ASEAN-EU Youth Forum

ASEAN-EU youth forum focuses on agripreneurship

Jakarta, Indonesia – Young farmers and farmer leaders from ASEAN and EU member countries gathered at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia on 25-26 October 2017 for the ASEAN-EU Youth Forum for Youth Engagement in Food Production and Value Chains.

Country Permanent Representative of Thailand to ASEAN Ambassador Phasporn Sangasubana, European Union (EU) Ambassador to ASEAN Francisco Fontan, and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) representative Ron Hartman opened the forum with key messages on young people in agriculture and rural development.

The resource persons that shared various knowledge about agribusiness and how to attract youth to agriculture and agribusiness are Romy Cahyadi of UnLtd, Dea Amira of Ur Farm Coffee, Robert Budianto of Java Fresh Company, and Sutarjo of Sabisa Farm, Julie Lebrun of Federation des Jeunes Agriculteurs (FJA), and Jannes Maes of Conseil European des Jeunes Agriculteurs (CEJA). Meanwhile, Dian Sukmajaya of the Agriculture Industries and Natural Resources Division (AINRD) of the ASEAN Secretariat presented about agriculture Cooperatives in ASEAN, Dr. Yiyi Sulaeman discussed ATWGARD (ASEAN Technical Working Group on Agricultural Research and Development, and R. Quarto of EU Trade Section presented the EU Economic and Trade Policy towards ASEAN.

The young farmers from Laos, Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Indonesia presented their case studies on value chain business model best practices and lessons learned on agricultural production and value chain involving youth where they shared about their initiatives in their respective communities.

Visit to Sabisa Farm

On the second day of the forum, the delegates and organizers went to Bogor for a field visit at Sabisa Farm which was established in 2014 by Bogor Agricultural University. The farm is managed by the college students with a team of agribusiness.

ASEAN-EU Youth Declaration

At the end of the two-day forum, the young farmers came up with a Declaration of Cooperation between ASEAN and EU Young Farmers and ASEAN Young Farmers’ Declaration.

The ASEAN-EU Youth Forum is a continuation of the Roundtable Discussion on Strengthening Farmers’ Organizations/Agricultural Cooperatives and Attracting Youth in Agriculture, which previously took place on 7 November 2016 at the ASEAN Foundation, Jakarta, Indonesia. It aims to create a platform for ASEAN-EU joint actions in enhancing youth participation in innovative agribusiness and agripreneurship activities.

The forum aimed at attracting youth participation in agriculture throughout Southeast Asia by offering forward-thinking knowledge exchange and showcasing existing support systems, with an emphasis on youth and their participation in the agricultural value chain. It also provided a platform for joint action and a chance to interact with policymakers on issues that affect participation in such a vital industry.

The ASEAN – EU Youth Forum is a collaborative effort between the ASEAN Foundation (AF), EU Jakarta Office, the Consortium of Asian Farmers Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA), La Via Campesina (LVC), AgriCord, Collectif Stratégies Alimentaires (CSA), and AsiaDHRRA. #

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