Youth Policy Dialogue – Reflections from the LEADER Youth Community

On 16 and 17 September, I had the opportunity to participate in the Youth Policy Dialogue in Ireland, representing ELARD and the LEADER Youth Community. It was a great opportunity to meet young farmers and young people working in the agricultural sector from across Europe, exchange experiences and, most importantly, bring the perspective of rural youth and LEADER into the discussion about the future of European agriculture.

The first day was all about getting to know each other. We were a diverse and enthusiastic group of young farmers and young people from the agricultural sector, representing Latvia, Sweden, Czechia, Montenegro, Greece, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Ireland.

We visited the National Ploughing Championships in Screggan, Ireland’s largest outdoor agricultural event. During the day, we visited the European Commission stand, as well as stands from organisations such as the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) and Macra, the Irish organisation for young farmers.

What I particularly enjoyed was the opportunity to talk to other young people about their experiences in agriculture. Although the situations and challenges differ between countries, there are also many similarities. This first day created a good connection within the group and provided an excellent basis for the discussions on the following day.

On Thursday morning, we travelled from our hotel in Maynooth to Dublin, where we were welcomed at Europe House. The morning was used to prepare for the Youth Policy Dialogue with European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen.

We worked in groups on three different themes and developed recommendations for the Commissioner, focusing on generational renewal and access to resources; competitiveness, sustainability and resilience; and European territorial diversity, with a particular focus on Ireland.

What I really appreciated was that I could bring the LEADER perspective into all three themes. LEADER is relevant to many of the challenges discussed, particularly when it comes to making rural areas attractive places for young people to live, work and build a future.

In the afternoon, Christophe Hansen joined us, together with Irish MEP Maria Walsh. After a short introduction, the Youth Policy Dialogue began.

One of the things that stood out to me was Hansen’s perspective on the future of European agriculture. It was somewhat different from the debate I am used to hearing in the Netherlands. His message was that Europe wants to maintain a strong agricultural sector and encourage young people to become farmers. He also emphasised that agriculture is about much more than food production. Farmers play an important role in rural areas and contribute to the social and economic vitality of the countryside.

The main purpose of the dialogue was to discuss practical ideas and solutions that could make agriculture attractive and sustainable for future generations. Of course, this is not always straightforward, as Member States have their own responsibilities in implementing European legislation and policies.

After the three groups presented their recommendations, Christophe Hansen asked us several questions. One of them was about which existing European instruments are actually making a difference and should therefore be maintained or strengthened.

This gave me the opportunity to speak about LEADER and explain why I believe it is such a valuable instrument within the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

I explained that LEADER is a strong example of what the European Union can achieve through a bottom-up approach. Funding is made available through the CAP for rural development, while local communities themselves help determine which initiatives are needed in their area. Every rural area is different, and LEADER recognises this by supporting projects that fit the specific needs and opportunities of a local community.

In my view, this makes LEADER a practical and accessible instrument for keeping rural areas vibrant and attractive – not only for existing residents, but also for young people and future farmers.

I therefore stressed the importance of keeping LEADER as part of the CAP and ensuring that Member States commit a guaranteed share of funding to it. LEADER has been demonstrating its value for more than 30 years, and I believe it would be a missed opportunity if such an established and locally driven instrument were to become less important.

From Christophe Hansen’s response, I understood that LEADER is expected to remain a mandatory part of the CAP. However, I did not get a clear answer on whether Member States will also be required to allocate a fixed share of funding to LEADER.

It was encouraging that Maria Walsh also highlighted the importance of LEADER during the discussion. I therefore left the Youth Policy Dialogue with the feeling that LEADER had been clearly put on the table and that its importance had reached the attention of Commissioner Hansen.

For me, the Youth Policy Dialogue was a valuable experience because it showed how important it is for young people to have a voice in European policy discussions. It was interesting to see how different countries experience similar challenges in different ways, and how much we can learn from each other.

Most importantly, I was able to represent the LEADER Youth Community and bring the bottom-up, place-based perspective of LEADER into a discussion about the future of European agriculture. It reinforced my belief that rural development should not only be about policies designed from the top down, but also about giving local communities and young people the opportunity to shape the future of their own areas.

The two days in Ireland gave me new perspectives, new connections and, hopefully, also helped put LEADER a little further on the radar of European decision-makers.

Renate Menkveld
Representing ELARD and the LEADER Youth Community

Photos: ©European Union, 2026