Committee on World Food Security

The event "Rural youth employment and entrepreneurship for food security and nutrition", organised by the European Commission and BMZ focused on the importance of rural youth employment for development and nutrition and food security. The panelists saw the biggest opportunity for job creation in the food system and along agricultural value chains. The growing urbanisation and the demographic developments put demand pressure on the agricultural sector and food systems. At the same time this pressure creates opportunities for use of new technologies, mechanization, for low- and high-skilled jobs, overall making the sector more attractive to young people.

The Civil Society Mechanism Coordination Committee organised this event to discuss the roles and struggles of women in crises. The panelists all agreed that women face multiple levels of vulnerability in crises and in conflicts. The number of women suffering from malnourishment triples in time of protracted crises, with 50% of women in Afghanistan being iron deficient with special vulnerability of pregnant women. In time of crises, women suddenly become the heads of households. They lead the households with smaller capacities, fewer rights, no recognition and limited access to resources, which often results in food insecurity for the whole family. Regulatory frameworks often do not leave any other choice to women, forcing them to work informally, with no rights, security and under bad conditions. In food crises, when there is no production, they are the first to suffer. Therefore, women issues need to be present in the political, health and economic discussion in order to find a solution.

The event was organised by the European Commission and the Private Sector Mechanism to discuss efforts on delivering the SDGs. The inputs focused on interconnections between gender equality and women’s empowerment for better food security and nutrition. All panelists agreed that the SDGs could be used to facilitate more examples and advertisements of successful women. Interventions should involve the private sector, actively aiming at using the industries to depict women in their power and to create equal working places. Efforts should address governance structures – reforming land administration and facilitating easier access to land rights, promoting organisations of women farmers and providing capacity development efforts with the private sector adapted to the time and role the women have.