In a joint declaration, participants to the European Commission’s Youth Policy Dialogue sent a clear message to Agricultural Commissioner Hansen, that “only by strong involvement among all stakeholders, including youth, can we achieve the common vision of a resilient, innovative, and sustainable European farm and food system for all.”
Helene Schmutzler, Senior Policy Officer at IFOAM Organics Europe and representing the Organics Europe Youth Network at the Youth Policy Dialogue, reflects: “It was really inspiring to be part of this Youth Policy Dialogue together with so many passionate and competent young people from such a wide range of stakeholder groups. Our vision, that long-term sustainability and resilience of the European food and farming system can only be achieved by addressing the needs of young farmers and entrepreneurs, unites us. It is time for an institutionalised, co-created, and coherent approach to the empowerment of young voices in the agricultural policymaking process. Young people can have a crucial role to drive the needed transition of our food system and are generally more likely to establish organic farms or take into account sustainability in their economic models. Now, we are eagerly waiting for Commissioner Hansen’s Vision document, in which we hope that key topics related to generational renewal and sustainability will be adequately addressed, also based on the recommendations of the Strategic Dialogue.”
The declaration is a follow-up to the Youth Policy Dialogue, which is part of a broader Commission initiative and allows young people to discuss and share their views directly with the Commissioner. DG AGRI’s 2024 Youth Policy Dialogue took place on 11 December under the theme of “Building together the future of farming, food and rural areas”. It brought together young people active in various agricultural, rural, and environmental youth organisation to engage with Commissioner Christophe Hansen on three main topics: economic viability, sustainability of the food system and generational renewal in farming and rural areas.
«It is time for an institutionalised, co-created, and coherent approach to the empowerment of young voices in the agricultural policymaking process»
The Youth declaration, written and signed by nine youth organizations from the rural, farming, academic, and environmental sector, recognises the Youth Policy Dialogue as an essential first step towards a coherent, co-created, and purposeful institutionalisation for the empowerment of youth voices in EU policymaking and welcomes the Commissioner’s plans to include generational renewal as a fundamental aspect of the upcoming vision of European food and farming.
List of signatory organizations of the declaration (listed alphabetically): Agroecology Europe Youth Network; European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC) – Youth Community; European Council of Young Farmers (CEJA); European Federation of Food Science and Technology (EFFoST) – Young EFFoST; European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT) – Youth Committee; International Association of Students in Agriculture and Related Sciences (IAAS); Organics Europe Youth Network (IFOAM); Slow Food Youth Network; Young Friends of the Earth.
Further information available at www.organicseurope.bio
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