ASEAN EU Youth Forum

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ASEAN EU Youth Forum

Farmers make the food we eat but many young potential farmers are seeking job prospects in the cities instead. The issues surrounding this and what can be done to encourage more young farmers was discussed at the ASEAN - EU Youth Forum. Young farmers from Europe and Southeast Asia gathered at the ASEAN Secretariat for the forum, which focused on Youth Engagement in Food Crops Production and Value Chain.

Activity

Outcome

2016: Round Table Family Farming

Theme: Round Discussion on Strengthening Agricultural Cooperative and Attracting Youth in Agriculture

Date: 7 November 2016

Place: Jakarta, Indonesia

Participants: ASEAN Foundation, EU Jakarta Office, AgriCord, Collectif Stratégies Alimentaires, AsiaDHRRA and the Consortium of Asian Farmers Association for Sustainable Rural Development and La Via Campesina

Goals: How to achieve cooperation and partnership to access market through geographical indication trademarks.

1. Cooperation on Geographical Indications (GI):

Identify potential GI in ASEAN Farmers' Organisation Support Programme areas.
Promotion of GI products.

2. Mechanism to promote Social Dialogue:

Learning exchange on ASEAN government and FOs/CSOs to EU on the existing social dialogue model.
Continuing the discussion between ASEAN (ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry, ASEAN Ministers Meeting on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication) on how to institutionalise social dialogue mechanism similar to the EU social dialogue mechanism.

2017: Round Table Family Farming

Theme: Round Discussion on Strengthening Agricultural Cooperative and Attracting Youth in Agriculture

Date: 7 November 2016

Place: Jakarta, Indonesia

Government support needed so that youths can get the funding and other support needed.

Overall, the youths discovered that the issues being faced by young farmers in Europe and ASEAN are similar. Calls for government support were made to encourage more young people to become farmers so that they can get the help they need.

We need to unite in one voice in order to get the voice as loud as possible. If everyone is speaking through the same microphone, we make the voice really loud. And the voice needs to be loud in order to be heard by policymakers"

Jannes Maes
EU Young Farmers' Association representative