Migration, Agriculture and Rural Development

This project assisted host community members and SuTPs in gaining access to formal employment through the delivery of a vocational training programme, developing beneficiaries’ vocational and technical skills. This intervention created livelihood opportunities in the local market for programme graduates, specifically focused on the production of niche agri-food products with strong and stable consumer demand.

FAO supported the vocational skills of Syrians under Temporary Protaction (SuTPs) in the food and agriculture sector to improve their access to employment opportunities. Building on assessment results showing significant shortage of skilled and semi-skilled labour in the sector in southern and south-eastern Turkey, FAO in partnership with UNHCR and the private sector carried out vocational trainings in the agriculture, food processing and livestock sectors for unemployed SuTPs and host communities.

In both Tunisia and Ethiopia, rural outmigration, especially of youth, is a reality challenging rural development and transformation, although in different ways. To respond to these challenges, the objectives of the e Rural Youth Mobility Project (RYM) project were to address the adverse drivers of migration, while at the same time enhancing the positive impact of rural outmigration of youth on food security and rural development in rural areas of origin.

As individuals and organizations in localities across the globe mobilize to support those displaced by war, conflict, and climate disasters, meeting immediate needs of migrants and refugees is critical. At the same time, building the infrastructure needed to support and engage migrants and broader communities in the long term is essential to ensure strong life outcomes beyond the initial welcoming period.

The project PEM N'Zassa, which is deeply rooted in the two countries in which it is being implemented, Côte d'Ivoire and Belgium, aims to support the entrepreneurial ecosystems in each country. The project proposes a circular mobility model for 120 Ivorian entrepreneurs and SME employees who have developed an innovative entrepreneurial project, and for whom mobility to Belgium represents an opportunity to create value.

Migrants and diaspora communities play a vital role in agri-food systems. Diaspora organizations support food security and rural development in their countries of origin, through investments, transfer of knowledge and skills, and contribution to employment generation in rural areas. 

The Diaspora Agro Business Award by the Ugandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), thus serves to recognize diaspora ”agripreneurs” contributing to agrifood employment opportunities in countries of origin.

Funded by AFD, the I Yeke Oko ("We are together" project aims to promote peace between populations and territorial cohesion in Cameroon and the Central African Republic, by helping to strengthen local governance, consolidate social ties and boost the rural economy. The I Yéké Oko project is aimed at the balanced and sustainable development of territories affected by the displacement of populations resulting from the Central African conflict in the Central African Republic and Cameroon. 

Ethiopia is highly dependent on agriculture for its economy, as well as for the day-to-day subsistence of its citizens. Wollo University in Dessie has been one of the most ambitious in the country in testing learning solutions around agriculture and implementing projects aimed to prepare its graduates for the job market in key sectors, including agriculture.

The Young Farmers’ Federation of Uganda (UNYFA) in partnership with the Schorlemer Foundation of the German Farmers’ Association (DBV) have set up the International Young Farmers Exchange Program. 

Together they organize a three-month stay on a host farm in Germany or Uganda in two exchange rounds (April - June, August to October) for up to 70 young farmers in order to carry out a professional and cultural exchange. This practical experience is accompanied by a three-part seminar series in cooperation with the Andreas Hermes Academy (AHA)

The M4SD Programme (2019-2023) aimed to harness the development benefits and reduce the negative effects of migration for host and home communities, migrants, and their family members. A key component of this Programme was to showcase how inclusive policies can be implemented locally and how the results contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.