Participants work intensively in small groups.
Source: BLE
International Leadership Workshop for Rural Youth
The German Federal Ministry of Food (BMEL) has been organising the International Leadership Workshop for Rural Youth since 1962.
It is aimed at leaders and disseminators from all over the world in positions of responsibility in youth work or vocational education and training in rural regions. The participants are role models of integrity, courage, persuasiveness, and consistency.
They develop their individual strengths, learn how to put them to better use, and develop the skills needed to optimise resource use in their own countries.
The international dialogue in the seminar provides participants with new perspectives on youth work in rural regions, and boosts their leadership skills by teaching them implementation strategies and how to develop a personal action plan. The seminar is conceived as a workshop and requires active personal engagement. Participants must have a strong command of one of the three conference languages: English, German, and French.
The programme organiser covers costs relating to accommodation, meals, work materials, and excursions. Accommodation can take the form of double rooms.
The applicants themselves, or their respective organisations/employers, are responsible for costs associated with travel to and from the programme, as well as visa and administrative costs.
31. International Leadership Workshop for Rural Youth
The 31st international seminar took place from 9 to 23 August 2023 under the heading "Think globally – Get together and act locally".
31. International Leadership Workshop for Rural Youth
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International group of participants of the 31st seminar dressed in typical national costumes.
Source: © BLE
The 32nd International Leadership Workshop for Rural Youth takes place from 14/08/2025 until 27/08/2025 under the heading "Sharing expertise – shaping change"
Please note the terms of participation.
Further information on the International Leadership Workshop for Rural Youth is available here.
From December 2024 you can access registration for the 32nd International Leadership Workshop for Rural Youth here.
History of the seminar
In the 1950s, many rural youth leadership figures expressed the desire to establish a permanent education and training centre for the mutual exchange of ideas and experiences. Finally, at a meeting of representatives from FAO, UNESCO, and WAY (World Assembly of Youth) in Paris on 22 July 1960, Germany declared itself willing to organise an international leadership workshop for rural youth.
Since 1962, the seminar has taken place in Herrsching am Ammersee in Bavaria. For decades, participants from over 150 countries have developed concepts for the sustainable development of rural regions and the strengthening of agriculture.
Under the patronage of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the seminar has helped develop and implement numerous important and valuable project ideas to improve youth work in rural regions in the participating countries. The leaders who attend the seminar, which is organised by the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) with conceptual guidance from the House of Bavarian Agriculture, gain valuable insights and inspiration.
Permanent Secretariat
In the role of the seminar’s permanent secretariat, the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) is responsible for the budgetary and administrative tasks concerning the seminar’s preparation, implementation, and follow-up work. The BLE’s Department 334 “Climate, Global Food Security and International Cooperation” is the relevant point of contact.
