ROME, Italy – Agrifood systems are the basis of global workers, currently providing employment for about 40% of the population. The result is an estimated 1.2 billion young people who will enter the workforce in the next decade and a growing consensus of the critical need for greater and smarter investment in these systems.
That was the loud and clear cry from the 13th edition of the annual FAO Investment Days 2025, a two-day forum from 9 to 10 July on the theme “Investing for More and Better Agrifood Jobs”. The event underscored the great potential of agrifood systems to help meet the rising challenge of youth employment and to drive sustainable development globally.
Why FAO Investment Days 2025?
Organized within the frame of the FAO Investment Days 2025, the Summit was an essential platform that congregated stakeholders from different backgrounds: forward-looking minds, successful entrepreneurs, innovators engaged in production and both public and private investors from all over the world.
They had a common objective: to jointly reflect around specific trajectories and proposals for action so as to transform agrifood systems into solid drivers of inclusive growth and decent work. The forum provided a forum for rich discussion, shared experiences and exchanged best practices on how investing now can change the future for rural and urban young people.
Key Focus Areas and Themes
Deep-dive discussions during FAO Investment Days 2025 did just that, examining the complex landscape of agrifood employment in developing countries. Themes discussed included the critical role of productivity growth from technology utilization and environmentally sustainable activities; the implications of demographic change for labour supply and demand; and the dynamics of labour migration within and between borders.
Access to finance for smallholder farmers and agribusinesses, especially for youth-led projects, was a common theme, as was the changing skills requirement amid rapid technology improvements. Participants also considered supportive policies and enabling environments, such as strong legal protection and streamlined regulation, as actively promoting job creation and innovation.
An important thrust was to promote local value addition and enterprise development through agrifood value chains, which have great potential for providing decent employment, particularly for youth.
Statements from Key Figures
“The distance between the youth labour market and the constraints it faces in the job market is simply alarming,” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, adding that “we need to think bigger and deeper” to reactivate the “we reach time urgent” to reach the youth labour market.
He pointed out the FAO remained committed to linking agricultural producers, rural entrepreneurs and agribusinesses with the financing and markets they need to build resilience in fragile communities and foster sustainable growth.
Relevant FAO Work and Reports
Key attention was also brought to the lasting commemoration of FAO’s commitment to investing in agrifood systems during the event. The FAO Investment Centre has a proven track record and is celebrating 60 years of successful operations.
Last year alone, the Centre supported the development of 51 public investment projects across 36 countries, worth a total of $7.3 billion, and ongoing projects worth more than $49.5 billion. One recent significant FAO report, “The State of Youth in Agrifood Systems”, offered a stark context for the talks.
The report exposed that 44% of working youths globally are working in agrifood systems. It pointed out that more than 20% of the world’s 1.3 billion young people (15-24) are currently classified as not in employment, training or education (NEET), and that young women are twice as likely to be NEET in comparison to young men.
The report’s conclusions estimate the creation of only some 400mn new jobs in all sectors over the coming ten years, a figure that pales in comparison to the swelling number of young people who will soon need a job. This wide chasm sounds the call to interventions. Most significantly, the report indicates that with smart interventions, agrifood systems alone could generate 87 million new jobs.
Potential Impact and Forward-Looking Statement
As Investment Days 2025 came to an end, the message of investment strategies and inclusive action rang true among the participants. The forum confirmed (once more) that the transformation of our agrifood systems is not only an economic must but a profound societal imperative.
In doing so, we pave the way to a future that is more food secure, more resilient, and more prosperous for all.” “Through building sustainable growth, boosting productivity and working to provide more and better jobs to the increasing population of young people, we can leave behind a more food-secure and more prosperous future for everyone.
The commitment offered today shows the world’s determination to unlock the great potential of agrifood systems to respond to very real job opportunities and make the world a place where every young person can find their place.
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