Digital technologies in support of rural youth: Access, adoption and use of technological tools in family farming

Background

The Regional Digital Platform for Family Farming, led by the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, promotes, since 2023, the Technical Exchange Cycle as a space for dialogue, cooperation and learning between Latin America and the Caribbean countries and other regions. Following two editions focusing on family farming registries and public markets, this third edition will address a structural and intergenerational challenge that defines the future of agrifood systems: the inclusion and participation of rural youth in family farming.

Generational renewal represents one of the greatest challenges for the sustainability of family farming. Rural youth face systemic barriers that hinder their retention and participation in agrifood systems, including limited economic opportunities, restricted access to land and credit, gaps in connectivity and digital literacy, and the absence of differentiated public policies that recognize their needs and possibilities. At the same time, spaces for participation and influence are limited, making it difficult to recognize rural youth as a strategic asset—bearers of innovation and with organizational capacity—and to acknowledge their potential to engage with new technologies that can transform the production and marketing of family farms.

In this context, the third edition of the Technical Exchange Cycle proposes a three-dimensional approach to the topic. The first dimension examines digital technologies as tools for inclusion and productivity for young farmers. The second analyzes structural gaps in connectivity and access to digitalization in rural areas, as well as the institutional mechanisms needed to address them. The third dimension explores investment and financing instruments targeted at rural youth, identifying innovative experiences and lessons learned across the region.

Objective

This session aims to analyze the current state of access to and use of digital technologies by young people in family farming systems, identify the main barriers and facilitators for their adoption, and highlight innovative experiences where technology has strengthened youth engagement in agriculture. Special attention will be given to mobile applications, virtual technical assistance platforms, market information systems, and tools for traceability and farm management.

Target audience

Representatives of governments, family farming and youth organizations, academic institutions, FAO staff and all who are interested in learning more about these topics.

Main discussion topics

• Relevance of available technological tools for the rural and youth context
• Training and support models for the adoption of technology
• Role of family farming organizations in technology mediation
• Public policies that promote or limit rural youth's access to digital innovation