Owing to predominance of agriculture in the economies of the global south, food systems will have to play a bigger role in expanding meaningful opportunities for the youth including providing fulfilling job opportunities. As the food systems in the global south especially in Africa are experiencing progressive transformation and the relative fast growth. Investing in the food systems is a logical undertaking that not only creates jobs for the youth but also helps to address the concentration of global rural poverty and a movement towards inclusive growth.  Evidence available from continental studies in Africa have shown that there is a diversity of African youth and there is need for caution on how easily young people can participate and benefit from the food systems.

Youth represent critical agents for change. Countries seeking to attain the SGDs with the commitment of leaving no one behind ought to engage youth from diverse backgrounds at various levels of planning, implementation and monitoring of interventions. Youth are critical thinkers, change makers, innovators, communicators, and leaders of today and tomorrow. RUFORUM seeks to mobilise global youth ideation and voices for inclusion in the UN Food Systems Summit declaration.