The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has highlighted the challenges facing rural youth in Georgia while calling for greater investment in skills development, entrepreneurship, and rural employment to create sustainable opportunities for young people.
Released to mark World Youth Skills Day, FAO’s latest assessment examines the aspirations and realities of rural youth, revealing that limited employment opportunities, financial insecurity, restricted access to education and finance, and inadequate public services continue to drive migration from rural communities.
According to the report, many young people in Georgia achieve higher levels of education but struggle to find suitable employment in their home regions. The mismatch between qualifications and available jobs, combined with fragmented agricultural land and limited access to productive assets, makes it difficult for young entrepreneurs to establish successful farming businesses or secure financing.
FAO notes that these structural barriers particularly affect young women, who often face greater challenges in accessing land, credit, and government support programmes needed to develop commercial agricultural enterprises.
Despite these obstacles, the organization says many young people remain committed to contributing to rural development through agriculture, entrepreneurship, environmental protection, tourism, and community initiatives. With stronger institutional support and better access to training, finance, and modern agricultural practices, rural youth could play a significant role in transforming Georgia’s agrifood sector.
Working alongside Georgia’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture and the Ministry of Regional Development, FAO is supporting programmes that encourage youth participation in local development planning, agricultural and business training, community projects, and small-scale investment initiatives. The organization has also helped establish the National Youth Network for Agriculture and Rural Development, providing a platform for collaboration between young people, government institutions, and development partners.
FAO emphasized that creating attractive rural communities requires more than job creation alone. Improved education, better infrastructure, expanded public services, recreational opportunities, and stronger support for entrepreneurship are all essential to retaining young talent and promoting inclusive rural development.
The organization concluded that empowering rural youth through coordinated national policies and targeted investment will be critical for strengthening agriculture, improving livelihoods, advancing gender equality, and supporting sustainable rural transformation across Georgia.
