Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture Youth Summit

Rural Youth Event hosted by IICA at their headquarters in Costa Rica. Jessica Radau front left.

Earlier this month, Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) staff member Jessica Radau was invited to represent Canada in the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) Hemispheric Meeting: Rural Voices—Youth in Action, held August 12–13 at their headquarters in San José, Costa Rica.  

IICA has been a valuable partner in CCA’s international agricultural engagement, including collaboration in our climate advocacy efforts at Climate Conference of the Parties (COP). IICA is a strong supporter and ally in the importance of animal agriculture in sustainable food systems. We are particularly grateful to IICA for generously covering the costs that made Jessica’s participation in this event possible. 

The event brought together youth ages 18–35 representing each country in the Americas to share ideas, build skills, and foster collaboration amongst youth who are actively shaping rural communities. Sessions covered topics from ag entrepreneurship and digital innovation to leadership, advocacy, and bioeconomy. 

Despite coming from diverse regions across the Americas, participants shared common challenges, including limited access to land and capital, farmland conversion, and the need to retain youth in rural communities and agricultural careers. 

Some participants highlighted regions where food is produced in limited spaces through small-scale operations. These approaches offer valuable insights into resilience and resourcefulness, and the value of community-based initiatives and the new approaches and ideas youth are bringing to the table. At the same time, regions with vast landscapes and advanced agricultural technologies are also key contributors to global food security, such as Canada. Sharing perspectives helped highlight the complementary strengths of different agricultural models and reinforced the importance of collaboration across borders. 

The event was also a great opportunity to learn more about IICA's role as a specialized agency for agriculture that supports member-state countries of the Americas through leadership in international policy dialogues, and executing on the ground projects through various regional offices and initiatives. For example, a Global Affairs Canada-funded project was highlighted in Guatemala and Mexico that aims to strengthen resilience of sustainable livestock practices and climate adaptation using remote sensing technology. 

CCA Canadian cow pins were shared with each of the youth participants, which sparked good conversations about the important role of Canada’s beef farmers and ranchers in environmental sustainability and a contributing to a healthy diet.   

The event also provided valuable opportunities to connect with peers involved in other youth agriculture initiatives, including through the World Food Forum and the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock. These connections are helping to build a strong foundation for ongoing knowledge exchange, collaboration, and coordinated advocacy efforts at future international events. 

The event concluded with the development of a Rural Youth Agenda—a unified vision that will be presented at an upcoming Summit of the Americas. This initiative marks a significant step toward ensuring youth voices are not only heard but actively shaping agricultural policy and investment.  

Thank you to IICA for this important opportunity to engage and highlight youth, and we look forward to strengthening our relationship through continued collaboration opportunities.