APRIL 2022

Youth Inclusion Interventions
A Best Practices Guide

The Rainforest Alliance is creating a more sustainable world
by using social and market forces to protect nature andimprove the lives of farmers and forest communities.

CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

3

CONTEXT

4

Global Trends

4Social Inclusion

4Youth and the Sustainable Development Goals

4

REGIONAL TRENDS

5Africa5Latin America

6Asia Pacific

6

BARRIERS & GAPS TO YOUTH INCLUSION

7

Low Productivity Linked to Poverty

7

Negative Preceptions Towards Agriculture

7

Inter-Generational Tensions and Lack of Access to Land

7

Lack of Access to Finance and Financial Literacy

8

Lack of Access to Markets

8

Lack of Access to Capacity Building

9

Lack of Inclusive Policy Frameworks

9

YOUTH ENGAGEMENT INTERVENTIONS

9General Guidance on Youth Interventions

10

Key Interventions

10

MONITORING AND EVALUATING YOUTH INTERVENTIONS

15

BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS

16

2

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

long-term sustainability and well-being of agricultural communities. However, they often face barriers to meaningful
inclusion in these sectors, pushing many to migrate to seek
work in other areas. Barriers include lack of access to land, finances, and the market; lack of participation in local policymaking; skills mismatch in the labor market; and lack of educational and capacity building opportunities. Working toward
youth inclusion requires addressing these barriers and gaps
to create an environment in which young people have theaccess and ability to fully participate in society.

Of the 1.3 billion young people (aged 15 to 24) in the world, onefifth are not employed, not in education, nor in training (NEET).
Young people are three times as likely as adults to be unemployed, and globally, young women are twice as likely as
young men to have NEET status. This troubling youth employment crisis is shaped by many factors, including social exclusion of marginalized youth, lack of employment opportunities
for rural youth, and a lack of skill readiness for those entering
the job market. Formal education and training systems often do not reach or cater to the needs of marginalized youth,leaving them without the skills needed to realize their aspirations. Of those who are employed, young workers continue toface high rates of poverty, in part because in most developing economies, opportunities for young people are mainly in
the informal sector, where job security is scarce, wages are
low and learning opportunities at work are limited.

This guide aims to provide an overview of best practices ofyouth inclusion programming in sustainable agriculture andforestry. It first provides context on global trends in youth
employment, as well as regional and sector-specific characteristics related to youth. This guide then outlines the mainbarriers to youth inclusion across regions and sectors. Using a
combination of desk research and past learnings, it provides
an overview of key interventions to promote youth inclusion
which address those barriers. These interventions include
training and capacity-building, awareness-raising, experiential learning opportunities, fostering intergenerational dialogue, and mentoring, among others. This guide concludes
with advice on monitoring and evaluating youth inclusion interventions, with examples of potential indicators and budget
considerations. Links to resources with additional information
are also included throughout the guide. The aim is that thisdocument serves as a tool of reference for those who wish todevelop youth-related projects in the regions and sectors inwhich they work.

The average age of farmers globally is 60 years old, and young
people are increasingly choosing careers outside of agriculture and forestry. As the demand for commodities such as
coffee, cocoa, and wood products continue to rise globally,
it is crucial to find approaches that both motivate youth tochoose careers in these sectors and ensure that these careers can offer a stable future. Young people can provide theinnovation, leadership, and ambition necessary to ensure the3

FIGURE 1
Overview of the global labor market for youth. Source: International Labour Organization
extremely poor

moderately poor

not poor

13%

17%

71%

NEET

not employed but in education

employed

267 million

509 million

429 million

CONTEXT

There are many reasons why fewer youth are engaging in
the agricultural and forestry sectors: The unavailability ofland and access to finances, market connections, training on
business skills; the limited modernization; low wages; negative stigmas all make careers in agriculture and forestry lessaccessible and attractive for young people. The present challenge lies in creating jobs for the expanding youth population
and addressing working poverty, the skills mismatch, and thesuboptimal school-to-work transition.5 There is no single panacea to the problems, but there is a need for a holistic, participatory approach between communities, the private sector,
governments, and all stakeholders.

Global Trends
Of the 1.3 billion young people worldwide, 70 percent live inrural areas1, and 20 percent are not employed or in school(i.e., in basic education or technical training)2. 13 percent ofyoung workers suffer extreme poverty, while 17 percent live inmoderate poverty. 67 million young people between the ageof 15 and 24 report are actively seeking work but cannot findit. One challenge influencing these trends is that formal education and training systems often do not reach marginalized
youth or cater to young women, rural or indigenous youth, oryouth with disabilities, leaving them without the skills needed
to realize their potential or aspirations.3 In most developing
economies, opportunities for young people are concentrated
in the informal sector, where job security is scarce, wages are
low and learning opportunities at work are limited.

Social Inclusion
In every country and sector, certain groups face barriers thatprevent them from fully participating in political, economic,
and social life. Groups may be excluded through legal systems, land and labor markets, discriminatory attitudes, beliefs, and/or perceptions6, among other reasons. Working
toward youth inclusion requires addressing these barriers
and gaps to create an environment in which youth have theaccess and ability to fully participate in society. According to
the World Bank, social inclusion is the process of improving
the terms on which individuals and groups take part in society – improving the ability, opportunity, and dignity of thosedisadvantaged based on their identity.7 Both barriers to, andopportunities for, inclusion intersect in three domains: markets, services, and spaces;8 policies and programs must beconnected across these domains. Attitudes and perceptions
are also key to social inclusion. Feeling included and respected is central to people’s participation in society, while conversely, people’s attitudes shape which groups get included
and excluded.9

While “youth” is a relatively fluid term, the United Nations defines “youth” as people between the ages of 15 and 24, and it
is best understood as a period of transition from the dependence of childhood to adulthood’s independence.4
The average age of farmers globally is 60 years old, andyoung people are increasingly choosing careers outside of
agriculture.1 Youth are less attracted to agricultural and forestry jobs because of the barriers they face entering andprofiting from the industry and the presence of other, more
attractive options for their future. However, the demand forcommodities such as coffee, cocoa, and wood products continue to increase globally, with no slowdown in sight. To meetthe demand for agricultural and forestry products, it is crucial
to find approaches that both motivate youth to choose careers in these sectors, and to ensure these commodities canprovide a stable future.

Youth and the Sustainable Development Goals
1

2

www.fao.org/publications/card/en/c/CA8209EN/

Engaging youth has become a key priority in international development efforts, particularly in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This set of 17 goals, launched by the UN

The status of not being in employment, education, nor training is

also known as NEET. This indicator provides a measure of youth who

are outside the educational system, not in training and not in employment, and serves as a broader measure of the youth labor market

than youth unemployment. (ILO)

3

https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/wp-content/up-

4

https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/documents/youth/fact-sheets/5

6

loads/sites/21/2018/12/WorldYouthReport-2030Agenda.pdf

7

youth-definition.pdf

9

8

4

Ibid

https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/social-inclusion
Ibid

https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/16195

Ibid

FIGURE 2
Share of youth aged 15–24 not in employment, education or training (NEET), modeled estimates for 2018. Source: ILO modelled
estimates, ILOSTAT
0–10%

11–20%

21–30%

31–40%

41–50%

in 2015, aims to achieve social inclusion, economic prosperity,and environmental sustainability for all people.10 While all the
SDGs are critical to youth development, the areas of education and employment feature prominently, as well as genderequality, good health, reducing inequality, combating poverty
and hunger, and action on environmental issues.11 Of the 232
global indicators in the SDG framework, 90 can be consideredrelated to youth development.12 There is increasing recognition of the importance of engaging youth in achieving the
Sustainable Development Goals. Referred to as the “torchbearers” of the 2030 Agenda, youth play a pivotal role as bothbeneficiaries and partners in its implementation.13

ployment and underemployment.15 As illustrated in Figure
2, the African region has disproportionately high shares ofshares of youth not in employment, education, or training.16

With almost 200 million people aged 15 to 24, Africa has the
youngest population in the world.14 As an increasing numberof African children complete primary school and transition
into young adulthood, most face the challenges of unem-

The population of Africa is expected to double from the current estimate of 1.2 billion to 2.4 billion by 2050,17 which will
put huge strains on the—under-productive—traditional agricultural sector. As it stands today, agricultural productivityof subsistence crops needs to be radically strengthened toincrease food availability. Vulnerable employment and working poverty are higher in sub-Saharan Africa than any otherregion. “Vulnerable unemployment” includes own accountworkers (i.e., self-employed) and unpaid contributing family
workers (i.e., those working for a family business or farm for
no wage). “Working poverty” refers to the status of those that
continue to live in poverty despite earning an income; it stoodat an estimated 40 percent in 2012.18 Marginalized youth—including young women, youth with disabilities, youth fromminority populations, and youth living in remote rural areas—
face particular challenges in accessing work, and risk being
trapped in vulnerable employment and working poverty.19

10

deremployment refers to those employed at a lower level than their

REGIONAL TRENDS
Africa15

http://www.youthsolutions.report/blog/2019/9/25/youth-solutions-

report-2019-showcases-50-initiatives-for-the-sdgs#:~:text=The%20

Unemployment refers to those that do not have a job while un-qualifications

Sustainable%20Development%20Goals%20(SDGs,all%20193%20UN%20

16

member%20states.

https://ilostat.ilo.org/topics/youth/#17

CTA (2016) An ICT Agripreneurship Guide: A Path to Success for

18

Moore, Karen. (2015). Fostering economic opportunities for youth in

11

https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/wp-content/uploads/

Young ACP Entrepreneurs

12

https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/wp-content/up-

Africa: A comprehensive approach. Enterprise Development & Microfi-

13

https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/wp-content/up-

19

sites/21/2018/12/WorldYouthReport-2030Agenda.pdf

loads/sites/21/2018/12/WorldYouthReport-2030Agenda.pdf

nance, 26 (2). 195-209.

loads/sites/21/2018/12/WorldYouthReport-2030Agenda.pdf

Moore, Karen. (2015). Fostering economic opportunities for youth inAfrica: A comprehensive approach. Enterprise Development & Microfi-

14 African Union - Youth at the AU website: www.africa-youth.org/

nance, 26 (2). 195-209.

5

In most Sub-Saharan African countries, agriculture is thelargest employment sector, employing about 65% of the totallabor force.20 Particularly in rural areas with limited education
opportunities, agriculture employs about 60 percent of people aged 15-34 years.21 However, they typically earn low wages, are employed under casual or seasonal arrangements,and often face unsafe, exploitive working conditions with very
limited opportunities for skills development.22
Latin America
There are approximately 106 million young people between
the ages of 15 and 24 in Latin America and the Caribbean(LAC), representing 20 percent of the region’s total population, and there are over 100 million adolescents between 10
and 18 years of age.23 Approximately 35 million youth workand 13 million combine work and school. However, of thosethat work, over half (56%) are employed in the informal sector.24 Of the total youth population in Latin America and the
Caribbean, 19.6 percent are unemployed, and an average of
39 percent live in poverty.25 The situation is even more dire inCentral America, where more than 1 million youth between
the ages of 15 and 25 are out of school and unemployed.26 In
Central America in particular, economic opportunities in theformal market are limited and inaccessible to the most atrisk youth. In addition, continued violence in Central America
has caused a decline in investments and economic growth.27

Asia-PacificOver 60 percent of the world’s youth live in Asia-Pacific, translating into more than 750 million young people aged 15 to
24 years.30 While significant achievements have been made,young people in this region continually struggle with barriers
to accessing education, especially in rural areas. In Indonesia
and the Philippines, for example, around a quarter of youth
are not in education, employment, or training, and this figure
increases to almost one-third for young women and girls.31 Of
those who do complete a formal education, many face obstacles transitioning into the workforce. This challenge is in partdue to the skills-mismatch between education and training
systems and the demands of the modern labor market.

In 2018, 14.1 percent of total labor force in LAC was employed inagriculture. Countries such as Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Peru employed morethan a quarter of their labor forces in the agricultural sector.28
Latin America’s agriculture and forestry-producing communities are in rural areas, often isolated and neglected by their governments. They face rampant poverty and isolation which leads
to limited access to social services and information about new
farming techniques or services to boost productivity.

Fewer young people are living in rural areas of the Asia Pacific region, because of urbanization and outmigration. Almost
half of the region’s population now lives in urban areas, atrend that continues accelerating.32 In addition, the demandfor jobs in manufacturing and construction is leading to acontraction of employment in agriculture.33
Transitioning between education and employment is one of
the main obstacles youth face in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.34 Despite accounting for only 20 percent of the region’s
workers, young people aged 15 to 24 account for almost halfof Asia-Pacific’s jobless population.35 Young people remain
nearly four times more likely to be unemployed than theiradult counterparts, and as much as 5.4 times more likely inSouth-Eastern Asia.36 This phenomenon points to fundamental mismatches between education and skills desired in thejob market, as well a lack of decent jobs.

In many rural communities in LAC, a dearth of higher education and employment opportunities often leads youth to migrate and seek work in other areas. This leaves rural regions
without the leadership, innovation, education, and ambitionof their best and brightest young residents.29
20

AGRA. (2015). “Africa Agriculture Status Report 2015: Youth in Agri-21

http://www.fao.org/3/MV562EN/mv562en.pdf

23

UNICEF (no date). Fast facts on Adolescents and Youth in Latin

culture in Sub-Saharan Africa.”22

http://www.fao.org/3/MV562EN/mv562en.pdf

30

https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/documents/youth/fact-sheets/

31

https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/documents/youth/fact-sheets/32

FAO (2015), “Reducing distress migration through decent rural em-

America and the Caribbean.

youth-regional-escap.pdf

ties.org/blog/8480/future-work-youth-latin-america

youth-regional-escap.pdf

America and the Caribbean.

ployment”, Rural Transformations – Information Note No. 4, Food and24

Accessed on January 26, 2020: https://youtheconomicopportuni-

25

UNICEF (no date). Fast facts on Adolescents and Youth in Latin

26

https://www.crs.org/our-work-overseas/program-areas/youth/

Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome

27

https://www.crs.org/our-work-overseas/program-areas/youth/

html?itemId=/content/component/9789264298521-5-en

28

OECD-FAO (2019). Agricultural Outlook 2019-2028.

youth-employment

33

https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/9789264298521-5-en/index.

youth-employment34

https://social.un.org/youthyear/docs/ESCAPFinal5.pdf

2936

https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bang-35

https://www.cepal.org/es/publicaciones/45048-situacion-juven-tudes-rurales-america-latina-caribe

https://www.ilo.org/asia/areas/WCMS_117542/lang--en/index.htm

kok/documents/publication/wcms_534363.pd

6Youth visit to cocoa farmers in Jembrana, Indonesia. Photo: Auditya Sari / Kalimajari Foundation
BARRIERS & GAPS TO YOUTH INCLUSION

ever, despite the many challenges, millions of youth continue
to engage in agriculture, not as a “last resort,” but because it is
the only reality they have known, and often the only productive sector where they live.40 While many young people areuninterested in working as farmers, they are quite interested
in working in other areas of the value chain, which are seen as
more profitable and more skills-based.41 Still, despite the interest in skills-based training to access jobs in the formal sector,
these jobs are often reserved for the highly educated or thosewith family “connections”.42 While there are often skills-based
trainings available, many of these trainings do not teach skills
that are in high demand, and employer preferences for experienced workers can put youth at risk of remaining jobless orunderemployed.

Many challenges to youth inclusion are consistent acrosssectors and regions. This section will delve into these challenges, which include negative perceptions towards work in
the field; lack of access to land, finances, and the market; lackof youth participation in local policymaking; and the challenge of skills mismatch in the labor market.
Low Productivity Linked to Poverty
Low productivity coupled with price fluctuations and low farm
grate prices are all factors that keep many farmers in poverty. Most smallholder cocoa farmers in West Africa (producing
70% of the world’s cocoa) live on less than US$1.25 per day.37
Low productivity can also prevent farmers from accruingsavings and reinvesting in their farms.38 Without improved
access to land and capital, modern farming techniques, andmarkets, the pathway out of poverty is unclear for many.39 The
difficultly many farmers face in earning a profit is one of theseveral factors causing youth to pursue careers outside of
the agricultural sector.

Intergenerational Tensions and Lack of Access to Land
Access to land is fundamental, but several factors make it
difficult for youth to acquire. Youth are rarely given their own
plots of land while parents are alive—and in countries whereland must be subdivided amongst large numbers of siblings,
youth can be left with small or fragmented land parcels, orwith no land at all.43 Buying land is complicated by a lack ofaccess to finances and credit, and the general unavailability of land. The best way to attain land as a young person isthrough inheritance. However, land rights are not always
straight forward, particularly in Sub Saharan African countries.

Negative Perceptions Towards Agriculture
Youth generally do not regard agriculture as a viable career
option. Vulnerable employment is particularly high for youth
on family farms; some are expected to work for no payment,
especially if their family is struggling to make ends meet. How37

https://sites.unicef.org/csr/css/synthesis-report-chil-38

ICI. December 1, 2017. “Cocoa farmers in Ghana experience pover-39

Feed the Future, 2016. “Youth Engagement in Agricultural Value

40
41

Ibid

USAID. 2014. Youth and Agriculture in Uganda: An Assessment

Combining agriculture improvements and youth development shows
promise for both.

dren-rights-cocoa-communities-en.pdf

42

Moore, Karen. (2015). Fostering economic opportunities for youth inAfrica: A comprehensive approach. Enterprise Development & Microfi-

ty and economic vulnerability.”

nance, 26 (2). 195-209.

43 AGRA. (2015). “Africa Agriculture Status Report 2015: Youth in Agri-Chains Across Feed the Future: A synthesis Report”

culture in Sub-Saharan Africa.” p.46

7

Lack of Access to Finance and Financial Literacy
Young farmers have a considerably difficult time accessing
formal credit and finance. In a global survey conducted withyoung farmers, over 70 percent of respondents stated thataccess to finance is their most significant difficulty.46 Youthrarely meet minimum lending requirements due to limited
credit history and collateral.47 As a result, their access to finance is typically limited to family or community resources,
which are often very minimal.

Some of youth’s main challenges in accessing
financial services include:1.

A limited presence of such financial service institutions in rural areas.

2. Inappropriate financial services: The lack of understanding of youth farmers’ financial capabilities and objectives causes a mismatch withfinancial products that are not affordable or appropriate for first time borrowers.48
3. Youth’s limited financial capabilities: Youth tend tohave limited knowledge and skills to make soundfinancial decisions due to their limited or lack ofany previous access. For many young people incocoa and coffee communities, financial illiteracy
may be transgenerational, as parents might also
have had little experience with financial services.
If youth perceive financial services as non-accessible, this will limit their desire to even try.

In many of these countries, customary land ownership systems still exist, and land and property rights are often unclear
and weak. Land tenure varies greatly by region. In the ejido
system in México, youth whose families are not among thefounding members will never inherit land, nor have a voice inmaking decisions about communal land.

4. Negative perceptions of youth by finance service
providers: Young people’s lack of knowledge of financial services creates a negative bias againstthem by service providers, which in turn makes
lending to youth riskier. Gender discrimination canalso affect the ability of young women to develop
their own financial capability.49

Complicating matters, customary land tenure systems usually dictate that women’s rights to land are linked to their relationship with men, even in cases when the law protects theirrights. Yet, land is the most fundamental resource required for
improving the livelihoods of rural women.44
There also exists a general mistrust of youth with the responsibility to take on agricultural and forestry jobs by themselves.
Tensions arise between the traditional means of farming,
practiced for generations, and new farming techniques. One
result is increased frustration among youth with their inability
to make decisions that could enhance production, efficiency,
and profitability. While skills training is lacking in the agricultural sector, youth seek more independence to try new techniques for economic growth.45 With parents making the decisions, youth are neither developing new skills nor contributing
to their families’ livelihoods. In this sense, youth are not givena real opportunity to impact their family farms.

Lack of Access to Markets
Access to markets for youth has traditionally been difficult,and is further complicated by the growing influence of standards in global commodity supply chains. Without accessto markets, youth will not be able to engage in viable andsustainable agricultural ventures. Barriers to youth entrepre46 IFAD. 2014. Summary of the Findings of the Project Implemented by
MIJARC in Collaboration with FAO and IFAD: Facilitating Access of Rural

Youth to Agricultural Activities.

47

https://www.agrilinks.org/sites/default/files/using_agricultural_fi-

48

http://www.youthsolutions.report/blog/2019/9/25/youth-solutions-nance_to_drive_youth_employment_webinar.pdf

44AGRA. (2015). “Africa Agriculture Status Report 2015: Youth in Agri-report-2019-showcases-50-initiatives-for-the-sdgs#:~:text=The%20

culture in Sub-Saharan Africa.” p.47

Sustainable%20Development%20Goals%20(SDGs,all%20193%20UN%20

culture in Sub-Saharan Africa.” p.46

49

45 AGRA. (2015). “Africa Agriculture Status Report 2015: Youth in Agri-member%20states

8

Ibid

neurship include a lack of an enterprise culture in many countries; unfavorable legal, policy and regulatory frameworks foryouth entrepreneurship; the lack of entrepreneurship education across formal and informal education systems; the lackof access to affordable financing for start-up, investment
or working capital; and little knowledge about and accessto business development services and support schemes foryouth interested in being entrepreneurs.50
Some programs that teach skills development to youth failto link these skills to the marketplace and their employers.
In some cases, the data on the market may be unavailable.
In Uganda, for example, a USAID study found that there is alack of publicly available data on the labor market. This indicates a need to conduct, for example, a coffee value chain
assessment/market analysis to understand the coffee labor
force, the extent of this market, projections on its growth, howpeople make money in coffee, and what skills and resources
would be needed to access opportunities in this sector.

Lack of Inclusive Policy Frameworks
Too often young people’s voices are left out of all policy decision making, program planning, and community assessments, etc. There are only a small number of organizations
representing rural youth in the policy-making process, andyouth do not receive as much political attention from theirgovernments because they tend to have fewer resources.52
When youth are ignored, their multifaceted needs are not discussed or are likely to be misunderstood, leading to poor policy and program planning and intervention. As a result, policies fail to account for the heterogeneity of youth, and do notprovide them with effective support.53 In addition, youth often
feel excluded from and undervalued by community and family decisions, serving to push them away from a future working on their family farms.

Lack of Access to Capacity Building
One of the biggest challenges young people face is a lack ofskill readiness. Youth and adults alike often have insufficient
access to knowledge, information, and education, which
limits the possibilities in modernizing and changing farming
practices. There is a real need to incorporate agricultural skills
into rural education, through schools and vocational training.
Agricultural training and education should be adapted to ensure graduates’ skills meet the needs of its rural communityand labor markets.51

Many countries where cocoa, coffee, and forestry products
are produced do not have adequate policy frameworks foryouth inclusion, nor sufficient government capacity for implementing these policies, should they exist. Some NGO- andcorporate-funded programs have faced challenging implementing environments, where the government is either noton the same page or lacks the will and resources to sustain
good practices.

Skills needed include:•

Foundational skills: literacy and numeracy•

Technical and vocational skills: vary according tomarket demand and youth interest•

Transferable skills: business and entrepreneurshipskills, financial literacy and capability, employability skills•

Soft skills: job searching, networking, comportment
on job and interviews, teamwork, communication,customer relations, leadership•

Life skills: positive behavior, cognitive skills for analyzing and using information, personal skills for developing personal agency and managing oneself,
and interpersonal skills for communicating and interacting with others•

Technology skills: use of technical software, GIS
systems, drone technology, website management,etc.

Young people are critical to the Rainforest Alliance’s mission.
Investing in the future of forests and communities means investing in the next generation of leaders, community members, and technicians in sustainable farming and forest management. For this reason, it is critical to design interventions
which engage youth and meet their needs, as well as theneeds of their communities and the market. This section will
outline several youth interventions that can be implemented
to address the barriers to youth inclusion.

50

http://ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---europe/---ro-geneva/---youth employment”. https://www.agrilinks.org/sites/default/files/using_51

FAO. “Facilitating Access of Rural Youth to Agricultural Activities”.

53

YOUTH ENGAGEMENT INTERVENTIONS

52

sro-moscow/documents/publication/wcms_345719.pdf

USAID. “How to use agricultural finance interventions to drive

agricultural_finance_to_drive_youth_employment_webinar.pdf

9

FAO. “Facilitating Access of Rural Youth to Agricultural Activities”

General Guidance on Youth Interventions

Key Interventions

Steps to Designing an Intervention

a. Training and Capacity-Building
Youth capacity-building is essential to addressing the skills
mismatch and promoting job readiness. It is important thattraining activities respond to diverse needs, complement existing opportunities, and respond to the labor market. Several
key considerations when designing a capacity-building intervention with young people include:

1. Identify needs: Include the voice of young people in baseline assessments to understand their interests, challenges,
and opportunities. Not all young people are the same; theopportunities are different for men and women, for young
people from urban areas and rural areas, for those who will
one day inherit land and those who will never be able to. It is
important to understand that while many of the challenges
young people face can be similar, situations and opportunities can be very diverse. Including this diversity of perspectives is important for all diagnostics, not just those that focus
on social issues.

1. Focus on needs of youth and labor market: To ensure thatcapacity-building meets the needs and objectives of young
professionals and the labor market, a clear youth-focusedneeds assessment should be used.54 It is crucial to understandlabor and market conditions to support practical avenues for
employment for young people. For that reason, market assessments should be used which explain the relationships among
private sector actors, highlight profitable and expandable
markets, and describe the market environment. 55

2. Find opportunities to include activities with young people within projects: Interventions working with young people
have more impact when developed along with other interventions in a landscape and not in isolation.

2. Design a holistic approach: Like any youth intervention, capacity-building should not be carried out in isolation. Rather,it should complement other programming/interventions. A
holistic approach to capacity-building integrates both formal and informal systems of learning. In other words, it is necessary to consider the ways that formal schooling influences
vocational learning, and how each of these interacts withinformal learning among peers and between generations.56
Effective programs integrate these learning contexts by involving families, the local community, educational institutions,and the workplace.57

3. Assign budget and appropriate staff to address inclusion
issues: To be effective, youth interventions need the rightbudget and attention—not just a minimum percentage ofbudget. Technical staff should be trained on social inclusion
issues and strategies.
4. Define interventions in a participatory way: It is important
to define who the interventions are aimed at, and what activities would be most impactful for these groups and the local
context. Activities will differ if working directly with youth, withteachers and academic institutions that shape these young
people, with community leaders, or other stakeholders.

For capacity-building within schools, one approach is to adapt
curricula to address key areas and skills in sustainable agricul-

5. Create indicators to measure opportunities for young people: Indicators for measuring progress in activities with young
people go beyond counting the number of young people inan event. It is important to see the representation of young
people in various spaces, but also to create indicators thatmeasure impact on knowledge, skills, attitudes, job opportunities, and participation in decision-making, among others.

5455

http://www.fao.org/3/a-i5024e.pdf

http://www.acdivoca.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/LEO-Youth-

Engagment-Ag-VCs-Across-FTF.pdf

5657

http://www.fao.org/3/a-i5024e.pdf

https://www.fhi360.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/re-source-yp-guiding-principals-soft-skills.pdf

10ture and natural resource management. This could be complemented by vocational training for young people geared towards
emerging opportunities in local value chains, and addressing
gender dimensions such as household work distribution, accessto productive resources and inputs, and land rights.58
3. Gendered Approach: Gender is an important dimensionthat influences opportunities to work with youth. Young women are frequently constrained by household workloads, traditional customs and beliefs, and sometimes even limitations
on their mobility. In many cases, the challenges of reaching
young women with education and training initiatives may begreater than those related to reaching young men.59 It is important to ensure that gender dimensions—for example restrictions on women’s land rights (either through formal laws
or gender-discriminatory social norms) in some societies—
are incorporated into training and sensitization activities.60
4. Invest in training educators and trainers: Equipping educators and trainers with specific and contextualized materials
and knowledge is key to effective capacity-building. Trainingof trainers and peer-to-peer training are also effective methods of building the scale and longevity of the program.61

Mexico, the Rainforest Alliance worked with a local technicalforestry school to provide over 250 hours of coursework to acohort of 70 young people through a program called, “Nuestra Selva, Nuestro Futuro” from 2016-2019. These courses integrated capacity-building and awareness-raising by focusing
on deepening students’ content knowledge about the forest
and their communities and exploring job interests and opportunities with the students.

b. Awareness-raising and exposing youth to the future employment opportunities
There are many young people who would like to engage withthe agriculture or forestry sectors but find it unclear where to
begin or how they could contribute. Building greater awareness of careers in agriculture and natural resource management among young people is critical, particularly by exposing
them to opportunities to enter the market, and farming andforestry as a business.62 Awareness-raising can spark interest,
address gaps in knowledge, and expose youth to the many
ways they could contribute.

Effective awareness-raising also leverages the power of themedia and communication technology. Communication
technology can be used to educate and train those unable
to attend higher education institutions, and it can help young
people spread knowledge, build networks, and find employment.65 The Rainforest Alliance and Bali-based partner, theKalimajari Foundation harnessed this potential throughawareness-raising activities in Jembrana, Indonesia. Throughthe Sustainable Action and Advocacy in Kakao (SUBAK) project, students participated in an in-depth research program
about the cacao sector in Jembrana and shared their experiences through social media networks. This allowed them todisseminate this information widely, broadening the reachof awareness-raising beyond those who participated in the
program.

Awareness-raising can cover a huge range of activities, including anything that involves people understanding, learning, or doing something new, envisioning the future, working out how to change something in their lives, or talking tosomeone else about what they have done.63 There are several key elements of successful awareness-raising interventions. These include setting clear goals, developing tailoredmessages for target groups, engaging other stakeholders
and partners, and using proper communication channels.64
These elements are all interrelated and can strengthen theimpact of an awareness-raising activity.

load/The_key_features_of_successful_awareness_raising__cam-c. Experiential Learning Opportunities
Experiential learning is a widely used approach to teachingthat links the students’ education, work, and experience.66 In
this approach, educators engage with learners in direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge,
develop skills, clarify values, and develop people’s capacity tocontribute to their communities.67 Best practice in youth programming indicates that young people—particularly thosewith low literacy levels—fare best in experiential settings thatbuild on their previous knowledge and facilitate learning

64

65

https://ypard.net/news/9-ways-engage-youth-agriculture67

https://www.aee.org/what-is-ee

One method of awareness-raising is through partnering withformal educational institutions. For example, in Calakmul,58

http://www.fao.org/3/a-i5024e.pdf

59

Ibid.

61

Ibid.

63

http://www.eli-net.eu/fileadmin/ELINET/Redaktion/user_up-

60
62

Ibid.

https://ypard.net/news/9-ways-engage-youth-agriculture

paigns_10-15_LM_ELINET.pdf

http://www.eli-net.eu/fileadmin/ELINET/Redaktion/user_up-

load/The_key_features_of_successful_awareness_raising__cam-

66

paigns_10-15_LM_ELINET.pdf

11https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/43766169.pdf

d. Partnerships with educational institutions
Schools are one of the most influential developmental contexts that shape youth.73 Therefore, partnering with educational institutions can be an effective way to address manyof the barriers youth face, from lack of career-readiness to
exclusion from community decision-making structures.
Partnerships with schools could focus on developing new educational tracks focusing on technical skills, providing training and professional development with teachers and administrators, and carrying out awareness-raising activities withstudents. Schools can be valuable partners, as they can provide recruitment avenues, legitimacy and networks within thecommunity, and resources such as facilities, staff, and data.74
These kinds of partnerships enable the sharing of capacity toachieve common goals of engaging youth with agriculture
and providing skill development.75
A key first step in establishing a school partnership is to assess
the needs of the students and schools and determine how apartnership could enhance the educational experience.76 It is
important that the potential contributions of the organizationor business match the needs of the students and schools (i.e.,
human resources for tutoring and mentoring, and technicaltraining and equipment).77

skills.68 A key principle of experiential education is that experiences require the learner to take initiative, make decisions,and be accountable for results.69 Social and emotional skills
are also critical to experiential learning, as it often requires
skills in teamwork, collaboration and relationship-building.70

e. Creating safe spaces for young people to build social andemotional skills
An important part of youth work is creating spaces of trust
where participants can share experiences and support eachother. Strategies to promoting strong relationships and groupcohesion include acquaintance exercises, collaborative
group work, perspective-taking exercises, and peer modeling.78 Experiential learning opportunities such as internships
and apprenticeships can also provide spaces for young people to build responsibility, communication, teamwork, andother soft skills, in addition to field-specific technical skills.79
Social and emotional programming has been found to improve students’ academic achievement and positive social
behavior, while reducing their conduct problems and emotional distress.80 Social and emotional development for youth
includes developing capacity to: (a) form close and secure
adult and peer relationships, (b) experience, manage, andexpress a full range of emotions, and (c) explore the environment and learn—all in the context of family, community, andculture.81

Work-based learning experiences typically incorporate career awareness, career exploration, career practicums, andcareer preparation.71 Activities include worksite tours, job
shadowing, internships, and apprenticeships. A preliminary
step when designing experiential learning opportunities withbusinesses is identifying labor market needs. Key questions
to ask before identifying potential partners are “What do weneed and how can business/industry help us?” and “Who are
our local employers and what are their needs?”. These inquiries can be supported with data on occupational and industry
growth to provide a long-term view of labor market needs andtheir relation to student work-based learning experiences.72
The benefits of experiential education include job preparation, leadership skills development, social management andinteraction, facilitation of dialogue and critical thinking, andknowledge for personal growth. Practical experiential learning allows young people to practice their skills while being
exposed to potential employment opportunities, as well as
community members and leaders.

68

http://www.acdivoca.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/LEO-Youth-70

https://www.aee.org/what-is-ee

https://teachingcommons.unt.edu/teaching-essentials/en-

https://innovate.cired.vt.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Eissler-

76
77

https://www.gssaweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Best-Prac-78

tices-in-K-12-Business-Partnerships-1.pdf

7275

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED537764.pdf

BrennanYouth-EngagementFINAL.pdf

gaged-learning/components-experiential-learning

71

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED537764.pdf

74

Engagment-Ag-VCs-Across-FTF.pdf

6973

http://www.nhscholars.org/School-Business%20How_to_Guide.pdf

http://www.nhscholars.org/School-Business%20How_to_Guide.pdf
https://www.fhi360.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/re-source-yp-guiding-principals-soft-skills.pdf

https://www.gssaweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Best-

79

Practices-in-K-12-Business-Partnerships-1.pdf

https://www.fhi360.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/re-source-yp-guiding-principals-soft-skills.pdf

80 https://casel.org/preschool-and-elementary-edition-casel-guide/
81 https://naturalstart.org/sites/default/files/journal/5._final_carter.pdf

12

f. Creating an enabling environment for youth participation
There are many spaces that young people do not have access to, including decision-making spaces, as well as training,
management, and entrepreneurial spaces. One way to address these access issues is to work with local decision-making bodies to create an environment that enables youth participation. The first step to any approach to increasing youth
participation is to understand the structures in place, current
youth civic engagement efforts, and the barriers young people face.

For additional guidance, see the National League of Cities’
framework for authentic youth civic engagement.83
Creating an enabling environment also involves supporting
entrepreneurship, as youth often face challenges in the legal,
cultural, and educational business environments. Strategies
for promoting youth entrepreneurship include: entrepreneurship culture campaigns, the promotion of young successful
entrepreneurs as role models, business idea competitions,awards, media coverage, youth business events and entrepreneurship education.84 Improvements of the legal andregulatory environment could focus on tackling the administrative and regulatory burdens—such as business registration,
the time it takes to register, the cost, the number of steps/procedures, minimum capital requirements, and property rights—
which disproportionally impact youth-owned businesses.85
As with most interventions, in order for entrepreneurshippolicies to be effective, they should be integrated within thecontext of wider employment policies and programs, acrossmultiple sectors and levels.86

It is crucial to work with local governing bodies to create anenvironment that enables authentic youth civic engagement.
According to the National League of Cities, the four critical elements of authentic youth civic engagement are:
1.
2.

3.
4.

A Setting in which the civic climate is welcoming and inviting to youth, acknowledging their role in public policy,
planning and decision-making.
A Structure in which the organization and system that
supports youth civic engagement meets the needs ofthe local government and the interests of the young
people.
A Strategy that offers a wide range of activities and provides youth with a breadth and depth of meaningful opportunities for participation in local government.
Support from adult allies, both within and outside local
government, which enables the young people involved
to have a real impact on issues that concern them.82

g. Fostering intergenerational dialogue
Advancing youth inclusion does not just involve working withyoung people. This work also requires the participation of older adults and spaces of coexistence and intergenerational
dialogue.

83

84
82

Ibid.

http://ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---europe/---ro-geneva/---sro-moscow/documents/publication/wcms_345719.pdf

https://4-h.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/authentic-youth-en-

85

gagement-gid-jul101.pdf

86

13

Ibid.

Ibid.

Promoting intergenerational dialogue is a process of relationship-building between younger and older generations
through shared experiences and regular contact.87 Beyond
the human component of relationship-building, intergenerational models are also increasingly being designed inwhich participants explore local issues and work together toimprove local conditions.88 In general, effective intergenerational programs emerge as partnerships in which: (a) organizations have complementary goals and objectives, (b) the
project involves multiple partners, and (c) the partnerships
work toward meeting existing needs.89

tory environment and market conditions for youth financial
services and identifying providers that want to offer youth
financial services in rural areas.96 The long-term commitment of financial service providers to including youth is also
critical. Offering youth financial services should be clearlyaligned with an organization’s mission and long-term strategy.97 Non-financial services can also be provided to increase
youth access to finance. This includes financial education,business/technical training, mentoring for start-up businesses, and linking youth clients to an experienced NGO.98
j. Facilitating market linkages with the private sector
Involving the private sector can be an effective way to increase employment opportunities for young people and to
make sure that skills development reflects the needs of thelabor market. The private sector can support youth by providing incentives to engage in agriculture, forestry and agribusiness—for example, through internships, apprenticeships,
and training programs to prepare youth to lead and manage
rural businesses.99 These kinds of partnerships are typicallycharacterized as public-private partnerships (PPPs) and they
are a form of cooperation between public sector and private
sector actors working toward a common goal, while sharing
risks, resources, and competencies.100

h. Creating mentoring opportunities
Access to other professionals for communication, inputs andsupport is very valuable for young people. Mentoring relationships enable youth to develop relevant skills and competencies for rural development,90 and can even support capacity-development among trainers and trainees.91
Mentoring can support professional and career development
through the transfer of knowledge, skills and networks, andcan also be a way to excite and encourage young people tobecome leaders in their fields.92 “Mentoring” is the process of
direct transfer of experience and knowledge from one person
to another, and a “mentor” is anyone who makes a positive,
guiding influence on another person’s life.93 Mentorship may
include organizational staff and representatives from othergroups, companies, and academic institutions. It is a two-way
relationship where young people also actively contribute.

A key consideration in working with private sector partners isthat most youth in developing economies work in the informal sector, where training is typically done through informal
apprenticeships. In those contexts, it would benefit both youth
and employers to extend to apprenticeships the kind of skills
certification systems normally applied to formal technicaltraining.101 Entrepreneurship training can increase economic
activity and business start-ups among youth, and sometimes
even their incomes. These positive outcomes result whentraining is combined with mentoring, support services, and financial assistance to start an enterprise.102 Crucial to the success of working with the private sector on youth interventions
is to ensure that the private sector is involved in the designof the intervention. The intervention must be demand-driven;
the participation of firms in the design of interventions, and inall subsequent stages, is therefore essential to ensure effectiveness.103

When designing a mentoring program, it is important to understand the needs and motivations of the potential participants to define the objectives and approach.94 Approaches
to mentoring include in-person mentoring, online/remotementoring, and event-based mentoring (both one-time andlong-term).95 It is important to choose the mentoring approach that is appropriate for your audience and objectives.
i. Facilitating access to finance
Access to finance is crucial to improving the ability of young
people to pursue viable careers in the agriculture and forestry sectors. Interventions can focus on altering the requirements around accessing finance so that more young people
can open accounts, take out loans, etc. Designing a financial
service intervention begins with understanding the regula87

https://aese.psu.edu/outreach/intergenerational/curricu-

88

https://aese.psu.edu/outreach/intergenerational/program-areas/la-and-activities/intergenerational-activities-sourcebook

environmental-education/generations-united/generations-united-for-environmental-awareness-and-action
89
90
91

Ibid.

http://www.fao.org/3/a-i5024e.pdf

97

Ibid.

99

https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/15396/Feed-100

https://www.s4ye.org/sites/default/files/2017-06/The%20Private%20

Ibid.

the-Future-CaseStudy-Youth-Ag-ICT.pdf

Ibid.

Sector%20and%20Youth%20Skills%20and%20Employment%20Programs.

Pamela Yoga-Yieke. 2018. Coordinating A Mentoring Program: A Toolkit

pdf

for Agriculture, Forestry, Landscapes and Other Sectors. pdf. Young

Professionals for Agricultural Development. https://ypard.net/sites/de-

101

Ibid.

103

https://includeplatform.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/

102

fault/files/resources/toolkit_v4_1_0.pdf.

93 https://ypard.net/sites/default/files/resources/toolkit_v4_1_0.pdf
95

https://static.globalinnovationexchange.org/s3fs-public/asset/

98

92 Kovacevic, Michelle, Sarah Dickson-Hoyle, Dorothy Mukhebi, and94

96

document/ryfs_how_to_0.pdf?ZHQIiwenRk9dUyWHiAaAxSH4INixKC57

Ibid.

One-pager-private-sector-youth-employment-final-version-1.pdf

Ibid.

Ibid.

14

MONITORING AND EVALUATING YOUTH INTERVENTIONS

tion, the intended outcomes, and the audience. There are also
several strategies for measuring these indicators. These include pre- and post-program tests, surveys, interviews, andfocus groups with participants and other stakeholders. The
table below shows some examples of indicators and the interventions they could be used to evaluate. This is not a comprehensive list, and more indicators and specific guidance
about measuring them exist. It is important to note that wherever possible, indicators should be disaggregated by relevantsocial segments including gender, geographic location, marginalized or at-risk populations, and age.106

Appropriate indicators are crucial to monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of a youth intervention. Monitoring refers
to setting targets and milestones to measure progress andachievement during a program; evaluation is a process ofassessing the success of a program in meeting its goals andreflecting on the lessons learned at the end of the program.104
Indicators
There are no standard indicators for measuring young people’s development.105 They vary depending on the interven104

106 https://www.youthpower.org/youth-dhrg-toolkit-m-and-e
107 https://www.youthpower.org/ye-indicator-youth-level
108 Ibid.
109 Ibid.
110     https://www.youthpower.org/sites/default/files/YouthPower/resources/PYD%20Measurement%20Toolkit%20Final.pdf
111
Ibid.
112 https://static.globalinnovationexchange.org/s3fs-public/asset/
document/PYD%20Measurement%20Toolkit%20Final.pdf?FmETOPj.28pXhWjfwdXARknamnNBVg_r
113
Ibid.

Kovacevic, Michelle, Sarah Dickson-Hoyle, Dorothy Mukhebi, andPamela Yoga-Yieke. 2018. Coordinating A Mentoring Program: A Toolkit
for Agriculture, Forestry, Landscapes and Other Sectors. pdf. Young

Professionals for Agricultural Development. https://ypard.net/sites/de-fault/files/resources/toolkit_v4_1_0.pdf.

105

https://amg.um.dk/en/tools/youth-in-development/stan-

dard-youth-indicators/

TABLE 1
INDICATOR EXAMPLETYPE OF INTERVENTIONDESCRIPTION

Increase in content knowledge /understanding of subject area

Capacity-Building, Awareness-Raising

Measures the effectiveness of learning
activities, the degree to which youth
gain a deeper understanding of thesubject area.

% increase in youth full-time
employment

Capacity-Building, Experiential Learning,
Market Linkages with Private Sector

Measures the degree to whichinterventions better equip youth to gain
meaningful employment.

# of youth participating in local
governing body107

Create an enabling environment

Measures the level of engagement ofyouth in decision-making bodies, andthe degree to which the intervention
lowered the barriers to youth
involvement in local government

Increased youth report of positive value
and/or recognition by adults108

Intergenerational dialogue, Mentoring

Measures changes in attitudes, thedegree to which youth feel valuedby community members, and that
community members recognizethat youth can positively impact thecommunity.109

Increased interpersonal skills110

Social and Emotional Learning

Measures development of skills thatare needed to communicate & interact
with others, including verbal andnon-verbal communication, listening,assertiveness, conflict resolution andnegotiation strategies111# of youth-friendly laws and policies,# of youth who report living in a society
with youth-friendly laws and policies112

Create an enabling environment

Measures the degree to which youth
have a stronger voice in, and are
better served by, local and national
institutions.113

15Budget Considerations
For the above interventions to be effective, it is crucial to assign the right budget and people to carry them out and tomonitor and evaluate the impact which will depend on context and sector. The table below describes some budget considerations to account for when designing youth inclusioninterventions.

TABLE 2BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS
Staff

Ensure there is sufficient time of dedicated staff. Consider hiring a new position to
focus on youth or other inclusion issues.

Materials/Equipment

In addition to workshop materials/costs, consider funds for technical equipment
for school partners that would enhance student learning (GPS, tree measurement
tools, etc.)

Travel Costs for Students/Stipends

If developing experiential learning opportunities, consider including stipends forstudent participants to enable their travel and expenses for participating.

Expert Facilitators

If introducing students to experts in the field, consider per diems for facilitators or
support in travel/meal cost of mentors.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Ensure dedicated funding to design, collect and monitor indicators specifically foryouth inclusion, including baseline assessments and interviews of youth.

Seed funding for entrepreneurs

If developing an entrepreneurship program, consider providing funding for youth
participants to take first steps in carrying out their business ideas.

16

rainforest-alliance.org
email: info@ra.org