Young farmers are a “key component to unlock the potential of rural areas”, according to European young farmer association CEJA.
Addressing EU agriculture ministers during the informal AGRIFISH Council meeting in Kranj, Slovenia, today (Tuesday, September 7) CEJA president Diana Lenzi spoke on the topic of strengthening dialogue between urban and rural areas.
She emphasised the need for strong individual, collective and territorial capacity-building to empower young farmers and rural youth and bridge the rural-urban gap.
To begin with, the president highlighted that the potential of rural areas as innovative, inter-connected places of life and work “remain untapped”.
Demographic change, low income levels, lack of connectivity, but also difficult access to basic services severely impede rural territories from reaching their full potential, Lenzi added.
To empower rural youth, CEJA’s position is that policymakers must concentrate their efforts on building capacity by “fostering educational and life-long learning opportunities, supporting business installations and development, promoting collective initiatives and improving risk management policies”.
In addition, the European farm association stressed that public authorities need to further build territorial capacity especially via massive investments in physical and digital infrastructure to provide rural actors with better living and working conditions.
Lenzi said: “If we build individual and collective capacity, we will be able not only to tackle the many challenges of rural development, but also to mind the gap between rural and urban areas, which has brought a lot of frustration over the years.
“Accessing equal opportunities is of primary importance to boost quality and stable employment, as well as personal development to the service of local communities.
“Young farmers are committed to play their part and call on EU decision-makers to support them to do so,” she said.
The EU’s long-term vision for rural areas presents a great opportunity to step up collective action and address the serious challenges rural communities face, the association noted.
Policymakers at all governance levels must ensure such opportunity does not go to waste by pooling their resources and ensuring maximised synergies between available funds, beyond the sole realms of the Common Agricultural Policy, CEJA concluded.