By Own Correspondent  

THE Lands and Agriculture Ministry has commended the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for initiating a green jobs program which has gone a long way to uplift youths in the country’s six districts.

In Zimbabwe, the project has trained, provided grants, business mentorship support, and wages to rural youths across six districts, namely: Chegutu, Chimanimani, Kariba, Kwekwe, Marondera, and Mazowe.

In general, FAO acknowledges the power of youths in their diversity such as rural youth, indigenous youth, young women, among others are on the frontline to build sustainable and resilient agri-food systems and they are better placed to rejuvenate the sector with their innovations, uptake of new technologies and digital transformation.

Recently, project stakeholders gathered in Harare for a learning event to share project experiences, lessons learnt, and best practices learned from implementing rural youth interventions under this project.

The learning event themed “Youth in Agrifoods systems – Green skilling for Green Jobs” brought together more than 100 stakeholders including the Korean Ambassador, senior government officials, project participants rural youths, community leaders, academia, private sector and development partners to reflect and share lessons learned from the different components of the project.

Professor Obert Jiri, Permanent Secretary in the MOLAFWRD, in a keynote address read on his behalf by Agnes Mugova, the Acting Director Strategic Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation hailed the program.

“The project has fortified the capacities of local organizations, including farmer-based groups, NGOs, universities, and private companies, to further bolster youth engagement in sustainable agricultural practices.

“Going forward, we are steadfastly committed to building upon the successes of this project and the Rural Development 8.0 agenda to create even more meaningful green job opportunities for our youth. In doing so, we empower them to be the driving force behind Zimbabwe's agricultural transformation and sustainable development,” he said.

FAO Sub-Regional Coordinator for Southern Africa, Patrice Talla emphasised on the importance of green jobs.

“Green jobs in agriculture can support the country’s economy, provide meaningful livelihoods to the young and old, support increased food security and nutrition as well as transform our agrifood systems into inclusive sustainable practices that can both mitigate and adapt to climate change.

“This learning event enabled us to reflect upon our journey, celebrate our achievements, identify areas of improvement, and pave the way for future endeavours under this project,” said Talla.