Background

E-commerce has promoted the agricultural development as well as economic and social transformation in rural areas. The young people involved in this mainstreaming e-commerce trend found the new pathway of career development and played the important role in the process of rural transformation. Rural youth entrepreneurship fostering, especially on e-commerce, facilitates the agriculture value chain development in this modern society filled with widely digitalized technology application in different industries.

WFP recognizes that supporting smallholders to increase their productivity and incomes and building stronger food systems through inclusive agricultural and economic development are key to achieving food security. WFP uses innovative and context-specific solutions to catalyse investments and partnerships across the value chain and works closely with governments to forge strong linkages between smallholders and private and public sector buyers. E-commerce would be one of those solutions. Youth inclusion is another important component of WFP’s programming fulfilling WFP’s mandate of saving and changing lives.

E-commerce, as one of critical topics under the prioritized area of Value Chain Development for Smallholders of WFP Centre of Excellence for Rural Transformation (WFP China COE), has been highlighted for South-South Cooperation knowledge and experience sharing. Since 2020, WFP China COE organized 4 Webinars on E-commerce for Rural Value Chain Development at both policy and technical levels to share developing countries’ experience and good practice, and an International Symposium on rural e-commerce to share views on digital solution supporting rural development and poverty reduction. WFP China COE also joined WFP’s efforts to explore the e-commerce approach application in Ghana. Meanwhile, knowledge products about e-commerce are developed based on South-South Cooperation exchanges. WFP China COE in collaboration with Regional Centre of Excellence Against Hunger and Malnutrition developed the Good Practice on E-commerce for Rural Value Chain Development including a Policy Brief and a Successful Story to share thematic knowledge for developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Rationale

The peer-to-peer learning on e-commerce among developing countries through South-South Cooperation is expected. Upon the positive feedbacks from previous activities on e-commerce, participants expressed their interest in this popular topic and would like to understand more about e-commerce development and practice. The field demands raised through different country offices encourage the deeper exploration on e-commerce through knowledge sharing and capacity building.

WFP China COE and AliResearch conducted a joint thematic study on e-commerce development in west China and developed the Report on E-commerce Promotes Rural Vitalization in West China, which demonstrates e-commerce practice from perspectives of public sector and private sector. It reflects the picture of typical youth e-commerce entrepreneurs, whose experience and knowledge might inspire more young people to join the efforts on rural e-commerce development in developing countries.  

Objective

WFP China COE and AliResearch decided to co-organize a South-South Cooperation Dialogue on

Rural Youth Development Invigorated by E-commerce on 15-16 December 2022 to promote peer-to-peer learning on e-commerce, exchange thematic knowledge and experience from different developing countries, and provide the platform for youth entrepreneurs to exchange, discuss and explore this important topic further.

Specifically, this dialogue aims to

· launch the report E-commerce Promotes Rural Vitalization in West China

· exchange thematic knowledge and experience about rural e-commerce development

· provide the exchange platform for youth entrepreneurs to exchange experience and views

Agenda(Tentative)