Communication Consultant, IFAD Japan Liaison Office
[email protected]Download the press release in Japanese
Yokohama, 30 October 2024 – With the global community focusing on this year’s UN Climate Summit (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, Japanese youth have initiated collective action by establishing the new IFAD Youth Club Japan (IYCJ). “This shows a strong commitment from Japanese youth to shine a spotlight on global issues like hunger and poverty, worsened by the accelerating climate crisis,” said Kotoha Nagata, IYCJ leader at the launch event held today in Yokohama, Japan.
“Youth have been at the forefront of global climate protests and strikes. The club aims to go beyond raising awareness—we want to advocate for those who are hardest hit by the climate crisis. Small-scale farmers, who play a crucial role in global food security by producing one-third of the world's food, are among those most affected,” added Koyuki Aida, IYCJ leader.
The new club has been established in close collaboration with the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the only UN specialized agency and International Financial Institution that focuses exclusively on rural communities in developing countries. The mission of the IYCJ aligns closely with IFAD’s mandate.
“IFAD’s mandate is clear: to tackle poverty and food insecurity by investing in rural people, bringing decent jobs, nutritious food, and improved living conditions to the millions of rural women and men in developing countries, while assisting them to adapt to the changing climate,” said Federica Cerulli Irelli, Head of Donor Engagement and Partnerships in IFAD. She travelled to Japan to demonstrate IFAD’s support to the newly established youth club.
During today’s event, the IYCJ showcased its awareness-raising activities related to food security and sustainable agriculture, highlighting its achievements through exhibition booths.
The club has already begun external outreach efforts. For instance, members hosted a booth and joined a panel session on climate change and the food crises at the 13th Asia Smart City Conference, organized by the City of Yokohama on 23 and 24 October. Also, the club is actively disseminating information from their Japanese language Instagram account.
Two IFAD Student Clubs from Canada's University of Guelph and McGill University also participated online to welcome the new group to IFAD's global youth network.
Rural youth, the backbone of IFAD’s work
Involving communities to increase awareness about food security issues is key to the mission of IFAD, given that youth play a vital role in driving sustainable, long-term change.
“The benefits of investing in young people are limitless, contributing to food security, poverty alleviation, job creation, and fostering peace and political stability,” said Cerulli. “IFAD understands that investing in rural youth is crucial for dynamic rural economic growth, and our portfolio of investments is increasingly focusing on young people,” she added.
Today, 1.2 billion people are between 15 and 24 years old, with most of them living in rural areas and in low-income countries. Estimates show that 440 million rural African youth will enter the labour market between now and 2030. However, youth are three times less likely to find a job than older adults, with 68 million young people currently looking for a job. Rural youth are one of the least engaged groups in decision-making processes.
The event was moderated by Mariko Kato, IFAD Representative in Japan. Federica Cerulli Irelli and Shinji Akasaka, Director of Global Networks Division of City of Yokohama provided the opening remarks.
Press release No.: IFAD/89/2024
IFAD is an international financial institution and a United Nations specialized agency. Based in Rome – the United Nations food and agriculture hub – IFAD invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, we have provided more than US$24 billion in grants and low-interest loans to fund projects in developing countries.
A wide range of photographs of IFAD’s work in rural communities are available for download from its Image Bank.
