vedran

This success story is the fourth and last one of a series that spotlight IAAS members' experiences in agricultural development. YPARD-IAAS series has featured, every two weeks, young champions from different regions of the world.

My name is Vedran Krevh and I am the National Director of IAAS Croatia. I am enrolled at the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Zagreb and I believe all in life starts with volunteer work.

Being a volunteer, means that you are an optimistic and adventurous person that strives and aspires in making a difference in society. At least, I think of myself in that way.

With volunteer work, young professionals get a chance to voice their ideas which might not have been heard otherwise, e.g. this piece. The testimonial you're reading rigth now is an opportunity for me to share my ideas on issues related to youth and the profession with you!

Join the network of young professionals!

When active in a network of young people such as IAAS or YPARD, you stay updated on the latest issues and discussions in the agricultural domain in every part of the world because access and exchange of information are on the palm of your hand.

When you talk with an IAASer or a YPARDian, you can just feel great spirit, energy, ideas and optimistic dreams in the air. Since I have been more active in IAAS, that hasn't changed a bit.

Meeting interesting people and their cultures through platforms like IAAS or YPARD is just an unavoidable perk of these networks. So if you're a student or a young professional involved in agriculture, join these networks and help making the world a better place!

What have I learned so far?

One of the biggest advantages of being part of a youth network like YPARD or IAAS is everyday learning in various areas of the profession. Since I have started being a National Director of IAAS Croatia, my project management and organisation capabilities have advanced significantly, and with those comes of course, the leadership development.

Knowledge of fund raising, marketing, business literacy, better understanding of business and personal relationships is an inevitable part of taking leadership seriously and striving for progress. Unfortunately, the biggest battle in this field is always tackling the lack of young people engagement.

Projects I have managed so far

Every project is a unique journey of experience. So far, I have organised local and international events, seminars and workshops to encourage young people to be self-employed, analize the impact of youth in the present and future agricultural developments and policies, or just to develop skills of young people in the organisational sense.

When talking about professional field education, most of them were involved in organic production, environment protection, the possibilities of development of agriculture and biotechnology, as well as the promotion of a healthy life and the use of local food.

Working on a the project "Green Mediterranean“ in Croatia

The project goals are education of local and international students in the aspect of organic agriculture and sustainable development in addition to getting students to know and learn about problems in rural development of the Mediterranean region through different workshops and lectures.

The project is based on the cooperation with local residents and farmers and includes the exchange of experiences between students from all around the world and the local community. Through this we want to contribute to the development of the local community and by that providing an opportunity to foreign students to contribute to our rural areas.

Parallel to that, we want to encourage and promote the development of young entrepreneurship in agriculture by refreshing and enriching the knowledge and experience of students and encouraging them to stay in rural areas. The other aspect of the project is promoting awareness on the preservation and protection of the entire Mediterranean area and familiarizing students with the culture and way of life of the inhabitants of the Mediterranean.

For anyone reading this article, feel free to contact me anytime at vedran.krevh [at] gmail.com