We all know that the increasing population can not be fed under the productivity of conventional agriculture system. Today, everybody’s prime concern is to find out a way which can be sustainable  enough by saving the resources and ensuring good food to the world.  Agriculture that incorporates the youths, marginalized people, women and rural people will come out to be the... Continue reading

Agriculture needs change and yes, it is changing. I am a young researcher at Bihar Agricultural University, India also actively engaged with YPARD as working board member. I am researching on areas to catalyse youth leadership for accelerating agricultural growth with the use of modern ICT tools. The contribution of small farmers to total farm output in India exceeds 50%, while... Continue reading

A farmer? Me? Am way too young for that, I will consider that when I retire, say at 65. Farming is for the older people not for a young and educated fellow like me. Can’t you see that’s what you resort to if you are a failure in life and you live in the village; it’s such a dirty job for... Continue reading

City Boy Turned Promdi* “Why would a city boy travel all the way to the countryside for work?” asked some of my friends. I answered: “Well, I believe that serving the underserved communities is one way to develop the rural sector”. In my workplace, I see the plight of the common Filipino farmer: low in income but high in debt, the... Continue reading

Sieving maggots from poultry waste to feed catfish in our ponds was a major skill I was good at while growing up. Ew! Gross right? That was one of my experience as the son of a smallholder farmer growing up. While in High school, I must visit the farm on a daily basis to perform this routine before heading back home.... Continue reading

Despite the many societal prejudices of our era, despite the usual stereotypes, women in reality are equally resilient, skilled and capable as men. The end of the male-biased era means more women succeeding in politics, agriculture, business, and even more successful female scientists, educators, and leaders. The success of women can be unquestionably ascribed to the environment where women’s rights are... Continue reading

Tomato production remains one of the less stressful and most lucrative agribusiness for young people to invest in because of its high nutritional values which increases demand among household across the country.2015 experienced a rise in the demand of tomatoes against the supply across all the notable markets in Nigeria, especially Mile12 and Idi-Oro market in Lagos State.The Tomatoes and Orchard... Continue reading

I am very excited about this opportunity presented through YPARD to attend the Third Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD3) in South Africa to catalyse discussions on how to help our generation become stronger leaders for our industry.  As an agricultural researcher I look forward to contribute to the theme Scaling up: From research to impact. My input will... Continue reading

In January 2016, I joined the Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD) due to a shared conviction that a more sustainable and innovative agricultural sector is one that truly incorporates views of youth and involves them in developing its future. Although I am a new member in the YPARD community, I have been involved in most of the YPARD related activities,... Continue reading

I can remember how hard it was for me to acknowledge the fact that I am an agricultural student during my first three years as an undergraduate in the university, not until my part four that I saw the untapped treasure in agriculture and had an unquenched drive to pursue my career in agriculture. I have had of many youth wanting... Continue reading

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” #InformationIsKey According to World Bank statistics, agriculture remains the main source of livelihood for more than 70 per cent of poor people living in rural areas. The rural-poor also depend directly on the natural environment to support... Continue reading

I believe that I am NEVER too young to start anything that strikes my mind at the first place. Do you believe so? Visionary sustainable agricultural leadership We all know where the sustainability of agriculture lies?  It’s clear that productivity of conventional agriculture won’t sustain. The resource saving agricultural system meeting the growing food demand ensuring nutritional and environmental safety with... Continue reading

“While the world was mourning the crash of crude oil price, the worth of Cocoa rose by 100% and practically no one took note!” – HIM Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife (Feb 7, 2016) “Sir, what exactly do you do for a living?” the young secondary school boy eagerly asked. “Oh, I am fully into the best, I... Continue reading

Indian agriculture is facing threat from various fronts including climate change, degradation of natural resources and volatile agricultural market systems. Green revolution in India brought food security through intensive use of water, fertilizers, agrochemicals and energy driven inputs. Such journey of agriculture growth impacted various section of farming community, and gradual reduction in agricultural income in comparison to the total costs... Continue reading

Agriculture surely is not in that list of dream jobs among young people. The lack of prestige and income generated in the field of agriculture makes it hardly appealing. The big deal is that, in the meantime, the agricultural labor force is aging - This is primarily due to the increased rural-urban migration of youth in search of stable jobs or... Continue reading

I was sitting at the front row during the FAO symposium on “The Role of Agricultural Biotechnologies on Sustainable Food Systems and Nutrition” through webcast while holding my gadget and notebook, carefully listening to the discussions. International Association of Students in Agricultural and Related Sciences (IAAS) — one of YPARD’s partner — was honored to be invited in the student interactive... Continue reading

Growing up in a rural community in the southern part of Zimbabwe, farming became my passion and a major source of livelihood for my family.  I was really amazed with the surplus amount of produce we obtained despite the area being very arid.  I later decided to advance further with my education and enrolled for bachelors’ degree in agriculture at the... Continue reading

“So you’re a graduate student?” “Yes.” “Soooo, what do you do and how is it useful?” <three_sentence_summary_of_my_project> <insert_confused_expression_here> This is a familiar conversation starter, a familiar question, a familiar facial expression that many graduate students are challenged with when we meet someone new, are networking, or just trying to explain to our grandparents what we do every day of our lives.... Continue reading

Agricultural production provides income, employment and food at affordable prices as well as raw material for the processing industry and foreign exchange from exports. Creating a sustainable agricultural development path means improving the quality of life in rural areas, ensuring enough food for present and future generations and generating sufficient income for farmers. Supporting sustainable agricultural development also involves ensuring and... Continue reading

Recurring the past years up to now, the food security issue is being hot discussion among the unsolved global problems. Being as an academic student of food technology and a concerned youth, this subject has always been the matter of interest. I used to wonder how I will be able to join the discussion and make a significant contribution towards the... Continue reading