Are we ready to listen to young rural people?

Brian Thomson: 00:00:05

This is Farms. Food. Future. – a podcast that’s Good for You, Good for the Planet, and Good for Farmers.

Brought to you by the International Fund for Agricultural Development.

Welcome to episode 89, I'm Brian Thompson.

Michelle Tang: 00:00:33

And co-presenting this edition, I'm Michelle Tang.

Brian: 00:00:25

Tomorrow is International Youth Day, and we're celebrating early.

Because the young people you're about to meet?

They're not waiting either.

Michelle: 00:00:33

While the world debates the future of farming, they are already building it.

Brian: 00:00:37

From grassroots action to global policy, these young people aren't just talking about change, they're making it happen.

Michelle: 00:00:45

And we'll explore what it takes to support youth-led innovation.

Brian: 00:00:49

Not just with good intentions, but with real resources and partnerships.

Michelle: 00:00:55

As always, we want to hear from you – what you think about our stories and who you want us to be talking to – so please get in touch with us at podcasts at ifad dot org.  

:: 01:05

You can also subscribe to this podcast via your favorite podcast platform. And please don't forget to rate us.

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Coming up, we speak to young farmer Lucy Herazo in Columbia.

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You're listening to farms, food future with me, Brian Thomson and Michelle Tang.

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Our first story takes us to Colombia, where Lucy Herazo works with the Rural Youth Alliance of Colombia – a network that brings together over three thousand young people from across the country.

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She led a nationwide profiling study of Colombia's rural youth that have gone on to inform both government policy and development projects.

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The data she helped gather is giving decision makers A clearer picture. What young people in the countryside are really facing and what they're dreaming of.

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She’s also been a strong voice for youth on the global stage: participating in Biodiversity COP16 and recently joining as a panellist at the I-L-C Global Land Forum.

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But what makes Lucy's story stand out is how she balances this work with being a mom.

The alliance has created space for young parents to participate and Lucy can bring her daughter to the meetings when needed.

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So, how did Lucy's journey begin and what keeps her motivated? Our reporter Kat Velastegui spoke to her.

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Welcome, Lucy, to this episode of Farms.Food.Future, our IFAD podcast.

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Good morning, thank you, Katherine, for the opportunity. I’m Lucy Erazo, a young woman and rural mother living in the Sucre department of Colombia. I am the departmental coordinator for the National Network of Rural Youth. I am part of Alianza, an organization that brings together various groups from different regions of the country.

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Being a young woman leading in the Colombian countryside involves many challenges. What has been the most significant challenge you’ve faced, and what gave you the strength to overcome it?

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As women, we have been excluded from decision-making spaces for being rural and for other reasons. Another important factor is education; we are often excluded from national and international spaces because we may not have higher education or speak other languages. The context and the inequality gap in rural areas are often overlooked. Sometimes, we don’t even have access to secondary education, which makes it much harder to access higher education or learn languages.

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With IFAD’s microfinance project, many great ideas have emerged. What has been the most inspiring initiative you’ve supported, and how has it changed someone’s life in your community? Could you tell us more?

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Working with the pilot project to make the voices of rural youth visible has made a real impact, especially in the municipality of Guaranda, in Sucre. We trained about 30 young people through workshops on climate change, advocacy and political participation, and audiovisual production focused on development. These workshops clearly strengthened the capacities and skills of rural youth. Today, we see empowered young people in educational matters. Additionally, we are promoting the participation of two rural youths from the Guaranda node to run in the Youth Council elections taking place this year in Colombia. This decision-making and dialogue space between departmental and national organizations is very important because it allows rural youth to present their challenges and showcase their skills.

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At the Global Land Forum, you represented rural youth. What was the most important message you delivered, and why do you think the world should pay attention?

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The most important message I brought was about the work I have done with the youth of Guaranda. I believe this work, which was largely funded by IFAD, should be replicated in other rural areas, taking into account the specific local contexts. It’s essential to train rural youth and provide ongoing support. I have witnessed the before and after in this young community, and I believe this initiative contributes to development.

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And finally, if you could record a message for all young people working in agriculture, what would you say to encourage them to keep pursuing their dreams?

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I would say: persist and keep fighting for our land and to assert our rights as women. Today, we are more convinced than ever that change is possible—that inclusion is possible. We dream of a future that is fair and equal, where everyone has equal rights and can be included in decision-making, participation, and advocacy spaces—regardless of gender or socioeconomic background. We contribute from our diverse contexts; we have knowledge about the land, about life, and about care, and that knowledge must be valued in these spaces. The message is clear: keep insisting, keep participating. Even if sometimes we feel excluded, what matters is to keep pushing forward, to keep showing up, and to give visibility to other women who might be afraid to speak out or participate because of fear of rejection. But here we are—leaders who want to continue promoting and supporting their initiatives in meaningful spaces.

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Thank you, Lucy and Kat.

Sometimes the most powerful tool is simply asking the right questions and making space for everyone to be part of the solution.

Even if that means bringing your daughter to meetings.

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And speaking of making space – our next guest discovered that sometimes you have to leave your comfort zone to find where you truly belong.

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You’re listening to episode 89 of Farms. Food. Future. with me Michelle Tang and Brian Thomson.

Our next guest is Damaris Pastuzan, also from the Rural Youth Alliance of Colombia.

She's based in Consacá, where she's been working on biodiversity conservation, particularly around native seeds.

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Damaris has already trained 400 students and 24 teachers on seed conservation, empowering the next generation to protect their agricultural heritage.

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And she’s not stopping there.

Right now, Damaris is working with local authorities to establish a native species nursery, a project that will help restore ecosystems and safeguard Colombia’s rich biodiversity.

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Damaris is proving, from the classroom to policy change, that young people can and should continue building a sustainable future.

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Our reporter, Kat Velastegui, brings us her story. .

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We know that your journey from local work to global events, like for example, COP 16, has been truly inspiring. What moment or experience has defined your vocation as a rural leader?

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Hello, warm greetings to everyone. I’m Damaris Pastuzan from the municipality of Consacá, Nariño, Colombia. I feel that one of the main events that motivated me to become a rural leader was reflecting on my ancestors and all the work they have done over the years. I come from a family, especially on my father’s side, where my grandparents have been great leaders in our community. Thanks to them, today we have a road, potable water, an aqueduct, electricity, and an active community action board that carries out different projects. On my mother’s side, she has also been a great leader. So, I consider them my pioneers in this journey of being a rural leader, representing rural youth who have faced many difficulties over time. Their example has also motivated me to focus on environmental care, which is one of the main themes I have developed professionally as a biologist. This has allowed me to bring these topics not only to youth spaces but also to spaces dedicated to environmental preservation and care.

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We also understand that IFAD’s microfinance programs have driven many dreams. Is there a business venture that has excited you the most to see grow, and why?

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Yes. One of the projects that has impacted me the most is creating my own coffee business. I come from a coffee-growing region where my parents have cultivated coffee for many years. However, they traditionally only produce the dried coffee bean. The transformation I wanted to make was to not only sell the raw bean but to offer a finished product that people can consume directly. For that, I trained at SENA, where I learned about the production process. Right now, I am selling the final product, which is the result of many hours of research and hands-on work. The process involves selecting only ripe coffee cherries with the best color, shape, and size, meaning we do not use green or partially ripe beans, only the red cherry. Then, we disinfect the beans with hydrogen peroxide to reduce contamination. Next, we depulp the beans with a conventional machine and ferment them. Currently, I use a 50-hour dry fermentation process, adjusted for our local temperature and humidity. This dry fermentation means we do not add water; natural yeasts and lactic acid bacteria carry out the fermentation, giving the coffee unique characteristics. After fermentation, the beans are washed and the pulp separated, then dried for about 7 to 10 days. Finally, the coffee is taken to a processing plant where it is roasted, ground, packaged, and prepared for sale. We sell 500 grams of coffee for 5,000 Colombian pesos, that’s about €1.32 or $1.61 USD. This is one of the ventures I am developing that has motivated me to continue strengthening agriculture with value-added products that have their own distinctive processes.

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We know that international spaces often talk about rural youth, but not always with them. What stereotypes about rural areas do you think you are breaking by bringing your voice directly to these spaces?

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One stereotype I’m trying to break is the idea that rural areas are just places of production or pretty landscapes. In reality, the countryside is full of invisible challenges that only those who live there truly experience. I’ve noticed that many people talk about rural areas superficially. But when you live in the countryside and face the daily reality, like dealing with climate change, which is seriously impacting us by disrupting seasons, you confront things beyond your control. For example, transportation is a major challenge for me since I live in a very remote rural area far from the urban center. Without your own transport, you have to find other ways to get around. If you don’t experience these difficulties firsthand, it’s hard to truly speak about them. Another issue is education. We often discuss education but forget about the importance of internet access. Many courses are offered online, but when you get to remote rural areas, there is no electricity or reliable internet connection, making it very difficult to take advantage of those opportunities and education that could open doors.

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If you had to paint a picture of the future of Colombian rural areas in 10 years, what would it look like thanks to the work of young people like you?

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I imagine that we, as young people who have taken the initiative to pursue higher education, will bring that knowledge back to our communities. That’s exactly what I’m doing, I’m a young woman who chose to return to the territory. I’m studying biology and about to finish, which motivated me to create the environmental node “Zacao” in my municipality, where we provide community services, especially for children. We bring schools valuable information about environmental care and preservation through workshops, activities, and dynamics. We hope to plant a seed in their hearts, because you never know when those seeds will grow, but by bringing this knowledge and support to the territory and community, the community grows. If more people join initiatives like this, we will grow collectively

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Thank you, Damaris and Kat.

The Rural Youth Alliance of Colombia is one of four similar alliances that IFAD has established through PROCASUR, alongside alliances in Senegal, Rwanda and Morocco.

You can find more information about these at procasur dot org.

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And don't forget to check out our latest episodes!

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In episode 86 we ask what’s next for development finance –and why remittances might be leading the way.

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Then episode 87 we continue with our series Life Stories, featuring personal journeys from those shaping the future of farming in Bangladesh and Colombia.

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And in episode 88 we talked about slow food and steady change with Recipes for Change chef Ana Villota (veeh-yoh-tah) and IFAD Goodwill Ambassador Sabrina Elba.

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Up now, we’ll hear from Genna Tesdall and Sebastian Pedraza (peh-drah-sa), from the Young Professionals for Agricultural Development movement YPARD, as part of our ongoing Global Donor Platform for Rural Development series.

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You’re listening to Farms. Food. Future. with me Michelle Tang and Brian Thomson.

The Young Professionals for Agricultural Development movement – YPARD – connects over 45 thousand young people across the globe.

But numbers don't tell the whole story.

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What makes YPARD different isn't just its size – it's its approach.

Instead of talking about youth engagement, they're creating platforms for youth leadership in agricultural development.

Genna Tesdall, YPARD's Director, has seen firsthand how young people transform when they're given real responsibility, not just token participation.

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Welcome Genna, it's lovely to have you on the podcast.

I'd like to start by asking you – as we always do in our Global Donor Platform for Rural Development series – what are the issues that keep YOU up at night?

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It's a hard one, but I think in general, it would be inequality. Rising inequality. So many challenges that we're facing, whether that's royal youth unemployment or underemployment. Whether it's inequality in access to jobs and access to roads and access to education. And access to just having a decent income. I think that's the hardest thing to tackle through our work.

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lopment in the coming year in: 2025

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A super promising development, in my view, is the emphasis on working with local stakeholders and giving way more credibility to local stakeholders for knowing what can work and to really be the drivers of change.

We know a lot of the challenges that are coming at us, right? Something we have to do really well in the future is think about how we build in safety nets into our work because instability is a really big challenge and it's going to become even more of a challenge.

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What inspired you to become involved with international Development work?

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I think for most of us in this field, it's a very personal decision to be in this. You have to be intrinsically motivated and loved. And for me, being motivated by just making money was not enough for me. I realized I could really devote my life to this. it's about connecting with people, that you realize are just really not fundamentally different than you at all. Everyone gets excited over a delicious meal together or a great evening out in the environment enjoying, you know, a great sunset. Those are types of things that unite us as people and as humans and that is so fun to work with and to get to have those experiences with other people through our work and to do something meaningful. It's almost spiritual. this type of work.

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Thank you very much, Genna.

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And wrapping up this special Youth Day edition, we speak to Sebastian Pedraza, Latin America Country Coordinator at YPARD.

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You’re listening to episode 89 of Farms. Food. Future. with me Brian Thomson, and Michelle Tang.

Latin America is a continent of incredible diversity – different languages, different challenges, different opportunities.

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And for young people across the region, those differences matter.

Supporting them in agriculture means meeting them where they are, taking all these aspects into account.

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Sebastián Pedraza knows this well.

As YPARD’s Latin America Country Coordinator, he’s seen firsthand how an approach that succeeds in Argentina might need rethinking in Mexico.

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But he's also seen the power of connection – how a young farmer in Brazil can inspire innovation in Peru, how challenges in one country become opportunities in another.

Sebastián, thank you for joining us today.

So, what motivated you to work with YPARD to support young professionals in agricultural development in Latin America and the Caribbean?

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Yeah, there's a lot. I feel mostly climate change. I feel now rural areas are facing you know, the complicated consequences of climate change, the more vulnerable population need to, you know, move to other places. They are losing their crops. So I think this is something that always I'm thinking how we can bring these voices and and make it part of the designing of the global solutions that are happening around the world in hopes and in all these congresses. So I'm thinking how we can create a new programme and create new opportunities.

We already have a solution. We only need the support and to just sit in the same table together and interact.

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What do you consider to be the most promising development and then also the most significant challenge in development?

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The most complicated topic I already talked about, climate change. I've also seen people are implementing solutions, very local solutions that are transforming their communities. We need just to believe that they have the power, for example, referring to this advocacy spaces, for example, indigenous communities and rural community.

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What inspired you to be involved with International Development work? If you had one message for yourself 10 years ago, and also for the youth who were just starting in this kind of career, what would be your message to them?

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I grew up in a in a rural area, so I meet a lot of colleagues and friends that were living amazing initiatives, but they have to move to cities because they have enough opportunity for education and decent jobs. So I say I have to do something with myself as I consider myself one of the privileged because I have the chance to study, to go to university, to speak in English. So, the message I would give to myself 10 years ago is, keep working hard. I think you are doing really well, you can do it better every time and leave a legacy after you will be in this earth. So, I I feel really proud whether I'm doing and I think I can do even better just to keep connecting people with opportunities. Connecting and doing things together. I think that's the the final message that I can give.

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Thank you Sebastian.

To learn more about the young professionals for agricultural development.

You can visit www dot Y – P – A – R – D dot net.

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You can also head to donor platform dot org for more info on the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development.

And that brings us to the end of this Youth Day special!

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Thanks as always to our producers and editor here in Rome, Rosa González, Francesco Manetti, Francesca Primavilla and to our reporter Kat Velastegui.

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But most of all thanks to you for listening to this episode of Farms Food Future brought to you by the International Fund for Agricultural Development.

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We’ll be back in two weeks asking: Can food waste help solve hunger? And how do we keep feeding more people with less land, less water, and an increasingly unpredictable climate?

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These aren't just theoretical questions – they're challenges our guests are tackling right now, from upcycling food waste in Denver to developing climate-resilient rice in the Philippines.

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And on the second Monday in September, we spotlight the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly, exploring how global policy decisions shape local food systems.

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This is farms, food, future, a podcast that's good for you, good for the planet, and good for farmers brought to you by the International Fund for Agricultural Development. You can find out more about all of our stories at www.ifad.org/podcast.

Remember, we want to hear from you what you think about our stories and who you want us to be talking to. So please get in touch at podcasts at ipad.org. Send us your voice or text messages to this address and we'll be happy to play you out in the next show. Also, don't forget to subscribe to this podcast via your favorite podcast platform and please rate US and once again we'll be trying to be good for you. Good for the planet, and good for the farmers. Until then from me, Brian Thompson and the team here at IFAD. Thanks for listening.