World Food Forum Kenya Chapter

The youth are not just beneficiaries, they are a strategic investment and a transformational force for the future of our agrifood systems. Today, I held a constructive discussion with Mr. Kazuki Kitaoka, Director of the Office of Youth and Women at FAO, where we reaffirmed our shared commitment to placing young people at the center of agricultural transformation. From expanding access to finance and education, to unlocking enterprise opportunities across value chains and making agriculture “cool” through technology, innovation and digital platforms, there is strong alignment between the Government of Kenya, FAO and our youth. This engagement builds on our continued interaction with the FAO-facilitated World Food Forum Kenya Youth Chapter, a platform that is actively mobilizing youth voices, bridging policy and innovation, and driving grassroots solutions. We look forward to strengthening this partnership with FAO to scale youth engagement across agrifood systems, particularly in transforming the livestock sector.

Young people are not the future of Agriculture — they are the NOW. Great engagement today with the World Food Forum Youth Action Board – Kenya Chapter, a youth-led platform under the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), championing practical, youth-driven solutions in agrifood systems. Our conversation focused on one big question: How to unlock meaningful youth participation in agriculture and livestock… The answers are clear: ✔️ Skills that match today’s market ✔️ Real opportunities, not theory ✔️ Access to financing and innovation At the State Department for Livestock Development, youth are already at the centre of delivery through programmes like KELCOP, DRIVE and TWENDE — driving jobs, enterprise and resilience in line with the Kenya Kwanza Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA). This is how we turn Agriculture and Livestock into a business of choice for the youth, not a last resort.