Key Takeaways:
- IICA urges governments, private sector, and partners to prioritize rural youth in sustainable development strategies.
- The organization warns that migration, aging populations, and inequality threaten rural communities.
- Proposed measures include improving infrastructure, education, connectivity, and agribusiness opportunities.
- Director General Manuel Otero emphasizes rural youth as key to food security and social cohesion.
- IICA highlights the transformative role of digital agriculture and innovation for the region’s future.
IICA Highlights Urgent Demographic Shifts
The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) is calling for governments, private sector actors, and international partners to place rural youth at the center of sustainable development strategies in Latin America and the Caribbean. The organization warns that demographic shifts, including lower birth rates, higher life expectancy, and continued rural-to-urban migration, are leaving rural communities increasingly vulnerable.
Voices from IICA Leadership
“Rural youth are leaving because they lack infrastructure, connectivity, quality education, and work opportunities,” said Manuel Otero, Director General of IICA, joined by Jorge Werthein, Special Advisor, and Sandra Ziegler, Consultant. “This exodus drains human capital, disrupts generational succession in agriculture, and threatens food security, while receiving cities struggle with overcrowding and social exclusion.”
Otero added, “Investing in rural youth is investing in social cohesion, food security, and sustainability for the entire region. They must be recognized as protagonists of the future, with the right to choose where and how they live.”
IICA’s Recommended Actions
The institute’s recommendations emphasize creating alternatives that make remaining in rural areas attractive rather than attempting to halt migration. Key priorities include:
- Expanding essential services such as transportation, digital connectivity, housing, healthcare, and education.
- Strengthening rural education with technical and digital training aligned to modern agricultural challenges.
- Building university hubs that connect science, technology, and rural communities.
- Developing agribusiness ecosystems for youth, supported by financing, mentorship, and land access.
- Encouraging private sector and international cooperation to foster employment and technology transfer.
Innovation and the Path Forward
IICA underscores the importance of coordinated policies and partnerships to harness innovation in digital agriculture, biosciences, and technology. These approaches, it argues, will not only provide new opportunities for rural youth but also help ensure food security and long-term sustainability for the entire region.
