In a context of demographic bonus, rural youth have great potential to face the challenges of inclusive and sustainable rural transformation: compared to rural adults, they have more schooling, greater proximity to the information society and the use of new technologies, greater capacity for innovation, greater environmental awareness and move more easily between urban and rural areas. For this reason, they are a key actor for fair, sustainable and inclusive development in the rural territories of Latin America.

However, compared to their urban peers, rural youth face gaps and restrictions to their development: they experience higher school dropout rates, less access to higher education, more teenage pregnancy, less access to jobs in general and to quality jobs in particular. They also face gaps with respect to rural adults: they have less labor participation, less access to land, extension services and credit to undertake economic activities.

We work to understand the expectations and aspirations of rural youth and, from there, to reduce social inequality gaps between rural and urban youth, as well as between rural youth and adults, contributing to the well-being of rural youth through public policies that ensure equivalent opportunities in different territorial contexts.