Enviro News Asia, Rome — The 49th session of the Governing Council of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) emphasized the pivotal role of young entrepreneurs in transforming rural economies and strengthening global food security amid growing geopolitical challenges.
IFAD President Alvaro Lario stated that young entrepreneurs bring energy, digital skills, and creativity that can be converted into viable rural businesses through targeted investments in training, access to finance, market linkages, and enterprise networks. He stressed that strengthening rural productivity is essential to global food security, rather than merely supporting isolated projects.
Globally, young people number around 1.3 billion, the largest generation in history, with approximately half living in rural areas of developing countries. Persistent investment gaps have created an “opportunity deficit” that limits their economic potential. Addressing this gap is critical to increasing food production for a growing population and creating employment across the agricultural value chain, from farming and storage to processing, marketing, and export.
Lario underscored that investing in young entrepreneurs is a necessity to build sustainable and resilient food systems. He was joined by guest speaker Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Holdings and Founder of The Tony Elumelu Foundation, who echoed the message and highlighted agriculture as a strategic resource for economic growth and community resilience.
Elumelu noted that agriculture powers rural economies, feeds urban populations, and sustains communities, emphasizing that investing in young entrepreneurs strengthens communities, reduces poverty, creates jobs, and enables endogenous rural growth. He added that 21 percent of the 24,000 entrepreneurs supported by The Tony Elumelu Foundation operate in agriculture and agribusiness, collectively creating more than 400,000 direct and indirect jobs across Africa.
During a fireside chat, Lario and Elumelu discussed Africapitalism, the principle that Africa’s private sector—led by African entrepreneurs—should drive the continent’s economic and social transformation, reducing reliance on prolonged aid.
As the only international financial institution focused on investing at the “first mile” of food systems, IFAD reported that every dollar it mobilizes translates into approximately six dollars of high-impact investment on the ground. Impact assessments indicate these investments typically increase rural incomes, productive capacity, and market access by more than 30 percent.
Approaching its 50th anniversary and ahead of its fourteenth replenishment consultations, IFAD reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening partnerships with rural communities, governments, and the private sector to deliver measurable and lasting results. Lario concluded by stating that shared investment in this mission would lead to shared success. (*)
