Listening to Youth-Led Organizations on Climate Change and Africa’s Agricultural Development

Policy Link is supporting youth organizations working in agricultural development and climate change in Africa to conduct a youth stakeholder mapping exercise, establishing the key issues and possible strategic engagements that African youth can bring to the policy table.

The mapping is being supported by the Africa Union Commission, which sees the effort as a way to ensure inclusiveness in the policymaking process as well as strengthening coordination and evidence-based advocacy efforts.

In July 2021, Policy LINK supported a Pre-UN Food Systems Summit African Youth Dialogue to engage Africa’s young population on what they wanted their food systems to look like. The conveners, Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD), the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) Youth Network, and Africa Youth Initiative on Climate Change (AYICC), identified key areas in agricultural and climate change policy that required enhancement to ensure their inclusion into the food systems structure was well organized, strategic, and traceable. These recommendations were presented in a position paper and contributed to the Africa Common Position statement submitted to the main UN Food Systems Summit event in September 2021. 

As a next step, and to catalyze action among decision-makers, Policy LINK is supporting youth organizations working in agricultural development and climate change in Africa to conduct a youth stakeholder mapping exercise, establishing the key issues and possible strategic engagements that African youth can bring to the policy table. This process is also being supported by the Africa Union Commission (AUC), as it will not only ensure social inclusion into policy processes but will also strengthen coordination and evidence-based advocacy efforts among active youth coalitions in Africa, especially as they engage in CAADP and other policy processes. The objective of this mapping exercise is to identify active youth-led coalitions, networks, and organizations working across agricultural development and climate change issues endorsed in last year’s position paper and to find entry points for strengthening coordination and evidence-based dialogue platforms.  

With support and endorsement by the African Union Commission – Department of Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (AUC-DARBE), African youth are already engaging in a critical analysis of the Third CAADP Biennial Review as well as in the Fourth Biennial Review process, which will be conducted over a two-year period. These young professionals are engaging in seven out of the nine Thematic Working Groups designed around the Commitment Areas of the CAADP Biennial Review. This engagement, in turn, will begin the traceable participation of youth in the AUC-DARBE CAADP process. 

Policy LINK, through its support to non-state actors in Africa, will continue to offer technical assistance to this nascent youth network, from its inception and through its future engagements on CAADP and other related policy processes. 

Resources

Learn more about Policy LINK’s support to the CAADP Biennial Review.