http://www.fao.org/rural-employment/en/ Presentations delivered on the 7th of September 2015 in Barbados, during the launch of the new FAO project “Strengthening decent rural employment opportunities for young women and men in the Caribbean”, developed in collaboration with the IFAD. The project will operate for 3 years in 9 countries of the Sub-region, namely: St. Lucia, Grenada, Guyana, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, Haiti, Belize, Cuba and Dominican Republic. The programme is an example of effective inter-agency cooperation and aims to promote rural youth employment opportunities in the Caribbean by facilitating the development of targeted policies, partnerships and investments. The project will be implemented by the FAO Sub-regional Office for the Caribbean, in Barbados. The presentations show the perspectives and contributions of the different partners involved in the project. ©FAO: http://www.fao.org

1. LAUNCH AND POLICY DIALOGUE
REGIONAL FAO-IFAD Project
STRENGHENING DECENT RURAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
FOR YOUNG WOMEN AND MEN IN THE CARIBBEAN
7 - 9 September 2015
Bridgetown, Barbados
Youth in Agriculture: Challenges and Current
Situation
Karomo Browne
Ministry of Agriculture – St. Vincent and the Grenadines

2. St. Vincent Statistics
• Population: 109 991 (2012)1
– 57% under 35 (63,189)
• Unemployment rate: 18.2 % (2008)2
• Unemployment ratio of youths : 2.3 (2008)
1. 2012 Population and Housing Census Preliminary Report, Ministry of
Finance and Economic Planning, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
2. St. Vincent and the Grenadines Country Poverty Assesment 2007/2008, ,
Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

3. Youth in Agriculture in St. Vincent
Region 1 Region 1 Region 2 Region 3 Total
Registered
Farmers
1945 2384 2994 7323
35 years
and under
253 379 493 1125
Percentage 13% 16% 16% 15%
Source: Statistical Dept, MARTFFI, St. Vincent (2015)

4. Challenges Faced
• Lands- access
• Credit/Finance
– National Development Foundation, Credit Unions,
Commercial Banks, COMFY.
• Vocational Education.
– Technical Vocational Centre
– Technical college
• Markets/Marketing

5. Youth Policies
• Youth Policy-1996
– Agriculture
• Land Reform
• Marketing
• Credit Facilities
• Subsidies
• Capacity building/ Training

6. Youth Policies
• Youth in Agriculture Policy- draft (2010)
– Commission Agriculture Youth Coordinating Council
– Reintroduce Agriculture curriculum to all schools
– Promote agriculture as a viable career option
– Launch revolving fund
– Develop mix of suitable agro-enterprises targeting young
people
– Land Bank
– Develop Youth Apprenticeship/ Mentoring Programme in
Agriculture
– To redesign the syllabus for the Technical Colleges
– Develop Youth Incentive Package

7. Youth Policies
• National Economic and Social Development
Plan 2013-2025
– “ To increase youth involvement in Agriculture”
• Development of a Land bank
• Tailored credit facilities
• Facilitate access and the use of ICT in Agriculture
• Agricultural Training in all primary and secondary
schools
• Provision of incentives

8. Expectations: Youth in Agriculture Policy
• Completed early 2016:
• Review of existing draft to determine
relevance.
• Conduct national consultations.
• Include linkages to other sectors: education,
tourism and ICT
• Development of an action plan (short to
medium term)

9. Working Partners
• Ministry of National Mobilization:
– Youth Department
– Cooperative Department
• Ministry of Education
• IICA
• WINFA
• CED
• Youth Business SVG

10. So Far…….
• Strategies for engaging youth in Agriculture
– Promotion of self sustainable projects
– Empowerment through the educational
institutions
– Development of Youth Cooperatives
– Access to Financing
• How can Agriculture be sustainable?
– Increase engagement of stakeholders
– Participation of advocacy groups

11. So Far…….
• Linkages between youths and ICT in
Agriculture
– App designs for record keeping
– Finance management
– Linking farmers to markets

12. Current Programmes……the How!!
• Ministry of Agriculture……
– Youth in Agriculture consultations- 8 districts
– Publishing of Success Stories- last quarter 2015
– Zero hunger Programme - Rural Transformation
dept.
– Provision of Credit and Financing
• Farmers Support Company
– 64 young farmers benefited ($271 089)
– Root crops, plantains, vegetables, bananas, livestock

13. Current Programmes……the How!!
• Banana Accompanying Measures (BAM)
– Provision of Pedigree livestock (small ruminants)
– Funding for Youth in Agriculture Policy
• Youth Department
– Resuscitation of 4H clubs
– entrepreneurship

14. Current Programmes……the How!!
• Cooperative Department
– Promotion of school cooperatives.

15. THANK YOU