Youth: "We take the lead"
Did you know that we are in the International Year of Youth? We are, since 12 August 2010. This issue of Farming Matters shows that young people are, and have, the future in agriculture worldwide. It considers the roles, priorities and responsibilities of young generations. Read how they can contribute to the improvement of sustainable small-scale agriculture.
Featured articles
Reclaiming agriculture for Pacific youthFar more young people could engage in farming, but they need to see it as a good career option. That is the conclusion of a survey carried out among youth in the Pacific. Making agriculture attractive will require creating a “supportive environment”, an approach that needs to include, providing access to credit, agricultural inputs and extension services. Read the article |
|
“Anchored” education promises better resultsSeveral schools in Ecuador have embedded farming and rural life in the curriculum through a project that linked efforts of the education and agriculture ministries. Learning about traditional varieties, materials and fertilisers is now a part of the daily activities. Read the article |
|
Meeting a region’s broad development needsJunior Farmer Field and Life Schools help rural youth develop entrepreneurial and agricultural skills, helping them become familiar with procedures such as registering land and establishing farmer associations. FAO has successfully promoted this concept in several countries, collaborating with different ministries, local farmer organisations and women associations. Read more |
|
“We know what to do”Hans Herren, president of the Millennium Institute, talks about his efforts in promoting sustainable agriculture. This involves a constant struggle against the direction that many governments have taken in favour of biotechnology. Herren argues the case for supporting sustainable and organic farming, as this has proven to have beneficial effects on health, productivity, the environment and climate change. Read the interview |
Table of contents:
-
3 - 3written by Nageeb Ibrahim BakheitThis is Zeinab Awad el Karim Ahmed. She lives in Barankawa, a village in the state of Sinnar, in the Blue Nile region of Sudan.
-
5 - 5written by Edith van WalsumEditorial: Agriculture is sustainable if it can attract future generations of young farmers. But the overwhelming tendency of young people is to move out of farming, in search of a more comfortable life and better income.
-
7 - 7A helpful perspective; Useful information; Family farmers and bio-fuels 1; Family farmers and bio-fuels 2; A huge contribution; More than land grabs
-
8 - 9written by Laura Anne SanagorskiTheme overview: Researchers and politicians are increasingly recognising that young people have opinions about the problems facing the world, and that in many ways they are working to address them. Studies from different parts of the world show many similarities in the views of youth about sustainable agriculture and local food systems, regardless of ethnicity, race, sex, or geographic location. These perceptions need to be the starting point of any effort around their current and future roles and responsibilities.
-
10 - 13Are young people interested in farming? This depend on the possibilities they see in terms of work, wages and livelihoods. A thorough survey has shown what young people in the Pacific think, and different efforts are already showing positive results.
-
14 - 16written by Mireille VermeulenInterview > Hans Herren - Hans Herren is president of the Millennium Institute, an international NGO providing tools and methods worldwide that facilitate decision making for sustainable development. The driving force in all his activities and professional choices is the concern for a more sustainable world where there is a future for everybody.
-
17 - 17written by Francisco Roberto CaporalFrancisco Caporal argues against changes in the Brazilian Forest Code. Industrial agriculture is expanding in order to remain competitive, and this growth does not consider environmental concerns. But the biggest worry today is that many persons and organisations are pushing for changes in the existing legislation – especially those laws and regulations which have proved to be effective.
-
18 - 20written by Anthony Mugo , Mireille VermeulenCommunication is crucial in human interactions. The use of social media has become widespread, especially among young people. Modern communication tools can also be used to make agriculture more appealing and more effective
-
21 - 21If there is one thing that the world food crisis has shown us it is that heavily relying on global food markets can be dangerous – especially for the urban areas and where households rely on imported food.
-
22 - 23Provocation seminars: The development community is embracing market-based approaches for reducing poverty among small-scale famers. But how exactly do we make markets work for the poor? A series of “provocation” seminars is challenging conventional wisdom on how to include smallholders in markets and bringing fresh perspectives to the discussion on what works and why.
-
24 - 26written by Irene TorresGovernmental efforts aimed at rural children and youth can be more effective if the departments of education and agriculture co-ordinate their goals and policies.
-
27 - 27written by Nicola PirasEdukans is a Dutch non-governmental organisation which aims to facilitate access to education, and improve its quality. Miet Chielens, one of its Programme Officers, explains that the organisation “aspires to give disadvantaged and marginalised children in developing countries a chance to build a better future for themselves and their society”.
-
28 - 29New books from The Worldwatch Institute, Friends of the Earth International, IFAD and others.
-
30 - 32written by Francesca Dalla Valle , Peter WobstThe Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO, works to raise levels of nutrition, improve agricultural productivity and the lives of rural populations, and to contribute to the growth of the world economy.
-
33 - 33written by Courtney PaisleyYoung professionals need to be engaged in shaping the future of agriculture, says Courtney Paisley, at YPARD. The first step in attracting future young professionals is nurturing the ones we have now. Furthermore, we need to provide more young role models for future agriculturalists to look up to and so change their perceptions of agriculture.
-
34 - 35Young people can contribute enormously to farming and agriculture production – and in many cases they already do so. How to strengthen or support their efforts? These are some of the many interesting examples we have found.
-
36 - 37written by Petra Bakewell-StoneFavourite dishes are a matter of taste, and each person’s taste differs. Young people’s tastes are often thought to be for fast and easy food. But there is an alternative trend: many young people want good food on their plates.
-
38 - 39The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization has reported that world food prices are at a new historic peak. The Food Price Index, an international indicator of the wholesale price of basic foods, has risen for seven consecutive months.
Print this