IFAD expert: Youth empowerment drives digital revolution in rural areas

In a rapidly changing world, the digital revolution is emerging as a key challenge for the future. Access to digital resources and skills must be made available everywhere in order to enable society to harness the numerous benefits that come with this revolution, said Sara Savastano, director of the Research and Impact Assessment Division of the International Fund for Agricultural Development. This is where young people can bring significant added value, she said.

Besides, she said, even young people who are leaving rural areas in search of better opportunities hold the potential to transform the rural regions through the power of digital knowledge and skills. Their innate aptitude for using technology can prove to be a game-changer for rural communities by bridging the urban-rural digital divide and striving to embrace the digital era.