leave no one behind (LNOB), and deliberate interventions will be undertaken to ensure equitable social development focusing on the marginalized and vulnerable groups including (p.23) : Women;  Youth; Children; children under 5 years of age ; children with disabilities ; out of school children, particularly girls and children living in marginalized Arid and Semi- Arid Lands (ASAL) counties and urban informal settlements as well as refugees; Pregnant and lactating women ; Persons with disabilities ; Key populations at higher risk of HIV infection; Refugees ; Populations living in urban informal settlements ; Rural communities that lack access to basic services such as drinking water and sanitation services;  Nomadic populations and those living in ASALs/areas of water and food scarcity.

Other specific decent rural employment aspects, such as child labour in agriculture, occupational safety and health, rural migration, or working conditions in agri-food sectors, are not explicitely addressed in the document.

The overall objective of the policy is to develop a productive agrosilvipastoral sector that ensures food security and is more market-oriented, while creating decent jobs, and based on sustainable modes of production and consumption. In terms of impacts, the policy aims at: i) reducing by 50% the proportion of people vulnerable to food and nutrition insecurity, (ii) developing an agrosilvipastoral sector that is competitive and generates at 267 500 jobs by 2027, (iii) bringing below 35% the incidence of poverty in rural areas; (iv) inverting the tendency of natural resources degradation and (v) doubling the commercialization rate of agricultural products, while increasing value addition.

To achieve these objectives, three (3) strategic Axes have been defined: 1: Food and nutrition security, resilience of vulnerable populations; 2: Competitiveness of the agrosilvipastoral, fishery and wildlife sectors and access to markets; and 3: Sustainable management of natural resources.

The strategic objectives (SO) linked to these Axes are the following: (SO 1.1): Increasing the productivity and agricultural production and reduce harvest and post-harvest losses (including emphasis on access to land); (SO 1.2): Contributing to food and nutrition security; (SO 2.1) Developing agrosilvipastoral value chains (including emphasis on POs and TVET, especially the training of young producers, with a dedicated indicator under Outcome 2.1.2); (SO 2.2) Improving access to finance; (SO 3.1) Preserving and protecting forests and wildlife resources; (SO 3.2) Creating a secure and favorable environment for sustainable animal production; and (SO 3.3) Contributing to the integrated management of water resources.

While Decent Jobs are a priority for the policy, a specific strategy on how to promote these aspects is missing. Aspects of social protection, working conditions and workers rights, OSH and child labour are not addressed. Gender equality is promoted, including in the log frame, but without specific targets.

The Kenya Third Medium Term Plan (MTP III) 2018-2022 succeeds the Second MTP (MTP II) 2013-2017”. As with its predecessor, this Plan has been aligned with the Jubilee Manifesto 2017, with particular focus on implementing policies, programmes and projects designed to achieve the Government “Big Four” initiatives : Industrialization, Manufacturing and Agro-processing; Affordable Housing; Food and Nutrition Security; and Universal Health Coverage. Eight (8) priority Sectors have been identified to drive economic growth. These are: Agriculture and Livestock; Manufacturing; Tourism; Trade; Business Process Outsourcing; Financial Services; Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources; and the Blue Economy. (p. xxii)

Already in the Foreword, the MTP III indicates that Employment creation is at the heart of the President Second Administration. The MTP III aims to create at least 6.5 million jobs, 1.3 million new jobs per year (p.xxi). The MTP III employment creation strategy includes: Implement the “Big Four” initiatives; Support MSMEs; Facilitate establishment of Special Economic Zones (SEZ) and industrial parks;  Support skills training and internship programmes for the youth; and Initiate labour intensive public works programme including re-afforestation, environmental waste management and other green projects (p.13). In particular, the manufacturing sector will expand to increase its contribution to GDP from 9.2 per cent in 2017 to 15 per cent and agro-processing to at least 50 per cent of total agricultural production. [...] Section 3.6 is on Labour and Employment. The section includes among the challenges "Inadequate up-to-date data on child labour" and "Inadequate framework to regulate and manage labour migration". The section also list priority programmes, among which programmes on employment (including development and implementation of a Pre-Departure Training and Orientation Programme for prospective migrants and development of a framework for return and re-integration of returnees), on social security (not specifically for agriculture or rural areas) and on the improvement of occupational safety and health standards in MSEs, manufacturing, agriculture and construction sectors.

According to the MTP III, (p. XXiii) Gender equality, empowerment of women, youth, and persons living with disability and other vulnerable groups as well as full realization of human rights will continue to be a priority during the Plan period. The Women Enterprise Fund will increase loan disbursement from a cumulative Ksh.10.4 billion to Ksh.25.7 billion targeting 2,157,653 beneficiaries by 2022. In addition, the number of women trained on entrepreneurship skills will be increased from 956,493 to 1,632,806. The Uwezo Fund will be scaled up by Ksh.2.5 billion to cover additional 500,000 beneficiaries. Capacity building will also be undertaken to 25,000 groups reaching 500,000 individuals. The number of Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) registered enterprises will be increased to 210,000 to ensure full access to 30 per cent of government procurement opportunities. Section 5.5 details the priorities for Gender, Youth and Vulnerable Groups (the only specific rural / agri-programme listed is the  School of agribusiness, which will aim at developing abilities of students for resourceful and innovative agricultural production).

The National Agriculture Investment Plan (NAIP) is a medium-term investment framework for the agricultural sector to be implemented over a five year period (2017/18- 2022/23). It is the second Malawi NAIP, building on achievements and lessons from its predecessor, the Agriculture Sector Wide Approach (ASWAp) which was implemented between 2010/11 and 2014/15.

The NAIP adopts the goal of the National Agriculture Policy (NAP) which is sustainable agricultural transformation that will result in significant growth of the agricultural sector, expanding incomes for farm households, improved food and nutrition security for all Malawians, and increased agricultural exports. It has three related objectives at the impact level: Objective 1: Broad-Based and Resilient Agricultural Growth; Objective 2: Improved Well-Being and Livelihoods (with indicators on Increased share of population above the national poverty line and Rural poverty gap reduced); and Objective 3: Improved Food and Nutrition Security (FNS). No employment indicator is included among the impact indicators. Among the 3.2 Additional Strategic Considerations are Gender and Youth and Social Protection. Section 2.4 Rural Livelihoods, Gender and Youth describes the related context.

The NAIP departs from its predecessor (the ASWAp), by adopting a matrix structure comprising four Programmes and 16 Intervention Areas (IAs).

The four programmes are: A. Policies, institutions and coordination; B. Resilient livelihoods and agricultural systems; C. Production and productivity; D. Markets, value addition, trade and finance. The 16 IAs are: 1. Policy, Program and Stakeholder Coordination; 2. Farmer Organisations (including specific initiatives for youth and women groups);  3. Public agricultural services delivery;  4. Food and Nutrition Security (including school feeing programmes; 5. Food safety and quality; 6. Empowerment and tenure security (with focus on women and youth, including in relation to land tenure and agribusiness support) - This IA include provisions for: A strategy on decent employment is developed¸ dealing with issues of working conditions and child labour in the agricultural sector; 7. Disaster risk management (including strategic grain reserves (physical and virtual) in place; 8. Pest and disease management; 9. Agricultural innovation systems (see para 130: This calls for gender and youth sensitive processes in setting research priorities and extension approaches and technologies that address the specific needs of the target groups);10.Access to inputs; 11.Natural resource management and Climate Change ; 12.Irrigation development; 13.Mechanisation; 14.Agricultural markets and trade ; 15.Investments in agribusiness (including provision for Principles for Responsible Agricultural Investment (PRAI) mainstreamed); and 16.Access to financial services (including attention to women and youth) see IO 16.2: Farmers, women and youth able to use financial services more effectively, and IO 16.3: Investment support and start-up activities and adoption of innovative technologies by FOs and SMEs, with preference to youth and women.

Technically supported by FAO and financially by the Government of Germany.

The PSDYES 2018-2024 has the overall goal increasing the competitiveness of the Rwandan economy, with focus on key value chains. Para. 4.2 indicates that Productive  employment  creation  potential should be among the criteria for VC selection: The  VC  must  be  labour-intensive  and demonstrate  clear  potential  to  create  significant  numbers  of  productive jobs  throughout the various stages of the value chain, especially low-skilled jobs and jobs for women and youth. Based on the selected criteria, the PSDYES prioritizes, among others, the horticulture value chain, together with agroprocessing, namely for meat and dairy, milling products, sugar, soy beans and Irish potato.

The strategy has the following Pillars: Pillar 1, Promoting Competitive Value Chains Made in Rwanda, including through Capital access to start-ups and growing SMEs for youth in the VCs (para 5.1.4); Pillar 2: Increasing Firm-level Productivity and Enhancing Diversification, including through Employment Promotion through Skills Development and Entrepreneurship (para 5.2.1.); and Technology, Innovation,Standardsand High-Growth Entrepreneurship (para 5.2.2); Pillar 3. An Ecosystem Approach to Increasing Exports, and Pillar 4: Streamlining the Regulatory Environment and Sharing Information.

The strategy does not have an explicit rural focus and aspects of decent work are not addressed. Achieving gender equality and family promotion is mentioned under the crosscutting area, together with access for people with disabilities (PwDs) and social inclusion, and green growth.

This study was commissioned by UNCDF and realized by Dalberg Advisors to assess the financial needs of young people in the Senegal groundnut basin.

According to the study, whatever their profile, the young people interviewed mentioned that they faced four main financial and non-financial challenges that had an impact on the achievement of their socio-economic ambitions: (i) a low level of financial literacy; (ii) the geographic remoteness of financial institutions; (iii) conditions deemed difficult to fulfill in order to access certain financial services, and (iv) social obligations limiting the ability of young people to save, take a credit, etc. Also, the study concluded that young people use informal rather than formal mechanisms to meet their financial needs. Insurance is the least used service among the young people encountered.

The study reccomended that in addition to the classic portfolio of financial products and services, new products could be considered to better meet the needs of young targets, such as micro-lease products for the acquisition of agricultural machinery and micro-insurance for livestock. In terms of non-financial services, trainings are needed in financial literacy, micro-enterprise or commercial farm management, or even technical agricultural training.

The Política Pública de Agricultura Campesina, Familiar y Comunitaria (ACFC), under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, is organized around the following axes: 1. Comprehensive rural extension and capacity building (including a priority on young rural extensionists); 2. Rural Public Goods (Rural education, and Water and rural basic sanitation); 3. Access and land tenure 4. Incentives and financing; 5. Sustainable production systems; 6. Short marketing circuits (including local agri-food public purchases); 7. Social Marketing; 8. Non-agricultural productive diversification (including a priority on Rural tourism and sustainable use of biodiversity; 9. Incidence and participation; and 10. Information Systems.

While the policy recognizes the overall importance of family and community farming for employment generation, it does not include a dedicated strategy for employment and decent work. Nevertheless, several actions directly link to employment objectives, namely: on youth engagement (as extensionists for instance – lineamiento 1.2), on vocational education for employability in territorial agri-food value chains (lineamiento 2.1), on rural financial services (lineamiento 4.1) or on rural tourism and biodiversity (lineamiento 8.1).

Rural youth and women are priority groups. Aspects of child labour, working conditions and occupational safety and health are not addressed. Aspects of formalization are taken into account in terms of access to land, registration of organizations and marketing agreements.

In addition to a strong focus on environmental sustainability, the Policy for Sustainable Agriculture adapted to climate of El Salvador is based on gender equality and equity among its principles. Its general objective is to promote the transformation of the agricultural sector to ensure the sustainability of natural resources, food security of the rural population and resilience to climate change.

Specific objectives are: 1. Promote restoration and conservation of ecosystem goods and services on which agricultural activity depends; 2. Contribute to increasing productivity as a key element for the development and food security of the rural population; 3. Strengthen efforts to adapt production systems to the effects of climate change, as well as mitigation actions when possible.

Strategic pillars of the Policy, which was developed with FAO’s support, are three, namely:

Axis 1: Sustainability of production systems through the application of good agricultural practices and the implementation of compensation or incentives;

Axis 2: Improvement of the productivity and living conditions of rural families (including dedicated actions on strengthening extension and group cooperation);

Axis 3: Management of agroecosystems towards compliance with the national commitments for mitigation and adaptation to climate change.

Among the impact indicators retained, are the following: Percentage of women among agricultural landowners or agricultural land rights holders; Family farmers owning land; Percentage of population employed in agriculture, livestock, forestry, fishing, and aquaculture as a percentage of the total employed population; Percentage of agricultural credit allocated to sustainable, agroecological and organic management broken down by agriculture, livestock, management of forests, fishing and aquaculture;  and Total value of resources applied in compensation or incentives for the application of good agricultural practices.

While the context analysis indicates that subsistence agriculture in particular does not currently guarantee decent jobs, the document does not include an explicit strategy or actions for DRE.

The Strategy, under the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MoALF), aims at providing opportunities for the youth to benefit from the different agribusiness enterprises along the various agricultural commodity value chains.  It was developed with support from a consortium of partners including FAO, USAID, GIZ, the NGO 4H and YPARD Kenya.

The document (p.x) acknowledges that " the sector is yet to fully exploit the potential of the youth and it remains largely unattractive. The situation is exacerbated by perception of agriculture as a career of last resort, one of drudgery and low monetary benefits.  Information on access to markets, factors of production including land and financing remain extremely limited hindering adequate engagement of the youth in agriculture."

The document is organized into four chapters: 1) Background information, justification and rationale; 2) Situational analysis of youth in agriculture and underlying challenges, and opportunities; 3) Strategic issues, objectives and key activities; 4) Targeting, resource mobilization, coordination and partnership, communication, capacity building and M&E.

The following eleven strategic objectives are identified: 1. To transform the mindset and perceptions of the youth towards agribusiness; 2. To equip youth with appropriate agribusiness skills, knowledge and information; 3. To enhance access to affordable and youth friendly financial services for agripreneurship; 4. To enhance access and sustainable use of land for the youth in agribusiness; 5. To engage youth in research, development and utilization of innovative agricultural technologies; 6. To enhance access to factors of production, utilization of modern technologies and utilization of Good Agricultural Practices to increase efficiency; 7. To increase utilization of agricultural products through value addition; 8. To improve access to affordable suitable output markets for the youth; 9. Support implementation, reviews and development of policies that create an enabling environment for youth in agri-preneurship (including through youth engagement in policy development) ; 10. To promote youth-inclusive climate smart agricultural technologies and create green jobs for environmental sustainability; 11. To promote an integrated approach to address cross-cutting challenges including gender disparities, cultural barriers, alcohol and substance abuse, HIV & AIDS, weak governance and value systems amongst others (including interventions on creating suitable safety nets to cushion highly vulnerable youth against radicalization, addictions and violence).

The overall number of direct beneficiaries targeted by the strategy are 384,450 youth equivalent to 30% of the total number of unemployed and a total of 1,153,350 indirect beneficiaries. Beneficiaries include 3 categories: i. out-of-school (Educated, Underemployed or  Unemployed Youth; Existing or New Agri-preuners; NEET; Innovators and Researchers; and New Entrants); ii. in-school youth, and iii. Special Groups (persons with disabilities, HIV and AIDs , Addicts , Vulnerable groups  rescued). The estimated cost of implementation of this strategy will be Ksh 12 Billion during the five years period.

Following the launch of the strategy and to support its implementation, the Ministry led the development of the Youth Economic Empowerment Through Agripreneurship (YEETA programme), which however remains unfunded.

The Vision of the Strategy is that of an inclusive, competitive, food and nutrition secure and sustainable agricultural system contributing to the socio-economic well-being of farmers and rural people and further development of the national economy.

Among its principles are: 1. Clear definition of roles of private and public sector; 2. Smallholder farmers’ rights and voice (in planning, decision making, and implementation should be recognized formally by law and embedded in the emergence of strong farmers’ organizations; 3. Smallholder farmers and SME are growth drivers. 4. Food and Nutrition Security, and 5. Inclusion (including women, and youth, but also marginalized groups and the landless), 6. Transparency, participation, and accountability; and 7. Environmental and social sustainability.

The overall impacts of the Strategy consist of the five dimensions of: (i) increased food and nutrition security; (ii) poverty reduction (including increases in labour productivity); (iii) competitiveness; (iv) higher and more equitable income of smallholder farmers, including females;  and(v) strengthened farmers’ rights (with focus on rights to land and representation).

The Objectives of the Strategy are:
Objective 1 – Enhanced governance and capacity of institutions responsible for agricultural development, including 1.5. 1. Strong farmers and industry associations and federations; 1.6 Land. Strengthened farmers’ land rights and enhanced capacity of institutions involved in agricultural land (including 1.6.12. Improve service delivery of land administration to the public, including to women and the poorest.); 1.8 Food and Nutrition Security for most disadvantaged groups.

Objective 2 – Increased productivity and farmers’ income, including 2.3. Education and Training; 2.6 Mechanization; 2.8 Sustainable practices / GAP.

Objective 3 – Enhanced market linkages and competitiveness, including 3.4. Rural Development Planning - Enhanced framework for gender-equitable and participatory planning and implementation of rural development programmes institutionalized;  3.6 Agro-enterprise Development (including 3.6.11. Establish a value chain innovation fund to fund an annual value chain innovation competition. Set up a fund-raising programme for constructing livelihood and income generating training for the rural youth who could not complete their basic education; and 3.6.19. Agro-Entrepreneurship Programs for youth, women, disadvantaged groups and disadvantaged regions); 3.8 financial services.

Other aspects of decent work are not explicitly addressed.

The overarching goal of the UN Support Plan for the Sahel is to scale up efforts to accelerate shared prosperity and lasting peace in the region. The Support Plan is not a new strategy; rather it is an instrument to foster coherence and coordination for greater efficiency and results delivery under the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS) framework, which is at the center of the international response in the Sahel, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 239.

The Support Plan is built around six priority areas, which are: i. Cross-border cooperation; ii. Prevention and sustaining peace; iii. Inclusive growth; iv. Climate action; v. Renewable energy, and vi. Women and youth empowerment. For each of the six priority areas, an average of 3-5 strategic interventions is identified.

The document (p.8) lists the risks to a Prosperous and Peaceful Sahel, including endemic poverty, inequality (including gender inequality), deep exclusions and human rights abuses; and high rate of youth unemployment.
Under priority 3, see Strategic intervention 3.1: Promote economic growth, decent jobs and sustainable livelihoods with a special emphasis on women and youth, through vocational training, technological innovation, skills and entrepreneurship development; and 3.3. Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems, including cash transfers and social safety measures, for the population living in extreme poverty.

Under priority 4, see 4.1 Build the resilience and adaptive capacities of rural women and their communities to the impact of climate change, empower them and contribute to social cohesion, through regional programs such as the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Resilient Pastoralism Programme; 4.2 Promote land use planning and better governance of land and water to prevent and manage conflicts between farmers and pastoralists; and 4.3 Support national capacities to protect marine and coastal ecosystems, with emphasis on monitoring control, surveillance of illegal fishing and other infrastructure to support effective management of fish stock.

Under priority 6, see Strategic intervention 6.1: Increase the number of women and youth participating in leadership positions at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life; and 6.2 Promote legislation to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services and inheritance, in accordance with national laws.                             
Even though the importance of the rural economy is recognized, there is no explicit reference to decent rural employment or employment in agriculture in the Strategic interventions. No strategic intervention is mapped against SDG8. Child labour issues are not addressed.  

The World Youth Report on “Youth and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, prepared by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), considers the role the 2030 Agenda can play in enhancing youth development efforts and examines how evidence-based youth policies can help accelerate youth-related objectives. The main conclusion of the report is that for youth-related development objectives to be realized, much more is needed in terms of financial support, data collection and analysis, agreed standards of measurement, and targeted interventions.

Chapter 3 is on youth employment and Chapter 4 on the nexus between education and employment. While there is no specific focus on decent employment promotion for youth in rural areas, the report emphasizes several specific challenges faced by the rural youth. On p. 1, the report indicates that "disparities within and between countries in educational participation among youth are stark, with female gender, poverty, rurality, disability, and migrant/refugee status all being major determinants of disadvantage". Further, on p. 71, the report emphasizes the fact that "while stand-alone youth policies target youth-specific issues and challenges, the mainstreaming of youth policies and priorities into the sectoral policies of line ministries can contribute to more holistic youth development and may reduce the likelihood that vulnerable and marginalized youth will fall through the cracks in policy and programme implementation. Rural youth, for example, are often marginalized and hard to reach, and ensuring that the challenges they face—including limited access to education and broadband technology—are addressed in a country’s livelihood/rural policy will increase the visibility of this youth demographic". Among the succesful initiatives listed, some directly targeted the rural youth, such as the Programa Jóvenes Rurales Emprendedores in Colombia (p.60) and the CODEPHIL initiative on digital literacy in the Philippines (p. 107).

The FAO Refugee and Host Community Response Roadmap (2018-2020) complements the Refugee and Host Population Empowerment Strategic Framework (ReHoPE), which is the strategic document guiding Government of Uganda and UN interventions in support of refugees and host communities, in describing how FAO will use its comparative advantage to support refugee and host communities to achieve sustainable resilience and food and nutrition security. The Roadmap is built on three pillars, namely I. Livelihoods stabilization; II. Socio-economic empowerment; and III. Enabling  environment.

Under Pillar II, there are three Outputs, all very conducive to decent rural employment promotion:

Output 2.1: Market-oriented agriculture production reinforced (where the document indicates that youth-focused value-chain development interventions will be included in favour of youth engagement in agribusiness for increased job creation, and specific cross-cutting issues will be central to FAO support, notably child labour p. 8);

Output 2.2 – Agri-businesses strengthened;

Output 2.3 – Agro-enterprise and employment opportunities strengthened (intentional targeting of youth and other extremely vulnerable populations) (where the document indicates that to reach youth, the main entry point will be JFFLS groups and existing common-interest groups; also, under this strategy, FAO’s catalytic agricultural champions model will be scaled-up; specific vulnerable groups targeted include people living with disabilities, chronically ill, elderly, pregnant and lactating women and school drop-outs (adolescents aged 14 – 17), p. 9-10).

In addition, attention to social protection is mentioned under Pillar I (p. 8 "FFS are  an important platform through which FAO will support linkages with other technical humanitarian and development actors (e.g. UNHCR, UNICEF and UNFPA) to promote topics of social protection to address gender and social barriers that reinforce marginalization and inequalities between different populations") and Pillar III (p.12 "FAO will support line ministries to integrate social protection needs through data-driven planning and policy decision-making as well as best practices and lessons learned, to reinforce coherence between agriculture and social protection"). 

Finally, the document indicates that special attention will be given to cross-cutting issues (e.g. conflict, women’s empowerment, gender, accountability and gender-based violence). (p. 7)

This strategy presents a synthetic review of FAO's major opportunities and challenges in the subregion. It is based on (i) the needs expressed by the countries; (ii) trends in the agro-food sector at local, national, regional and global levels, (iii) International Agreements' provisions; and (iv) FAO's comparative advantage.
The strategy proposes a coordinated approach to FAO's interventions for sustainable food and agriculture that responds to the needs and expectations of the countries concerned.
Relevant to the promotion of employment and decent work in rural areas are the actions aimed at strengthening the institutional mechanisms to promote youth employment, women' s empowerment and gender equality (under the thematic axis 3. Diversification and Economic, Agricultural and Social Development) and at supporting the development of professional organizations and cooperatives at national and sub-regional level, as well as supporting to agri-entrepreneurs especially youth (under thematic axis 7. Strengthening of professional organizations).

The AgriFI Kenya Challenge Fund is a 18,000,000 EUR initiative by the European Union to support productive and market-integrated smallholder agriculture through the provision of financial support to agri-enterprises. The programme is funded by the European Union and co -funded by SlovakAid and is implemented in parallel with a planned European Investment Bank (EIB) facility provided to local banks.  Self Help Africa and Imani Development Limited are the Fund Managers for the programme. The Challenge Fund is part of the wider AgriFI programme in a financing agreement between the European Commission and the Government of Kenya under the 11th EDF signed in 2017 to unlock, accelerate and leverage investments within value chains. 

By supporting and enabling at least 50 agri-enterprises to increase their turnover (by at least 25%), the initiative expects to increase incomes and food security for at least 100,000 smallholders/pastoralists and create a minimum of 10,000 net equivalent jobs. The financial support will require match funding from the agri-enterprise making the application. The match funding may be through own resources available to the agrienterprise or may be sourced through external finance such as credit or external equity investment.

In line with AgriFI Kenya Challenge Fund objectives, agri-enterprises are considered for funding based on a set of weighted criteria including its potential for positive impact on smallholder farmers. The specific areas for assessment include: a) Economic Drivers/Viability (e.g. business revenue growth and market potential);  b) Social impact (e.g. : smallholder farmers and pastoralists’ inclusion, job creation, food security and improved nutrition as well as inclusion of gender and youth in the proposed project); and c) Environmental impact.  Additional eligibility criteria for the agri-enterprises are: the business must have at least three years of uninterrupted operations; must have a yearly turnover in the range of EUR 200,000 to EUR 50,000,000; must have an asset base of less than EUR 43,000,000.

This ILO project, funded by the Netherland Government, has the overarching goal to accelerate the elimination of child labour in Africa, through targeted actions in selected supply chains in Egypt, Côte d'Ivoire, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, and Uganda.
Country interventions under the project can be found at this page. In Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria, ACCEL Africa focuses on Cocoa and Gold; in Egypt on cotton, textile and ready-made garment; in Malawi and Uganda on tea and coffee; and in Mali on traditional gold panning and cotton.
See here a study conducted under the project which presents examples of campaigns focusing on Africa, but also on consumers and companies in Europe that buy products possibly made by children in Africa. 

The project is implemented in partnership with the African Union, UN agencies, Governments, workers and employers' organizations, among others, and has an overall budget of 23 500 000 EUR.

The 12th Five Year Plan (FYP), developed by the Gross National Happiness Commission, is a cross-sectoral policy document at the national level, covering the period from 1st November, 2018 to 31st October, 2023. The objective of the 12th FYP is “Just, Harmonious and Sustainable Society through enhanced Decentralisation.” Priorities to create a Just Society include: - Reducing poverty and inequality, Creating productive and gainful employment, and - Promoting gender equality.

The Plan is built upon 17 National Key Result Areas (NKRAs), including:

• NKRA 2 Economic diversification (including Flagship Programmes on Startup & Cottage and Small Industries Development expected to create additional 4700 jobs, on Sustainable Tourism Development expected to create 15000 additional jobs (including for rural areas), and Organic Agriculture expected to generate 1500 new jobs and engage around 33,000 farmers across the country);
• NKRA 3 Reducing poverty and inequality, with focus on IGAs for the poor but also on enhancing equitable access to social services and other specific measures such as allowances for rural women after child birth to be explored or free lunches in schools;
• NKRA 5 Healthy ecosystem;
• NKRA 7 Quality education and skills (including initiatives on TVET expansion and entrepreneurship training but not specific to agriculture or rural areas)
• NKRA 8 Food and nutrition security (including enhancing farm labour supply as a key strategy and programme on Value chain and enterprise development aiming at enhanced infrastructure, storage, processing and value addition facilities, and facilitating micro credit.
• NKRA 10 Gender equality, including specific programme on women and girls empowerment (not specifically linked to agriculture or rural areas);
• NKRA 11 Productive and gainful employment (including programmes on Create productive and gainful employment and LG programme on poverty reduction, income generation and job creation, which aims to enhance rural economy through establishment of cottage, small and medium scale industries with job potentials. The reduction of the Youth unemployment rate is an indicator for this NKRA.

While a dedicated DRE strategy is not articulated, several programmes listed above contribute in particular to pillar 1 and to some extent to pillar 2; aspects of rights at work, OSH, social dialogue are not explicitly addressed.

Launched in 2018, the ‘Farming is Cool Rwanda’ campaign is promoted by Balton Rwanda, a subsidiary of the Balton CP group, a British multinational company with a strong presence across Africa. It is aimed at changing youth mindset towards agribusiness while empowering youth with the technology, knowledge, skills, support, and financing to engage in modern agribusiness.

Balton Rwanda aims to emulate the success of the ‘Farming is Cool’ campaign initiated in Kenya in 2011 and implemented successfully during the last 4 years by its sister company Amiran Kenya.

In Uganda, Balton Rwanda partnered on this initiative with the Government of Rwanda (Ministries of Youth, Agriculture and BDF) and The Private Sector Federation. During the launch, a schools’ competition was announced, in the format of a call on University, TVET/Polytechnique and secondary school students to provide a viable business idea for a Balton Farmer’s Kit and win a greenhouse and entrepreneurship and work readiness training from EDC/Kazi Konze (a project under USAID). 

Information on progress seems not available online. Also information is not available on the extent of decent work inclusion and on the scope of the initiative.

The objective of the NAP is to contribute effectively to the elimination of child labour in all its forms by 2025 with emphasis on the provision of inclusive social protection for targeted children and their families.

The context analysis (p.19) points to the fact that: the incidence of child labour in Egypt seems to be much higher in rural than in urban parts of the country; and that the most common types of hazardous child labour in Egypt are in agriculture (63%), followed by mining, construction and manufacturing (18.9%) and the services sector (17.6%).

The strategy of the NAP is based on the following six strategic issues:

1. Improving knowledge of child labour (including by. 1.1.1.7 Conducting sectoral studies on hazardous work for taking adequate protective measures (agriculture, quarries, begging and vending in the streets, domestic work, etc.) for children above the minimum age for work);

2. Strengthening and harmonizing the legislative and institutional framework in combating child labour (including by 2.1.2.1 Reviewing all legislations related to child labour for identification of gaps with specific mention of agriculture and, 2.1.2.7 Expansion of labour inspectors mission to intervene effectively in the prohibition of domestic child labour and agriculture labour, and 2.1.2.8. Criminalization of individuals and establishments employing children under the age of 15 in hazardous works or works inappropriate to their age such as spraying pesticides to combat agricultural pests, and 2.11. Reconsideration of ratification of ILO Conventions relevant to child labour, in particular: Convention No. 184 16 on Safety and Health in Agriculture (2001); 

3. Strengthening monitoring, protection and prevention of child labour through building the technical capacity of concerned entities (including 3.1.1.5. rural leaders);

4.  Consolidating prevention and protection in combating child labour (including 4.1.1.4 by waiving all school fees and 4.1.2.5 by designing educative programmes compliant to conditions of children in rural areas and children with disability);

5. Strengthening technical education, vocational training and apprenticeship in combating child labour; and

6. Strengthening awareness and social mobilization to combat child labour (including 6.1.1.10 by starting a door to door campaign for households through the rural social workers and NGOs, and 6. 1.1.11 by activating the role of agricultural extension in raising community awareness on children’s education and sparing children the risks of working in agriculture and spraying pesticides).

Uganda’s Demographic Dividend (DD) Roadmap, developed by the National Population Council. outlines the interventions needed to harness the dividend and achieve Vision 2040 targets.

Goal of the Roadmap is to guide MDAs and Local Governments to prioritize and integrate DD interventions into respective development plans. Specific objectives are: 1. To transform the population age structure to reduce dependency ratio; 2. To promote a healthy and productive labor force. ; 3. To promote a well-educated, skilled, productive, entrepreneurial and innovative workforce; 4. To strengthen investments in high job multiplier industries; and 5. To strengthen service delivery across all sectors.

On Education (Result area 3), focus is on TVET, across sectors (including agriculture) and entrepreneurial skills in general. On employment (result area 4), first key strategic intervention is about investing in value chain analysis and addition in agriculture in order to increase competitiveness in the regional and international markets; second is about improving agricultural productivity (with focus on mechanization, irrigation and modern agriculture, but no specific attention to sustainable agriculture); third is about strengthening local content driven exports to create better employment, fourth on promoting access to financial resources for businesses; fifth on promoting local tourism and maximizing international tourism; and sixt on promoting innovation, mentorship and support to entrepreneurs and link people to the job market.

Children and youg women and men are a target group, with actions on childhood development and keeping children in school or preventing teenage pregnancies, but no specific child labour attention.

Funding and financial support was provided by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). A National Demographic Dividend Steering Committee was established, comprised of the National Planning Authority, Ministry of Local Government, Uganda Bureau of Statistics, Makerere University (Department of Population Studies), UNFPA and the National Population Council.

The Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE) with support from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Nordic Development Fund (NDF) is piloting the Empowering Novel Agri-Business-Led Employment for Youth in Uganda’s Agriculture (ENABLE Youth). ENABLE Youth is a programme concept developed by AfDB and implemented across Africa to focus on young entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector and promote the start-up and growth of youth-led agro-enterprises in member countries.

In Uganda, it is implemented within the 5 districts of Kasese, Butaleja, Kween, Oyam and Nebbi that are host to the irrigation scheme sites covered as part of the Farm Income Enhancement and Forestry Conservation Programme: Project-2 (FIEFOC -2).

The Atlas, developed by CEPAL and FAO, examines the main aspects and salient features of migration from countries in Central America using maps, infographics and text.
It considers the main migration destinations, the transit stage and the places from where return migration is initiated: Mexico and the United States.

“Building Inclusive Agricultural Technologies for Young People” is a report by Mastercard Foundation Youth Think Tank that analyses the ways in which agricultural technologies and innovations are supported and how they reach rural young women and men.

The research collected data through focus groups discussions and semi-structured interviews from seven countries, namely Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. The research involved 215 respondents in total, including both rural and urban young men and women (aged 15-24), as well as older respondents (aged 25-35) with the purpose of understanding challenges and coping strategies in terms of agricultural technologies among youth working in agri-food systems (both those who have designed or adapted technologies-the innovators- and those who have begun using them-the adopters).

The research identified the following areas for improvement  1. Agricultural technologies should be tailored to optimize opportunities for young people — particularly rural young people — to maximize their on-farm activities and facilitate their entry into off-farm activities; 2. To ideate, young people need a resourced space where they can share ideas and access mentorship; 3. The dissemination of information through inappropriate channels, such as social media, is a barrier to the uptake of technologies at scale; 4. Young people have unaddressed gaps in the skills required to operate agricultural technologies; 5. Both adopters and innovators are constrained by inadequate accessible financial products to invest specifically in agricultural technologies — with respect to both ideation and uptake. Gender aspects are assessed for all areas.

The report concludes with a list of calls to action (p.38).

The project aims to contribute to dialogue, capacity development and the development of initiatives focused on rural youth; promoting their inclusion and influence in decision-making spaces at territorial, national and regional levels, in cooperation with public institutions in the agriculture, rural development and youth sector, as well as with civil society organizations and development cooperation. In so doing, the project implements the Estrategia Centroamericana de Desarrollo Territorial Rural (ECADERT).

The project is hosted by the Sistema de Integración Centroamericana (SICA), technically supported by Procasur and funded by IFAD (2,500,000 USD).

The National Agricultural Strategy of Burundi has the vision to achieve by 2030 agriculture that respects the environment, guarantees food and nutrition security to the entire population of Burundi and decent revenues to its actors. Reducing unemployment and improving incomes are among the indicators at impact level.

The strategy is built around three axes, namely: 1. Sustainable increase of agriculture, livestock, and fisheries production; 2. Products’ valorization; and 3. Strengthening of the capacities of institutions and organizations. Under the first Axis, priority strategies include: professionalization of the sector and private sector development, revitalization of extension (including using ICTs), fighting malnutrition and improving the financing of the sector.

The focus on more vulnerable groups is not crosscutting but two activities in the log frame (4.2) explicitly target youth and women: Involve youth and women in the livestock value chain (under 1.3); and Ensure that at least 50% of members of POs boards are youth and women (1.7).

The strategy does not include a specific set of actions to promote DRE, which is expected as a result of the support to the sector. Areas of rights at work, OSH, child labour are not explicitly addressed. Social protection is not a dedicated strategy but under Output 1.7 on professionalization of the sector and private sector development, it is foreseen to build a social security fund.

The UNDAP II outlines how the UN will support the national development agenda of Rwanda for the period 2018-2023. The plan will be delivered by the United Nations system, with all agencies working together under the umbrella of ‘One UN’. The UNDAP II is mapped on to the same three Strategic Priority Areas that constitute the Government’s National Strategy for Transformation (Economic Transformation, Social Transformation and Transformational Governance).The overarching principle of the UNDAP II is to leave no one behind, and it is underpinned by a human rights-based approach.

Under the section on Economic Transformation, there is a section on Decent work and employment (p. 31) : The UN continues to work with private and public institutions to contribute to creating decent work and employment, foster skills development, empower and promote entrepreneurship and financial inclusion for all.  A key area of focus entails the provision of technical assistance to enhance the engagement of the private sector and financial institutions to increase the accessibility of traditional and innovative models and sources of finance for women, thereby implementing gender equality considerations into their business. Assistance will be provided to increase potential livelihood opportunities and off-farm jobs to rural men and women farmers living in poverty. Under the section on Social Transformation, there is a section on Social protection (p.35): The UN system in Rwanda will reinforce the national social protection system to effectively deliver shock-responsive, child-, gender- and nutrition-sensitive safety nets for vulnerable families in target areas and ensure socio-economic inclusion and shelter for vulnerable groups. Specifically, the UN will promote expansion of the scope of the public works component of VUP. It will do this by focusing on assets that build resilience of local communities to climate-related shocks. The UN’s cooperation will focus on: the poorest households with children, particularly those aged under five; women-headed households in poverty; and households affected by natural disasters and refugees. Towards expanding coverage, the UN will provide technical and financial assistance to scale up child and gender-sensitive social protection options in urban and rural areas.

The UNDAP II has 6 Outcomes, namely: Outcome 1: By 2023 people in Rwanda benefit from more inclusive, competitive and sustainable economic growth that generates decent work and promotes quality livelihoods for all; Outcome 2: By 2023 Rwandan institutions and communities are more equitably, productively and sustainably managing natural resources and addressing climate change; Outcome 3: By 2023, people in Rwanda, particularly the most vulnerable, enjoy increased and equitable access to quality education, health, nutrition and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services; Outcome 4: By 2023, people in Rwanda, particularly the most vulnerable, have increased resilience to both natural and man-made shocks for a life free from all forms of violence and discrimination; Outcome 5: By 2023, people in Rwanda benefit from enhanced gender equality, justice, human rights, peace and security; Outcome 6: By 2023, people in Rwanda participate more actively in democratic and development processes and benefit from transparent and accountable public and private sector institutions that develop evidence-based policies and deliver quality services.

Under Outcome 1, see Output 1.1: Institutions and communities, especially small-scale farmers, rural youth and women in target areas have the requisite technical capacities and inputs for innovative and sustainable agriculture production and productivity. (FAO, UNWOMEN, WFP, IFAD); Output 1.2: Farmers, especially youth and women in target districts have acquired increased skills and knowledge for agribusiness and food processing for selected value chains. (FAO, WFP, UNWOMEN, UNCTAD, UNIDO, ITC, UNCDF); Output 1.4: Private and public institutions have the requisite technical and financial capacity to create decent employment, foster skills development, empower and promote entrepreneurship and financial inclusion for all, especially women and youth. (ILO, UNDP, IOM, UN Women, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNCDF, UN HABITAT, UNHCR ITC,UNFPA, UNCTAD).

See also Output  4.1: The national social protection system effectively delivers child, gender and nutrition-sensitive safety nets for vulnerable families in target areas and ensures socioeconomic inclusion and shelter for vulnerable groups. (UNICEF, IOM, WFP, FAO, UNHCR, UN HABITAT). Specific linkages are also mentioned between social protection and agriculture.

A summary of UNDAP II is available here.

The PNIASAN 2018-2022, under the responsability of the Ministère de l’Agriculture et du Développement Rural (MADR), is the national translation of the Common Agricultural Policy of the Community of West African States (ECOWAS). As the main agriculture investment instrument of the PSE, PNIASAN focuses on (i) sustainable growth in agro-silvo-pastoral and fisheries production and productivity, (ii) the development of agro-food and agro-industrial value chains, which are contractual, inclusive, competitive and oriented towards national, regional and international demand, (iii)improving the food security, nutritional status, resilience and social protection of vulnerable households, (iv) improving the business environment, governance, financing of the agrosilvopastoral and fisheries sector, food security and nutrition, and (v) strengthening human capital.

The total cost of PNIASAN is estimated at approximately 22,465 milliards FCFA. Most of its resources is intended to improve and secure the productive base (42.57%) and increase productivity and output (34.08%). The rest (14%) is dedicated to the development of agri-food and agri-industrial value chains, and improving food security, nutrition and resilience, as well as the strengthening of human capital. Agriculture absorbs 56,62% of the budget against 10,15% for livestock, 9.25% for fisheries and 7% for the environment. Nearly 10% of the resources go to rural infrastructure.

The direct beneficiaries of PNIASAN are all the populations working in the agro-sylvo-pastoral and fisheries sector, with focus on: (i) small producers living on their family farms; and (ii) their grassroots organizations and associations; in particular groups integrating women and young people.

Relevant results from a decent rural employment perspective are the following: Result 3.2. Promoting inclusive value chains, with high potential in terms of nutrition and job creation for young people and women; Result 4.3. Strentghening social protection for vulnerable household; Result 6.1. Strengthening skills of people working in the agro-sylvo-pastoral and fisheries sector, and food security and nutrition; Result 6.3. Promoting youth employment in the agro-sylvo-pastoral and fisheries sector; and Result 6.4. Empowering women working in farming, livestock and agro-processing of agriculture and fishieries products.

Under 6.3, the PNIASAN includes 3 projects, namely: 6.3.1. Project to promote youth entrepreneurship in agriculture, which includes 3 components (i) targeted training, (ii) set up, and (iii) coaching; 6.3.2. Project to develop incubation centres in agricultural value chains for young people; and 6.3.3. Project to set up a youth entrepreneurship fund in the agricultural sector.

While job creation is an expected impact of the PNIASAN, annual expected jobs are not quantified. Also, beyond social protection and job creation, other aspects of the decent work agenda are not addressed.

The project, funded by EuropeAid, is implemented by a consortium of ICCO, WASTE, APEJ, led by SNV. The project aims to train 8,620 young people, including 2,586 women and 1,293 returnees and create 6,472 jobs. To do so, the project aims to develop value chains in the horticultural, agri-food, waste management and utilitarian crafts in the regions of Malian regions of Koulikoro, Kayes, Gao and the district of Bamako.

SNV uses its Opportunities for Youth Employment (OYE) model to train young people on basic life skills and works with local partners, companies and technical training institutes to provide technical and vocational skills training. Finally, the project aims to facilitate the development of Urban Youth Entrepreneurship Hubs in Gao and Bamako.

Resources of the projects, including manuals for youth trainings, are available here (in FR).

This book is a product of the network of the International Center for Development and Decent Work (ICDD). The ICDD is a global multidisciplinary network of eight partner universities on four continents with its head office at the University of Kassel (Germany). It is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The book aims at filling the knowledge gap on working conditions in agriculture. It is divided into three broad areas, namely: measurement of decent work deficit (Chapter 1-6), drivers of the decent work deficit (Chapter 7-11), and the strategies for overcoming the deficits (Chapter 12-15).

IMSAR is a DFID-funded programme which adopts a market development approach to increase the income of poor households by supporting market actors (including the poor) to adopt new practices (business models, products, services, rules, behaviours and norms) that improve the way markets work for the poor.

The market actors include: poor men and women, firms, government agencies, business associations, financial institutions, and NGOs that have a legitimate role in the markets.  IMSAR facilitates change through the provision of a flexible package of technical assistance (including market analysis and strategy development) and access short or medium-term grant finance.

The implementation of IMSAR is being managed by Palladium in partnership with Swisscontact.

Youth employment or specific decent work aspects are not explcitely addressed.

The phase II of the PADAER programme has the overall development goal to sustainably improve the food security and incomes of smallholder crop and
livestock farmers and to create permanent, well-paying jobs for rural
people, particularly women and young people.

PADAER-II will operate in the regions of Matam, Tambacounda, Kédougou and Kolda. It will target 43,700 households directly, comprising about 437,000 people, and 110 micro and small businesses. The programme beneficiaries are essentially poor smallholder crop and livestock farmers, of whom at least 40 per cent will be women and 50 per cent young people, both girls and boys. PADAER will operate in the following value chains: rice, maize, fonio, small ruminants and improved village poultry breeding.

The programme is structured in three components: 1. Improving the supply of agricultural products (mainly by increasing production and productivity); 2. Developing value chains and financing actors (including by facilitate the development of rural entrepreneurship and promoting capacity-building for POs to enable them to provide sustainable services); and 3. Coordination, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and knowledge management. While decent work aspects are not explicitly addressed, rural women and youth are specific target groups, both in terms of employment creation and participation in the POs.

Implementing Agency of the programme is the Ministère de l'Agriculture et de l'Equipement Rural (MAER). The project has a total cost of USD 72.44 million and benefits from an IFAD loan of USD 46.3 million and OPEC Fund for International Development cofinancing of 10 million.

See 2021 evaluation of PADAER here.

The new Law on Entrepreneurship Strengthening adopted with Act (Decreto) 20-2018 contemplates a new unit to be established in the Ministry of Economy (MINECO) on Entrepreneurship Strengthening. The main task of the unit will be to support the enabling environment to attract investments for entrepreneurship development in Guatemala, as well as the management of national and international funds in support of entrepreneurship.

The Act introduces a reform of the Commercial Code to create the new figure of the Entrepreneurship Society (Sociedad de Emprendimiento), which should simplify the procedures to register a business. In accordance with Article 19, the total annual income of an entrepreneurial society should not exceed five million quetzals and, unlike other entities, it will not require a minimum capital to be initiated. Also, registration procedures will be simplified and facilitated electronically.

In parallel, the Act establishes the Entrepreneurship Networks, which will be made up of the members that make up the Entrepreneurship Ecosystems and Training Centers for Entrepreneurship. While the Act does not include specific articles for rural areas, rural youth or agribusiness, it indicates that entrepreneurship support will prioritize the communities and regions with higher rates of poverty and extreme poverty, and that are affected by migratory fluxes, internal and external.

The regulation corresponding to the Act was adopted in March 2019 and is available here. Compared to the Act, the regulation introduces specific attention to rural areas in the specific objectives (see points f and k).

This second generation of LASIP reconfirms the commitment of Liberia to substantially transform its agricultural sector in accordance with the global, continental, regional and national agricultural development agendas. According to the document, 3.1. Vision for the Agricultural Sector (2017-2025) is to promote an inclusive and sustainable agricultural transformation through catalytic investment in agricultural value chains and industrialization and resilience to ensure food and nutrition security, environmental health, job and wealth creation and inclusive growth for Liberians.

Among the challenges for the sector flagged in section 3.2 are: Weak private sector and entrepreneurial skills, High subsistence and inefficient production systems; Weak policy and business environment: (including lack of incentives for private sector actors to provide decent jobs; Human resource challenges; Inadequate infrastructure; Inadequate agricultural funding; Subsistence farming; Natural resources management; and Very low agricultural research and development.

To respond to the above challenges, LASIP II has 5 Strategic Objectives (SOs):  1. To sustainably and reliably access adequate, nutritious, and needed food for utilization for healthy lives, 2. To develop and support competitive value chains and market linkages 3. To strengthen agricultural extension, research and development for enhancing sustained productivity growth. 4. To adopt agricultural practices that maintain the ecological and biological integrity of natural resources; and 5. To improve governance and institutional capacity to implement Programs and projects.

Under SO1, social protection dimensions are addressed: see Activity 1.2.2:Promote and support social protection for vulnerable people (including food reserve, safety nets, cash transfers); Activity 1.3.1: Facilitate access to farmland for the poor and vulnerable; and Activity 1.3.2: Promote access to appropriate productive resources and inputs for the poor and vulnerable (especially women headed households). Under SO2, interventions focus on inclusive value chains, including Action 2.1.2.7: Support the implementation of agricultural input and output price instruments, such as input subsidies to smallholder farmers through the e-platform and guaranteed minimum producer prices for farmers; Activity 2.2.3: Support the promotion of incubators for women and youth; and Activity 2.3.3 Promote and develop farm mechanization. Under SO4, see Action 4.5.2.1: Support climate change-related research, education and training for women and youth. Under SO5, see Activity 5.1.2: Strengthen and support multistakeholder platforms for policy dialogue and sector coordination, including Action 5.1.2.1: Organize annual peer-review with Private Sector, donors, farmer’ groups women and youth associations and Civil Society Organizations (CSO’s) for coordination and supervision.

Other decent work aspects such as child labour, OSH, wages and working conditions are not addressed.

The Declaration on the Rights of Peasants (UNDROP), officially United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas, was adopted by the Human Rights Council in 2018.

This study was commissioned to Dalberg Advisors by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF). The study assesses the financial needs of young people in Senegal's groundnut basin.

The Agri-Business Skilling for Youth in a Refugee context (ABSYR) programme aims to increase the socio-economic well-being of youth through skilling in agriculture, agribusiness and life skills. The programme is carried out in a consortium with two other INGOs (ZOA and War Child Holland) and led by Interchurch Organization for Development Cooperation (ICCO). Apart from the overall management, ICCO is responsible for the formation of youth into successful cooperatives or producer organizations and building private sector linkages for value chain support and coaching.

The ABSYR targets 5,000 young people in the refugee’s camp and host community in Yumbe district, Northern Uganda.

The ICADeP is developed as an Investment Programme within the framework of the National Sustainable Agriculture Development Plan (NSADP) 2010-2030.

Under 5.1 Scope, the document indicates that: All components of the ICADEP will incorporate social, gender and youth development indicators which will be gender and age disaggregated for providing opportunities to men, women and youth. The Gender Desks in MDAs involved will facilitate and monitor women and youth participation.

The Plan has the following specific objectives:

1. Strengthen governance structures and mechanisms for improved evidence-based policy and programming, coordination, implementation and monitoring and evaluation to enhance mutual accountability (related components are not specific on labour issues, but include an analysis on multi-sectoral synergies and win-wins with the agriculture sector, including with nutrition, education, social protection and gender).
2. Increase sustainable, inclusive and intensified production and productivity of diverse quality commodities for improved food and nutrition security (related components include facilitating soft loans and financial services‘ access for farmers such as access to e.g. micro-finance; financial literacy village savings and loans schemes).
3. Improve efficiency, sustainability and competitiveness of agriculture value chains and market linkages (including components on providing incentive schemes to establish competitive agro-processing Small-Medium and Large Scale Enterprises, home-grown institutional feeding program, conducting an assessment to identify and select agribusiness value chains based on financial, socio-economic, food and nutrition security impact; supporting the establishment of agribusiness actor groups into selected agricultural value chains and developing their capacities).
4. Increase and improve resilience of livelihoods against shocks and promote full access to nutritious foods for the most vulnerable (including components on conducting a situation assessment and analysis of the most vulnerable groups in agriculture and rural areas, developing a related interactive database; strengthening preventive and productive social safety nets including cash and asset transfer programmes to improve and diversify livelihoods of the most vulnerable;  building organizational capacity and financial literacy of community -based saving groups; reviewing the modus operandi of community banks and financial services associations to enhance their capacity to reach the most vulnerable; and developing and implementing a strategy for women and youth inclusion in agriculture.

Section 5.1. on Programme Benefits and Beneficiaries includes (vi) decent work creation in both in formal and informal segments of agriculture, either in salaried employment or self-employment. The programme will impact several groups of direct beneficiaries: smallholder commercializing farmers and their organizations, medium and small scale agribusiness and agricultural entrepreneurs, and vulnerable and at-risk populations, including unemployed, underemployed and working in poverty youth.

Impact indicators include Rural income growth and Rural poverty reduced, while Outcome indicators include: No of agricultural jobs created along the value chain (by age group and gender).

Appendix 3 describes the global Decent Work Agenda. However aspects following under Pilalr III and IV are not explicit in the document, including child labour prevention.

The objective of the RISE project is to strengthen local authorities' coordination and development & contingency planning, as well as local authority-led service delivery to refugees and the host populations in Uganda. The project has three components, namely: (i)increase economic and employment opportunities of refugees and host communities through skills development and financial literacy ; (ii) strenghten resilience of communities and in particular the most vulnerable, as well as refugees and displaced people; and (iii) improve governance and conflict prevention, and reduction of forced displacement and irregular migration.

The creation of decent jobs is an indicator at outcome level: % of refugees and host population who have a decent and sustainable job (disaggregated between refugees and host communities). Under Outcome 2 on Increasing economic self-reliance of refugees and host populations, dedicated outputs focus on Increased financial inclusion of refugees and host populations (R.2.1.), Enhanced carrying capacity of allocated land for refugees (R.2.2.), Improved local processing of agricultural products and market access including by using Farmer Field Schools and farmer groups and link them to the market (R.2.3.), and Value chains and market linkages strengthened, involving both refugee and host communities in order to increase their livelihood opportunities (R. 2.6.).

Section 3.4 "Cross-cutting issues" of the Action fiche indicates that "the project will use a rights-based approach and promote the entitlement to non-discriminatory access to public services, the rights of women, children and disabled persons in line with the corresponding United Nations Conventions. All result indicators and technical reports will be gender-disaggregated".

The project is implemented by GIZ and funded by the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa for a total amount  EUR 20,000,000.                                            

This GIZ project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), aims to improve the employment situation of young people in rural areas of Burkina Faso, Kenya and Malawi, by supporting the following three areas with an integrated approach to employment promotion:

i) Labour supply: Young people improve their employment prospects by obtaining access to modern, market-oriented agricultural qualifications.

ii) Labour demand: Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and start-ups continue to develop their businesses and business models, thus creating employment prospects for themselves and others.

iii) Matching: A supportive business environment and needs-based placement services bring potential employers and employees together. The equal rights and promotion of women, especially young women, are important for the long-term future of rural areas.

The project targets 25,000 young women and men.

Le Plan National de Développement de l’Elevage (PNDE) 2018-2025, under the Ministry of Livestock, has the vision to make livestock one of the levers of the national economy.

The Plan is organized around 5 axes (and 17 corresponding sub-programmes), as follows: 1. Support and security of pastoral and traditional breeding 2. Improving the productivity and competitiveness of promising sectors; 3. Improvement of veterinary governance; 4. Development of applied research, training and advisory support; 5. Strengthening of the institutional framework and the capacities of actors. Axes 1 and 2 include a specific objective on promotion of income-generating and employment-specific activities for women and young people.

Under Axis 1, Sub-program 2: Support to pastoral populations and small breeders, includes capacity building of pastoralist organizations and the promotion of income-generating and employment-generating activities. Also in general value addition and value chain activities are evidently relevant for employment creation.

The Plan does not make explicit reference to DRE objectives, OSH, child labour, yet is indirectly relevant to this subject.

The four priorities defined by the Government in the CPF for FAO’s interventions in Kenya are:  1. Enabling policy environment, 2. Inclusive value chains strengthened, 3. Resilience of food and livelihood systems increased, 4. Governance of natural resources improved.
While decent work is not a crosscutting priority or an overall objective, the CPF prioritizes (youth and women) employment generation and migration aspects.

Under Priority 1, Output on Policy and strategy formulation and implementation, the CPF (p.4) indicates that FAO will support the development of enabling policy frameworks to foster the integration of poverty reduction, migration, youth employment and social protection considerations into sustainable agriculture development planning. Specific activities in the CPF include: 1.1.4 Support capacity strengthening for planning and effective implementation of climate change adaptation, migration and social protection policies.
Under Priority 2, Output on Value Chains, the CPF indicates that FAO will support the expansion of selected value chains for decent employment creation particularly for women and youth. Output 2 is on Entrepreneurship capacities of agri-value chain actors (including women and youth) strengthened. For this Output, the CPF narrative indicates that the role of migration in youth employment creation and value chain development will be considered, including the potential of remittances and the inclusion of migrants in the targeted initiatives (p.6).
Priority 3, Output on Agri-nutrition programmes enhanced, FAO will support the government and stakeholders in strengthening the capacities of nutrition-sensitive agricultural programming and promote coherence between nutrition sensitive agriculture and shock responsive social protection. Specific activities in the CPF include: 3.1.5 Promote complementary social protection interventions through extension of support to vulnerable households strategies, and 3.3.5 Support productive social protection initiatives.
Under Priority 4, Output on Sustainable management and use of forest and rangeland landscapes and associated bio-enterprises, the CPF indicates that Conservation and restoration initiatives will be linked to livelihoods through market-based bio-enterprises that also promote decent employment opportunities, particularly for youth.

The AgFood Youth Opportunity Lab programme, sponsored by the MasterCard Foundation, aims to help 15,000 young people access employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in Africa’s fast-growing horticulture, aquaculture, poultry, cassava, and oilseed sectors.
The programme focuses on young men and women between the ages 18 and 24 in major food-shed regions surrounding Lagos, Nigeria and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The Ag Youth Lab will assist economically disadvantaged, hard-to-reach, and out-of-school youth transition into employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in the agrifood system.
The programme has a special focus on gender equity, aiming for an equal representation of young men and women across its actions and addressing policy, training, mentoring, and other constraints that affect the ability of young women to start enterprises or obtain employment.
The Michigan State University will lead implementation of the Ag Youth Lab in close collaboration with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).
Using the “youth-to-youth” and “train-the-trainers” approach, IITA, through its youth component model—IITA Youth Agripreneurs (IYA), will work with Venture Garden Group and Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology in Nigeria, and Sokoine University Graduate Entrepreneurs Cooperative (SUGECO) in Tanzania. 

The objective of the project is to provide support to refugee and host communities in Uganda by: (i) Creating emergency employment opportunities and develop sustainable livelihoods for both the refugees and their host communities; and (ii) Preventing and responding to Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) through access to justice mechanisms, legal aid provisions and provision of shelters for victims.                                                                 

The project is implemented by UNDP and funded by the government of Japan for USD 2.241.000, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for USD 997,602 and UNDP for USD 550,000 . The project’s total financial requirement is USD 21 million over four years (2017 -2020).

The project aims to create or consolidate around 10000 permanent agricultural jobs and around 5000 non-agricultural jobs, through the development of irrigated areas (around 1500 ha), and value addition.

The general objective of PARERBA is to help curb rural emigration and facilitate the return of migrants to their land by increasing economic opportunities, security and development. Specifically, the project aims to support: (i) the development of hydro-agricultural installations; (ii) the promotion of an integrated management approach for productive water resources and sustainable land management practices; (iii) the improvement of production, productivity and competitiveness of farming family businesses in the rice and horticulture value chains; (iv) the development of youth employment and rural entrepreneurship around trades related to the development of these agricultural value chains. Other aspects of decent work, like OSH or access to social protection, are not addressed.

The project is implemented in Diourbel, Kaolack, Kaffrine, Fatick et Thiès. Both women and youth (both young women and men) are explicitly targeted, with differentiated indicators in the project work plan (according to the Action Fiche available online).

The project is implemented by the Belgian Development Agency (ENABEL), in collaboration with UNCDF, and financially supported by the European Union through the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (18 Million EUR).

This strategy, under the responsability of the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), was designed to attract, as well as, support and retain youth employed at all levels of the agriculture value chain (p. 12). It is also intended to operationalize the Agriculture Sector Strategic Plan (ASSP) aimed at drawing from existing programmes and initiatives to address the issues that deter the youth from embracing agriculture.
The strategy has the following thematic and intervention areas: A5.1 Strengthening the enabling environment for the youth employment; A5.2 Supporting youth-oriented agricultural extension; A5.3 Improving youth education and learning; A5.4 Supporting youth entrepreneurship; and A5.5 Adaptation to and mitigation of agribusiness risks and uncertainties. It is expected to cost UGX 52.9 billion shillings over five years.
Specific attention is given to young women and youth aged 14-17, and to qualitative employment aspects, such as OSH and working conditions, as well as youth participation and organization.

The CPF sets out strategic pillars of expertise to guide FAO partnership with and support to the Government of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GoIRA).

Agreed priorities are: 1. Better governance through improved capacity for policy planning, land reform, decentralization, management of common natural resources; 2. Fostering Expansion of Irrigation and Field Water Management; and 3. 3.Intensive Agriculture for Commercialization, Value Chains Development, and Job Creation (specific attention to women); and 4. Supporting Vulnerable Farmers for Improved Food & Nutrition Security, Resilience and Emergency Response to Natural and Man-made Disasters and Climate Change.

However, a dedicated employment strategy is not made explicit and decent work aspects are not addressed. Youth are not mentioned.

The Vision of the Policy is for Rwanda to be a nation that enjoys food security, nutritional health and sustainable agricultural growth from a productive, green and market-led agricultural sector towards 2030.

The Mission statement is to insure food and nutrition security of Rwandans by using modern agribusiness technologies, professionalizing farmers in terms of production, commercialization of the outputs and then creating a competitive agriculture sector.

The Policy has four main Objectives, namely:

i) Promote new strategies that will stimulate productivity growth for a broadened nutritional food production, while embarking on new opportunities for farm income diversification, in order to secure further reductions in rural poverty, and transform the dominant subsistence farming sector into a competitive and market-led agriculture sector;

ii) Develop and promote a sustainable agricultural intensification and a resilient agriculture sector to counter environmental degradation and climate change in ways that maintain sustainable agricultural growth;

iii) Address the knowledge and skills deficits in the agriculture sector to unlock significant additional agricultural as well as labour productivity gains for high quality produce and services;

iv) Enhance policy and institutional coordination and collaboration amongst different relevant stakeholders operating in the sector through the creation of an effective enabling environment to render institutions more responsive.

The Policy has 4 Pillars, namely: Pillar 1: Productivity and Commercialization for Food Security, Nutrition, and Incomes; Pillar 2: Resilience and Sustainable Intensification (including actions on agricultural insurance; Pillar 3: Inclusive Employment and Improved Agrifood Systems’ Skills and Knowledge; Pillar 4: An Effective Enabling Environment and Responsive Institutions.

Under Policy Pillar 3, particularly relevant are the following policy actions:

5.2.1. Foster skills development through strengthened agriculture knowledge and information systems (With focus on TVET);

5.2.2. Promote on- and off-farm income diversification through fostering entrepreneurship;

5.2.4. Promote youth and gender sensitivity (including mention of the need to attracting young entrepreneurs into businesses auxiliary to agriculture (e.g. input/output distribution, provision of mechanical and other services to farmers etc.), as these are likely to have positive spillover effects on farming itself); also the policy will promote increased participation of particularly women and youth in agriculture programs and agri-food development, through mainstreaming and preferential treatment (e.g. for applicants below a certain threshold age), and, if applicable, tailored instruments (e.g. specific incentives for women in agriculture finance, application of women/youth quota in decision making, better awareness and enforcement of safety rules targeting women in agriculture, such as those regulating exposure of pregnant/breastfeeding women to agro-chemicals, tailored extension methods and materials that factor in women’s heavy household workloads and low literacy levels etc.); priority will also be given to increasing the representation of women in public functions and services in the agriculture sector; For youth, in particular, this policy will focus on addressing constraints to accessing start-up capital, as well as on targeting students in agri-sciences and increasing their levels of engagement in the sector early on, through e.g. participation in extension and advisory activities, public-private partnerships and initiatives in the agrifood sector.

Policy Pillar 4 includes policy action 6.2.4. on Partnering with farmers and improving civil society engagement. To facilitate this process and provide a regular dialogue, MINAGRI will create a platform for regular agri-food stakeholder participation in agriculture policy programming and implementation Thus, a “Forum of Farmers’ Organizations” will be created that will allow farmers to meet regularly with MINAGRI, in order to plan and evaluate strategies, programmes and projects under implementation.

Other aspects of decent work, like social protection, workers’ rights and wages, child labour or OSH are not explicitly addressed.

The “United for Youth Employment in Cambodia” is a joint ILO, UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF and UNV programme, financially supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), which aims at increasing decent and productive employment opportunities for young women and men in Cambodia. The programme targets both urban and rural youth (aged 15-30), including young women and men and adolescents (10-19), as well as young migrants and domestic workers.

The programme is articulated in three phases: 2017-2019, 2019-2024, and 2024-2029. It is in line with the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 2016-2018 and supports the Cambodia national government in implementing, among others, the National youth development policy, the National employment policy and the National Youth Policy Action Plan, which serves as a framework to ensure the implementation of the youth policy.

The Programme has three main outcomes:

- Outcome 1 “Young women and men access quality formal and non-formal education including volunteerism to develop relevant technical and vocational skills”, which includes the provision of training activities aimed at developing basic educational skills, career counselling, vocational counselling, and employment counselling. Particularly relevant are Output 1.2 “Strengthened system for certification of TVET institutions, based on industry and ASEAN standards” and Output 1.4 “Quality market and industry-driven skills programmes for priority sectors developed and available to youth”.

- Outcome 2 “Young women and men, both in-school and out-of-school, are equipped with adequate entrepreneurial and business skills to create and develop sustainable enterprises”, with Output 2.1 focusing on rural youth: “Research produced and disseminated on the macroeconomic effect of investment in education and training packages for rural entrepreneurship”. Among the activities under Outcome 2, the program seeks to provide assistance to the national government in reviewing the business and regulatory environment so as to facilitate the launch of enterprises at the rural level; it also aims at promoting enterprise development training and awareness by introducing initiatives such as the “Know About Business” (KAB) program in school curriculums and “Community Based Enterprise Development” (C-BED) in rural areas.

- Outcome 3 “Young women and men benefit from a better condition and fair treatment at work” entails trainings programmes with both employers and youth, and capacity building activities with ministries, workers unions and National Employment Agency; moreover, it addresses young people’s legal protection, focusing, among others, on young migrants. Output 3.5 targets adolescents, providing: “School-and-community based life skills and peer education programmes scaled up to reach more adolescents with messages promoting safe and protective youth labour practices and rights”.

The PEJERIZ project, implemented by Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), aims to expand sustainable entrepreneurial and employment opportunities for rural youths by actively engaging them in the improvement of rice value chains. In particular, the PEJERIZ project supports the building and strengthening of entrepreneurial capacities; creating market linkages; and promoting value-adding activities for rural youth in the rice value chains of Mali and Senegal.

The first training sessions were held in Senegal and Mali in October 2018, with the final sessions scheduled for delivery before the end of 2018. AfricaRice will then select 80 of the 200 young trainees with the most promising business ideas, who will subsequently receive financial support and further training to bring their plans to fruition. The Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture (SFSA), meanwhile, has already begun supporting 10 new Centres for Mechanised Services (CEMAs) in the two countries, with plans to create another one in Mali by 2019. The CEMAs have so far recruited and trained 45 RiceAdvice Service Agents, and awareness-raising activities have been carried out in rice-growing regions.

It is expected that the capacity building efforts undertaken in the project will develop a pool of young professionals with the competence and skills to engage in sustainable business along the rice value chain.

Implementing partner are the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture and the Africa Rice Center.

The programme, coordinated by the Programa de Migraciones implemented by the Latin American Foundation AVINA, aims to promote the social and labour inclusion for the returned migrants of Guatemala.

The programme has two paths for inclusion: i) Promote formal decent employment; and ii) Promote entrepreneurship. The first phase has the objective of promoting the labour insertion of 200 deported migrants and the developing 10 entrepreneurship projects.

The programme promotes interinstitutional and intersectoral coordination. So far, strategic actors participating are: the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, the Ministerio de Trabajo, the Ministerio de Educación, the Dirección General de Migración, among others.

The Made in Rwanda Policy (MIR) is a roadmap aimed at increasing economic competitiveness by enhancing Rwanda’s domestic market through value chain development. MIR prescribes the objectives and strategies for the industrial sector outlined in the vision 2020, National Strategy for Transformation and long term vision 2050 aiming at putting efforts to expand the economic base in a private sector-led Economy.

Although agriculture is not the sole focus of MIR, agro-processing is identified as one of the key priority labour intensive sectors where MIR is expected to create several manufacturing jobs together with light manufacturing in textile and garment and resource-based industries (mining and quarrying), furniture. More specifically, meat and dairy, milling products, sugar, soy beans and Irish potato are listed as potential value chains to be targeted.

MIR has five main pillars: 1. Sector Specific Strategies; 2. Reducing the Cost of Production; 3. Improving Quality; 4. Promoting Backward Linkages; and 5. Mind-Set Change.

Other decent work areas such as child labour, migration, and occupational safety and health are not focuses of MIR.

The ILO report "World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2017" takes stock of the current global labour market situation, assessing the most recent employment developments and forecasting unemployment levels in developed, emerging and developing countries.
It also focuses on trends in job quality, paying particular attention to working poverty and vulnerable employment.

The report finds that overall unemployment remains elevated and youth and gender disparities persist in the labour market. In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), while the unemployment rate remains stable, the number of unemployed is expected to increase from 28 million in 2016 to 29 million in 2017 due to the region’s strong labour force growth. However, the main labour market challenge in this context remains the poor-quality employment  –  rather than unemployment. According to the report, across most of SSA, the lack of productive opportunities for youth and adults alike means that 247 million people were in vulnerable employment in 2016. The outlook is particularly challenging for women, who are more likely to be in vulnerable employment, largely as contributing family workers (p. 18). Climate change also presents a significant challenge to poverty reduction efforts for SSA countries. Many of the region’s working poor and vulnerable employed work in the agricultural sector, with the majority being smallholder farmers, and women are overly represented in the sector (p. 19). For this reason, according to the report, greening the agricultural sector and diversifying the economy present significant decent work opportunities for the region on its path to achieving the SDGs.
In Northern Africa, the unemployment rate is expected to decline marginally but youth unemployment remains a big concern being more than three times higher than adult unemployment, with a gap of almost 20 percentage points (p. 17).
In Latin America and the Carribean the unemployment rate for the region is expected to rise by 0.3 percentage points in 2017, to 8.4 per cent. This significant increase in the region’s unemployment rate is largely due by the recession in Brazil (p. 21).
Finally, in Asia the challenge remains less about the quantity of jobs and/or unemployment and more about the quality of employment and, more specifically, vulnerable employment and working poverty (p. 24). Reductions in working poverty in Eastern Asia and in Asia and the Pacific as a whole have largely been driven by improvements within China. This has been associated with improvements in agricultural productivity and thus reductions in rural poverty. While ongoing structural transformation and transitions to higher value added sectors can help to improve the quality of jobs, further investment in education and skills development for the most vulnerable groups remains a crucial issue (p. 26).

The general objective of the Action Plan is to promote equity and social inclusion for the rural youth, through access to resources, assets and opportunities that allow them develop capacities and expand their participation in decisional and social instances for the full exercise of their rights.

The specific objectives are the following: 1. Promote policy dialogue and strengthening institutions linked to rural youth that allow their public empowerment for transformation based on the requirements of the rural youth population; 2. Promote the participation of the young population and their organizations (both formal and informal) to exercise a greater degree of impact on decision making, through capacity development and the creation of spaces for equitable participation from the territorial level to the national and regional level; 3. Create an offer of products and services that allow young people to develop diversified productive businesses that guarantee a decent income in search of their economic autonomy, as well as opportunities for social, cultural and environmental development.

The Action Plan was presented to and endorsed by the Consejo de Ministros del Consejo Agropecuario Centroamericano (CAC) at its regular meeting held on February 2017 in Costa Rica, with the instruction to the regional Commission for the execution of Estrategia Centroamericana de Desarrollo Rural Territorial 2010-2030 (ECADERT) and the CAC Executive Secretariat to coordinate its immediate execution together with the youth authorities of the respective countries.

The development of the plan benefited from support from IFAD, FAO, IICA, and the Canadian and Spanish cooperation.

This research paper by the World Bank assesses the main constraints and effective interventions in terms of labour markets, youth and gender in Sub-Saharan Africa. The paper identifies six major constraints for women and youth in the labour market: skills, capital, networks, time and family formation, occupational choice, and safety.

The paper analyzes in particular the additional challenges faced by young women, for whom cultural norms, constraints on mobility, and the responsibility for domestic work and child care constitute a barrier to employment, pushing them to work less hours or choosing less-productive and low-return occupations.

The paper concludes with a review of programmes that are considered to be effective in tackling and overcoming these constraints.

The main objective of the CSP is to accelerate the country’s economic transformation process, thereby boosting inclusive private sector-led growth and creating higher value added formal wage employment. To achieve this objective, the Bank focuses on improving Rwanda’s enabling business environment through continued investments in the country’s infrastructure on one hand, while strengthening Rwanda’s skills base on the other hand, to meet the demands of business that engage in transformative value-adding economic activities. At the same time, the Bank aims to increase its direct support including improving access to finance to private enterprise to engage in high value added economic activities.

In the Economic context, the document acknowledges that agriculture remains an important contributor to GDP and employment and thus a major vehicle for achieving transformative and inclusive growth. It also recognizes that the agriculture sector is characterized by low productivity, inadequate access to agricultural finance, and a heavy dependence on rainfall, which implies a significant exposure to the impacts of climate change (p. 6-7).

Pillar I is on Investing in energy and water infrastructure in rural and urban areas to enable inclusive and green growth. This will strengthen the enabling environment for increased private investment in businesses engaging in value added economic activities. The generation of more productive formal wage employment to reduce underemployment and supporting economic transformation is a priority. Also, Pillar I seeks to provide all-inclusive cross-sectoral development support. In particular, support to water and sanitation sector to catalyse local economic development, notably rural infrastructure such as irrigation services for smallholder farmers and local communities in proximity to increase agricultural productivity and general rural employment (p. 15). Gender equality is mainstreamed and measures to ensure sustainability of the energy and water and sanitation operation will be incorporated into project design (p. 16).

Pillar II is on Developing skills to promote high value added economic activities and economic transformation. The Bank’s operations under this pillar support Rwanda to achieve the SDGs, particularly Goal 8 “Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all” and Goal 9 “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation” (p. 17). The support under Pillar II is aligned with relevant national policies and programmes which prioritize the development of employable skills and promote high value added production and industrialization. Also, the Bank supports the development of a skilled workforce for industry sub-sectors such as manufacturing, energy, construction, mining and other job intensive sectors like ICT, tourism, agribusiness/agro-industry and the related value chains. The Bank’s assistance under this pillar prioritizes youth and women to promote gender-balanced inclusive growth (p. 17). The key outcomes expected to be achieved under Pillar 2 by the completion of the CSP in 2021 include: 10% growth in industry value added per worker, 15,500 MSMEs created as start-ups in high value added economic activities – at least 30% and 20% owned by women and youth, respectively and 35,000 off-farm jobs in high value adding enterprises created, at least 50% going to youth and women (p. 18).

The overall objective of the African Union (AU) roadmap is to guide and facilitate the implementation of the AU theme of the year 2017 “Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investments in Youth” by Member states, Regional Economic Commissions (RECs) and partners. It sets out the immediate actions for focused and expanded investments in Africa’s young men and women. It was developed at the request of African Union Heads of State and Government, and highlights key actions that must be taken so that the continent can harness the demographic dividend.

The roadmap is structured around four thematic pillars, namely:

- Pillar 1: Employment and Entrepreneurship. The roadmap suggests that governments should create conducive political, business, financial and economic environment by developing and effectively implementing policies that promote flexible labour markets, facilitate the development of labour-intensive sectors that can compete globally, and liberalize trade. See in particular priority action 7: Invest in sectors with high job-multiplier effects, including Information and Communications Technology (ICT), manufacturing, agriculture and agro industries in order to generate employment and spur inclusive growth.

- Pillar 2: Education and Skills Development. The focus of this pillar is - among others - on expanding vocational training opportunities for skills acquisition for young people to enhance their employability (including self - employment), productivity and competitiveness.

- Pillar 3: Health and Wellbeing (with focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights, family planning and HIV/AIDS services).

- Pillar 4: Rights, Governance and Youth Empowerment. Under this pillar, the roadmap pushes for investments that must be made to open the political space, uphold rights, ensure participatory governance and empower Africa’s youth by proscribing all laws posing barriers to the full exercise and enjoyment of the fundamental rights of young people to fully participate in the democratic governance processes and strengthening independent youth formations, networks and organisation including establishment of independent youth commissions at national and sub-regional levels to champion youth activities.

The Uganda National Youth Action Plan was developed to operationalize the National Youth Policy.
The priority areas are presented in terms of specific objectives to be supported by various stakeholders and are identified as follows:
1. Sustainable livelihoods, employment promotion and enterprise development; 2. Skills training and entrepreneurship development; 3. Youth involvement, participation and governance; 4. Information, Communication and Technology (ICT); 5. Youth and health; 6. Recreation, sports and leisure; 7. Youth and agriculture; 8. Youth peace and security; 9. Environmental conservation; 10. Gender and culture; and 11. Management, coordination and partnerships.

Under the first priority area, Objective 1 aims to strengthen the capacity of youth for gainful employment (including by providing support for enterprise development); while Objective 2 aims to promote decent gainful employment and investment opportunities for the youth (including through advocacy campaigns and policy dialogue, surveys on labour markets to know skills needs, new legislation that requires new businesses to employ quotas for local youth, and tax incentives for businesses that provide good quality internships). Objective 3 aims to implement programmes that strengthen entrepreneurship skills of youth with the view of making them job creators through the development of viable and sustainable enterprises; and finally Objective 4 promote the provision of financial support for youth enterprise programmes.

Under priority area 7, on Youth and Agriculture, major activities in the Logical framework (5.0) are: I. Mobilise and sensitise youth to engage in Agriculture as a viable source of income; II. Support youth to access and utilize agriculture appropriate tools and inputs for improved agricultural production; III. Support provision of agricultural extensional services to young farmers; IV. Provide financial support for youth agricultural projects.

This FAO technical cooperation project focuses on developing human capacities within the ministries of Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock as well as the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services at national and sub-national levels, to strengthen coherence between agriculture and social protection in Zambia.  

More specifically, this is expected to support the implementation of the National Agricultural Policy and the National Social Protection Policy.

The ultimate target beneficiaries are poor small family farmers, whose food security status and incomes are expected to benefit from more coordinated agricultural and social protection policies and programmes.
The project will be implemented by FAO in close collaboration with Government Ministries and ILO, WFP and UNICEF.

The programme, funded by BMZ, aims at promoting better prospects for young people aged 15 to 35, and for returning migrants. Focus is on equipping beneficiaries to access employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in the sectors of renewable energies, agriculture, crafts, and services. Other aspects of decent work are not addressed.

The project has a total budget of 31,6 M EUR, and is under the Ministère du Pétrole et des Énergies(MPE). Implementing partners are the Agence de Développement et d’Encadrement des Petites et Moyennes Entreprises (ADEPME), the Agence Nationale pour la Promotion de l'Emploi des Jeunes (ANPEJ), the Agences Régionales de Développement (ARD).

See Sept 2019 update here.

The FAO CPF for Eritrea has three priority areas: 1) Sustainable natural resources management; 2) Improved agriculture sector production, productivity and market access for enhanced food security and nutrition; and 3) Preparedness and response to natural threats and improved resilience. While the three priority areas are all generally relevant for increasing farmers’ productivity and incomes, the CPF also includes an explicit employment output under Priority area 2 - “Increased work opportunities for young and female agricultural producers” (2.5).

Output 2.5 has two indicator targets: i) At least 2,350 vulnerable female-headed households with improved work opportunities in the agricultural sector as a result of FAO’s support by 2021; and ii) At least 100,000 young producers (disaggregated by age and sex) with increased work opportunities in the agricultural sector, linked to the markets by 2021.

Also gender is mainstreamed across all areas and results.

The study, developed by FAO, the Instituto de Desarrollo Agropecuario (INDAP) and Centro Latinoamericano para el Desarrollo Rural (RIMISP) assesses the employment situation of rural youth in Chile, including their role in family farming, and provides related policy recommendations.

This study aims to generate country-level evidence on the living and working conditions of small-scale fishers in Costa Rica.
The study finds that most of the fishing sector workers in Costa Rica work in the informal economy, which makes them more vulnerable and not eligible for available benefits granted by the State. The shortage of fishing products and the few alternative options to the fishing activity on the coastal areas result into low opportunities for empowerment both economically and socially. Additionally, the study flags the lack of visibility of women's work in the fishing sector, which puts them in a condition of greater vulnerability.
Yet, in spite of the challenges, the study also highlights that the testimonies of men and women artisanal fishers demonstrate the attachment of fishers to their way of life and their perception of fishing as a dignified and respectable activity, where they can put into practice values and knowledge acquired through many years of experience.
The last chapter on Conclusions includes a detailed list of recommendations.

The Programme for the Reduction of Territorial and Social Disparities (PRDTS) is implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture with the aim of reducing territorial isolation of rural communities in terms of infrastructure and access to basic social services.

Spread over the period 2017-2023, this programme covers the 12 regions of the Kingdom for an overall public investment of 50 billion dirhams. The Fund for Rural Development and Mountain Areas (FDRZM) will contribute 23.3 billion dirhams. The regional councils contribute 20 billion dirhams, while the INDH and ONEE contribute 4 and 2.56 billion dirhams respectively.

The programme aims to meet the needs of the rural population and improve their quality of life in several areas, from education (construction of schools and students residences), to health (construction of health centres and maternity facilities, acquisition of ambulances and mobile medical units). Potable water supply and electrification.

Since its elaboration and implementation, the programme has benefited from budgetary support within the framework of cooperation with Arab partners, as well as an initial support from the European Union, which is being deployed for the period 2019-2023.

In terms of results to date: 27 541 jobs seem to have been created and the proportion of households engaged in agriculture has increased (see more info here.

Decent work aspects are not explicit in the information available online.

The FAO CPF for Mauritania (in French Cadre de Programmation par Pays (CPP) has three priority areas: 1. Inclusive and sustainable agricultural, livestock and fisheries production, which create jobs and value addition; 2. An institutional environment that is conducive to achieving food security and nutrition, and 3. Sustainable management of natural resources in the face of climate change for a sustainable and resilient economy.
Youth employment results and correspondent activities are explicit in the document, notably under the first priority area.
Output 1.3 is on the Development of mechanisms and services for job creation and micro-businesses for the youth.
Also, under Output 3.4 on communities' resilience capacities, Activity 3.4.2. indicates that 100 managers and technicians of government technical services and Socioprofessional Organization will be trained in the social protection approach.
Other decent work aspects are not explicitly addressed.