Young people aged 18 to 40 are the target audience of the Citizen Consultation for the construction of a National Policy for Rural Youth. Employment opportunities, access to basic services and spaces for participation are seen among the main concerns of this age group which, according to the 10th National Youth Survey, has decreased from 12.1% in 2003 to 9.2% in 2022 at the national level.
“We know that the country’s population is ageing, and in the countryside this is even more noticeable. For the development of the rural world, the creative outlook of young people in the face of the challenges and opportunities that mark the future of the rural world of our country is essential. Today, they are aware of the reality we face: the ageing of the productive population, the urgent need to adapt to climate change and the imperative demand for ecologically, economically, socially and environmentally sustainable production systems,” explains the regional director of Indap, Fernanda Azócar Rodríguez.
So far, Ñuble leads the survey participation, with 20% of the national total; however, they reinforce that it is essential to increase participation. “Our Ñuble region, one of the poorest and most rural in the country (30%), will be significantly impacted by these policies, directly contributing to rural development. It is essential that we support our young farmers, giving them more opportunities to grow in the countryside in a sustainable way. I call on the young people of our region to answer this citizen consultation to take our problems to the authorities and seek solutions together,” highlights Héctor Palomino, a young Indap user in the Ñuble Region and member of the National Roundtable of Rural Youth.
The Digital Citizen Consultation will be available until July 15 and participants can participate by visiting the INDAP website: www.indap.gob.cl.
National Policy
On October 25, 2023, President Gabriel Boric committed INDAP to lead the development of a National Policy for Rural Youth. To this end, local, regional and national meetings have been held in which rural youth from the Ñuble region identified priority issues that reflect their needs and aspirations in aspects of their life and work in the countryside.
These themes focus on four main areas: training and capacity building, connectivity, productive development and marketing, and access to information.
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