Young people are central to agrifood systems, but remain largely excluded from accessing the resources needed to drive climate action. Despite 44% of working youth relying on agrifood systems for employment, youth face structural barriers to finance, land, technology, and decision-making. Ahead of SSJW Workshop 2, YOUNGO's Food & Agriculture Working Group submitted this call for a strong youth and children lens, recognizing young people as current implementers of climate solutions, not just future stakeholders, with outcomes meant to feed into the Joint Work's final conclusions at COP31.
Three Priority Themes
Direct Access to Finance
- Youth face high interest rates, collateral requirements, and complex procedures; existing financial mechanisms are often inaccessible or poorly targeted.
- Global climate finance reached ~USD 1.9 trillion in 2023, yet less than 2% is directed toward small-scale agrifood systems.
- Key needs: youth-tailored financial products, concessional finance, simplified access, and improved tracking of funding flows.
Capacity, Technology, and Digital Access
- Limited financial literacy, insufficient technical support, and weak digital infrastructure restrict youth participation and the scaling of solutions.
- Key needs: integrated support systems combining training, mentorship, technology transfer, and improved rural connectivity.
Governance and Structural Barriers
- Fragmented policies and weak coordination between agriculture and finance systems hinder effective implementation; youth participation in decision-making remains inconsistent.
- Key needs: stronger policy coherence, inclusive governance, and alignment of financial flows with sustainable agrifood transitions.
YOUNGO recommended an interactive, solutions-oriented workshop format with participants rotating across thematic tables, and stands ready to nominate a youth speaker to present experiences from youth-led initiatives in food and agriculture.
Read the Full Submission
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