As the World’s
Farmers Age New
Blood is Needed
By Danielle Nierenberg
A
griculture has an image
problem. For the majority
of the world’s youth,
agriculture isn’t an
attractive avenue of
employment. Most youth think of it
as back-breaking labor without an
economic pay-off and little room for
career advancement. This week in
Des Moines, the World Food Prize
has honored and highlighted youth
in agriculture education programs.
With an aging population of farmers,
it’s clear that agriculture needs to
attract more young people. This is a
global challenge: half of the farmers
in the United States are 55 years or
older and the average age of farmers
in sub-Saharan Africa is around 60
years old.
The United Nations’ International
Labour Organization predicts that,
globally, there will be 74.2 million
unemployed young people this year,
an increase of 3.8 million since 2007.
The agricultural sector offers huge
potential for job creation and
communicating this to youth can
radically change their image of
agriculture.
Youth across the world are already
turning to farming and the food
system for careers. Agriculture in
the 21st century means more than
subsistence farming. Today, young
people can explore career options
in permaculture design, biodynamic
farming, communication
technologies, forecasting,
marketing, logistics, quality
assurance, urban agriculture
projects, food preparation,
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environmental sciences, and
much more.
“Increased access to education and
new forms of agriculture-based
enterprise mean that young people
can be a vital force for innovation in
family farming, increasing incomes
and well-being for both farmers and
local communities. Young people can
transform the agricultural sector by
applying new technologies and new
thinking,” explains Mark Holderness,
executive secretary of the Global
Forum for Agricultural Research.
Farmers, businesses, policymakers,
and educators need to promote
agriculture as an intellectually
stimulating and economically
sustainable career while making
jobs in the agriculture and food
system attractive to youth.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden
recently announced resources and
policy changes designed to improve
the financial security of new and
beginning farmers and ranchers,
including a new online portal that
will be a one-stop resource where
farmers can explore the variety of
USDA initiatives designed to help
them succeed.
In Iowa, the Practical Farmers of
Iowa’s beginning farmers’ program
is growing more than just crops; it
is cultivating the next generation of
farmers. The program helps families
transition their farm to beginning
farmers by writing business plans,
facilitating access to capital,
providing marketing education,
offering online seminars, on-farm
field days, and more.
In Africa, One Acre Fund provides
a holistic set of services to help
small-scale farmers and new
agriculturalists succeed by
distributing feed and fertilizer
on credit, offering training, and
facilitating market access. By 2020,
they hope to not only represent
Africa’s largest network of
smallholder farmers but to also
provide services to at least
1 million farming families.
The Young Professionals for
Agricultural Development is an
international network of young
farmers contributing to innovative
agricultural development. The
network is shaping the future of
agriculture by providing resources
and tools for the next generation
of farmers to be successful.
Members can attend events,
discussions, workshops, and
contests; find a mentor; and raise
awareness of agricultural careers.
The International Fund for
Agricultural Development Rural
Youth Talents Program in South
America is publicizing and sharing
knowledge learned from rural youth
agriculture programs. Their goal is
to establish and strengthen
networks of youth involved in
food and agriculture.
With the growth of these and
several other projects and resources,
we can make agriculture not only
“cool” but also economically and
environmentally sustainable for
the world’s youth.