RE: Youth in agriculture: what lessons can we draw from evaluations? | Eval Forward

Dear all,

over a short period of time I have been doing an open-ended questionnaire, tenders, analysis and evaluation on this serious concern among my fellow, vibrant peers  and am coming up with this findings and recommendations.  

Too much attention has been given to spending on junk goods and services and on getting and spending money even on things we can produce. My fellow youths are in search for activities that can make them young, beautiful, and smart and even less committed,  such as fast foods, luxurious lifestyles, jobs  that would  let their hands get dirty not. In other words, agriculture IS gradually becoming underrated. We are pretending to have forgotten that  agriculture is the definition of all human  life forms …

Youth also complains of unpredictable outcomes of agricultural production due to changing climate and therefore weather patterns, something  that  has really slapped the elder farmers on their  face.  Droughts and sporadic rainfalls have ended up sweeping gardens at the hillsides, plains and along the lake basins; this has made youths less interested and the peasant farmers today tend to educate their children  to specialize  in other things far from agriculture.

I really believe that it is time to educate, 'lobby', persuade our young generation on safe agricultural practices and benefits, buy locally, and environmentally responsible foods that will not only protect  our health but also the environment, find best agricultural practices that would help mitigate and  bear with the changing climate conditions  In my community,  we have already fashioned an information clearing  and educating bench, made of juniors to help save, and embrace sustainable  agriculture. Margaret Mead said, "Never doubt that a small, highly committed group of individuals can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." we are coming for you!  the future of agriculture will never sink!