MIJARC’s main topic of work for the year 2020 was youth participation to agriculture. Despite the difficulties associated with Covid-19 situation, we were able to implement local visits in 6 European countries, that enabled our young participants to identify priorities related to youth participation in agriculture. We then held our annual seminar (online format) to train young participants on how they could become active in agricultural policy.
During the 2020 General Assembly, the delegates approved MIJARC Europe’s position paper on agriculture, which was written by the Agriculture Commission of MIJARC. In this position paper, we denounced the alarming decline in the number of small farms in Europe (disappearance of 96% of them between 2003 and 2013), the lack of support young farmers receive from the CAP, and the low income perceived by farmers in Europe.
During the 2021 GA that was held two weeks ago, the delegates voted MIJARC Europe’s objectives for the period 2022-2025, in which we profess our vision for the future of Europe: “Through the creation of new opportunities, we aim to attract innovative businesses, provide access to quality jobs, promote new and improved skills, ensure better infrastructure and services, and leverage the role of sustainable agriculture and diversified economic activities.”
MIJARC Europe still keeps both feet in agricultural issues, even if the membership is no longer composed of mainly young farmers as it was the case in the early days of MIJARC. It is one of the reasons why we are members of the European Coordination of La Via Campesina (we invite their experts quite often to speak during our events) and we participate in the Youth Working Group of ECVC. Most importantly, we now take part to two European-scale projects, Our Food Our Future and Cocoreado, in which we aim to provide a youth perspective and above all full participation of young people in the future of the food system.
Manon Rousselot-Pailley – MIJARC Europe