المنتدى العالمي المعني بالأمن الغذائي والتغذية

Family farming - women and youth:

To manage the effects of climate change, agriculture has to be climate smart, adapting to the agro ecology of each area, if agriculture is to be  sustainable in the long term. Accordingly, the Governments and donors need to invest in climate friendly, low cost, economies of scope producer oriented development - agro ecological technologies and innovations. These are adapted by successful farmers to changing climates; not the high cost conventional economies of scale green revolution technologies based industrial production, the cause of the present crissis in agriculture and climate change. The agriculture research for development (AR4D) being done by them, season after season, ensure their prosperity and sustainability in the long term. Their   models need to be documented, they are contracted to train on farm and widely replicate their models among producers in the vicinity.

Governments, NARES, Global Institutions will need to first change the mandates and TORs currently focusing on the high cost economies of scale, market oriented conventional green revolution agriculture technologies. UN reports and the other evidence now available highlight the fact that they are no longer viable nor environmentally sustainable, especially for the rural poor illiterate smallholder producer communities, mostly dry and rain fed farms; which in the long term is also becoming a serious problem for the large farmers as well, Amar's published paper attached.

Given the newer understanding that the efficiency of agriculture is economies of scope, the future of agriculture is in the hands of women and youth family farmers; but inequalities (land in the name of men) prevent them, especially women farmers, from equal rights to access land, inputs and required resources. Further, unless, we create an enabling environment for them to have enough for themselves, how can they produce required nutritious food to  feed the growing population.

Governments and NARES need to design and implement programmes to fund, support and facilitate the rural producer communities to set up their optimally designed producer company (PCs), but managed by professionals (general practitioners [GPs]/ MBAs in agriculture) to take over all risks and responsibilities, leaving members to on farm activities, ensure delivery of and access to successful agro ecological  systems in the vicinity, know how for producing inputs, energy, finance, communications, services, infrastructure for training, storage, adding value to increase shelf life of produce to minimize post harvest losses, marketing - logistics, etc., and in the long term creating capacity in potential entrepreneurs to start up their own business, successful case study at:

www.navajyoti.org.

The PC will ensure communities access to their own requirements of nutritious food/ cash needs, at little or no cost, thus reducing hunger, malnutrition, poverty, effects of climate change, suicides whilst improving livelihood, increasing net incomes/ purchasing power, economic development, growth and sustainability in the long term. This change will give back their dignity and self esteem and create opportunities for the educated in rural areas as PC staff, entrepreneurs, scientists, service providers, business, etc.

Population of rural youth in developing countries is over 30% and their unemployment levels are high as their schools and/ or colleges do not teach subjects of their interest like, managing/ knowledge/ research for development of their agro eco systems, etc. This calls for introducing subjects in rural school/ colleges, curricula and teachers that creates interest in managing their agro ecology, economic development and growth.

Governments need to fund, support and provide the environment for entrepreneurship to succeed for the educated to look at rural life as full of opportunities, reversing migration from urban slums and back to their serene rural surroundings. Indeed, many well educated and well paid professionals are already following organic principles,  as it is not only profitable but ensures safe - healthy living and sustainable in the long term.

Optimally designed, PC could facilitate/ mentor in improving the quality and access to rural education, health facilities, infrastructure, roads, mobile phone, public transport, internet, etc., ensuring the communities’ sustainability in the long term, bring back self pride/ esteem, essential for their social binding. Focus on addressing women’s rights to access land, natural and economic resources, low cost technologies in partnership with the successful farmers following agro eco systems, training, etc., could double their farm production to feed themselves and the country’s growing population.

PCs, optimally designed, owned by the people but managed by professionals, is the need of the hour, as it creates an optimal architecture of a network of such community enterprises across the Nation, States, district/constituencies , enough to provide the small producers an effective platform to manage their ‘cash to cash cycle’.

Governments need to urgently analyze their policies of inequality and discrimination of women farmers and legislate/ make changes to policy/ programme - rules that are holding back women from playing the key role as entrepreneurs or equal partners, in an effort to harness their full potential and contribute fully to the family farm management, research for development (AR4D) on farm, long term sustainability, economic development and growth.

>>ENGLISH VERSION BELOW<<

L'avenir de l'agriculture familiale: Fournir des ressources pour les femmes et les jeunes agriculteurs

Nous sommes une jeune organisation non gouvernementale Nigérienne qui œuvre dans le cadre du Bien être de la Femme Rurale. Et ceux pourquoi parce-que cette femme est une frange de population qui semble être oublié dans les prises de décisions c'est à dire en quelque sorte marginalisé. Hors cette même personne c'est à dire la femme contribut dans beaucoup de chose du point de vue économique et culturel et social. On peut dire aujourd’hui que la femme occupe une place très importante dans l'agriculture parce-que elle est la première accompagnatrice de l'homme : rien ne peut se faire sans le soutien de femme.

Avec la nouvelle constitution du pays les femmes sont aussi détentrice des terrains qu'elles peuvent mettre en valeur et subvenir à leur besoins. Alors dans ce cas pour quoi une implication de la femme rurale dans le système économique? Etant courageuse et mère de l'humanité je pense atteindre beaucoup plus d'objectifs que les hommes.

Merci de vous lire

Coordialement :

Mme Alhassane Nafissatou Boubacar

Coordonatrice BFR " Bien être de la Femme Rurale"

The future of family farming: Providing resources for women and young farmers

We are a new Nigerien non-governmental organization which operates in the framework of the “Well-being of the Rural Woman.”  This is because these women are a part of the population which seems to be overlooked when decisions are taken, and are to some extent marginalized.This is despite the contribution they make in so many ways to economic, cultural and social life.Today it can be said that women occupy a very important place in agriculture because they are the man’s principal companion: nothing could be done without the support of women.

With the new country´s constitution women can also retain land that they can make productive in support of their needs. This being so, why an involvement of rural women in the economic system? Being courageous and as mother of mankind I pretend to achieve many more objectives than men.

Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely.

Mme Alhassane Nafissatou Boubacar

Coordonatrice BFR "Bien être de la Femme Rurale" [Coordinator of  Well-being of Rural Women]

In order to promote agricultural careers to Youth, Schools and universities and schools need to sit and plan together with rural community’s decision makers so that at the community level can be identified potential young people who are engaged and passionate with rural agricultural activities. This will require of course time and money in some cases so that the planning process should not collapse.

Government should design curriculums that encourage youth to engage themselves into rural development activities  , because what we see today is that many young people abandon rural areas to cities looking for better life. The programmes should clearly demonstrate that all food products are derived from farming activities and that agriculture is the heart of development and food provision.  Some African Governments have worked hard to set apart a credit programme scheme that encourages graduates to work on rural development. This should include creating initial development infrastructures that will attract young people to live in rural areas and embrace agricultural development activities. Future leaders approach should be used to encourage rural youth for sustainable programmes.

The idea of farmer field schools should continue whereby families bring together their successors that who l continue working there areas that they possess today for these important rural agricultural activities.

Schools and Universities should also include as priority in their budgets activities that open space for field agricultural demonstration where rural youth are invited to observe and learn about rural Agricultural activities.

Ø-I think that experiences have demonstrated that creating community group discussions whereby Family empowerment is an approach that can generate advantages for female farmers whereby they have to be shown that working together bring great levels of development.  The experience I saw in Egypt for  example, women are brought together to work in handcraft activities even those who are disable to common activities in this type of activities they are having different horizon in family development . So in Agriculture this experience can be applied to create equality among them, and therefore they will carry these experiences to different communities.

The establishment of infrastructures and health such as transport, health service centres , educational are likely to be the more pushing measures to making rural areas for  future farmers,. In addition agricultural inputs are necessary as incentive for rural farmers.

Please share any relevant case studies about empowering women and youth in agriculture to achieve better food security

In the past when livestock restocking programmes were flooding most of the developing countries women and youth were brought together to be trained some as paraverts and other as community livestock services promoters and it worked very well u. So I think that is an experience that can be visited and be employed for the current purposes 

Enoque Albino Manhique

>>ENGLISH VERSION BELOW<<

Estimados, gracias por la información y la invitación. De mi parte, la experiencia indica que las mujeres juegan un rol fundamental en la agricultura , especialmente en la producción y comercialización. En este último aspecto, la comercialización, ellas juegan un rol fundamental en el desarrollo de mercados locales y con ello dan atractivo y razones para quedarse a vivir en el sector rural. En la medida que su producción y su forma de vida es valorada a través de la venta de sus productos, ellas encuentran sentido a vivir en el campo y con ello motivan a su familia a seguir ese mismo camino. Entre algunas experiencias, hay un grupo de mujeres de la zona central de Chile que, junto a las labores de dueña de casa, cuidar sus hijos, cuidar enfermos, preparar comida, entre otras, también cultivan la tierra y le agregan valor a sus productos, los cuales ellas mismas venden y generan ingresos para su familia. Si a ellas se les facilitara el acceso al mercado, por ejemplo, institucional público o privado, y se les asegurara la venta de sus productos a precios justos, se verían muy favorecidas. Además, se les podría apoyar con tecnologías apropiadas de producción y de procesamiento de sus productos.

Nosotros en la Universidad de Santiago, las hemos apoyado con cursos se procesamiento de productos, innovación y de comercialización para favorecer un inserción en los mercados en forma más equitativa.

Esta es nuestra experiencia.

Saludos 

Luis Sáez Tonacca

Dear all,

Thanks for the information and invitation. My experience indicates that women play a key role in agriculture, especially in production and marketing. In marketing, they are essential for the development of local markets, enhancing the attractiveness of the rural sector and the willingness to stay and live in the rural areas. To the extent that their production and way of life are appraised by the sale of their products, living in the country is meaningful to them, motivating their family to follow their steps. Among several experiences, there is a group of women in central Chile who, apart from doing the housekeeping, looking after their children, caring for the sick or preparing food, among others, they also cultivate the land and add value to their products, directly sold by themselves and constituting a source of income for their families. If access to the institutional public or private market was granted to them and the sale of their products at fair prices was guaranteed, they would be very favoured. Furthermore, support could be provided with appropriate production and processing technologies for their products.

At the University of Santiago we have supported them with courses on processing, innovation and marketing for their products to facilitate a more equitable incorporation to the markets.

This is our experience.

Regards,

Luis Sáez Tonacca

Hungry Thar needs small-scale family farming.

These farmers of marginalised Thar are the caretakers of some of the most degraded lands, shouldering the burden of conserving global crop biodiversity and managing some of the world’s most fragile soils. Thus they are critical allies in the fight against climate change too

 The various independent reports published recently have mentioned that the area of Tharparkar had been continuously declared as a “drought calamity hit area” in 1968, 1978, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2012, 2013 and as recently as 2014. Tharparkar is the only fertile desert in the world and is the world’s 18th largest subtropical desert. It has a population of 1.3 million people making it one of the most populous arid regions in the world. The livelihood of the people of Thar almost totally depends on small-scale farming and livestock, and the entire livestock depends on grazing in the natural system of the rangelands. However, these grazing areas are nowadays under great stress due to increased grazing pressure, increased cultivation, tree cutting for fuel and wood, etc.

However, all this is happening due to limited organised effort on the part of the government and local communities to sustain and manage the livestock and rangelands under a sustainable balance. These unsustainable resource-draining practices are the result of insufficient awareness that the ecological implications and changing climate are important factors causing the loss of rangelands and desertification, which further worsen the situation, ushering in drought-like conditions.

According to media reports, the ongoing drought in Tharparkar has caused the deaths of more than 300 children and thousands of livestock. Low nutrition and polluted water have badly affected the health of the people living in Thar, particularly women and children, and the situation has turned into the worst disaster Tharis have ever seen in their history. Traditional knowledge and local experts, with the support of scientists, have declared the situation as being “irreparable”. People are not able to sustain their livelihoods, which have further increased dependency on relief goods. The government has started the distribution of wheat and has also initiated some construction schemes to improve healthcare and drinking water facilities, mostly in the main towns.

Although these efforts are appreciable, unfortunately such schemes will not sustain livelihoods nor directly support food security. Tharparkar is a district of 1.3 million people and 80 percent of the population depends on small-scale farming and livestock for their livelihood and nutritional needs. For the people of Tharparkar, small-scale farming and livestock are their livelihood, assets and sources of nutrition and income generation as well. Therefore, Tharparkar is in need of a programme and projects adapting and scaling small-scale family farming to secure the lives and livelihoods of the indigenous communities of Tharparkar. These farmers of marginalised Thar are the caretakers of some of the most degraded lands, shouldering the burden of conserving global crop biodiversity and managing some of the world’s most fragile soils. Thus they are critical allies in the fight against climate change too.

After the 18th constitutional amendment, food and other related subjects were further devolved as provincial subjects but still Pakistan has few national setups such as the ministry of national food security and research, the ministry of climate change and the national disaster management authority. So, now these institutions need to focus on the Tharparkar situation by observing 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming, as announced by the United Nations on November 22, 2013. Otherwise I am afraid that in the next few years, we will be one of the leading countries to push our own people into the ranks of the starved, contributing a big number to the nearly one billion hungry worldwide.

My article was published in Daily Times: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/opinion/19-Jul-2014/hungry-thar-needs-smal…

Dear Forum members,

Family farming is on the decline. I have seen the evolution of family farming in the village where I grew up. My family as well as many others that I knew at the time, depended mostly on food from our farms and a good quantity of this food was sold to cater for basic needs. Today I live and work in a town but often visit my village. Most of the people of my generation who lived in the village at the time are equally living in towns. Some of our parents have since died while others are living with their children in town.

What marvels me is the fact that when I visit my village nowadays, I notice that the labor force in agriculture has greatly reduced. Most of the youths have long moved to town. The population engaged in agricultural production in my village is made up mostly of old people as the youths prefer to engage in other activities which of course may not necessarily be more remunerating.

Another interesting fact is that those engaged in agricultural production are more into food crop production rather than cash crop production since food crops fetch more profit and prices are easily determined by the forces of demand and supply and not imposed as is generally the case with cash crops such as coffee and cocoa.

Felicitas Atanga

FAO Cameroon

The International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA) welcomes this important topic in the context of the International Year of Family Farming. Furthermore, given that it is also the African Union’s Year of Agriculture and Food Security, we believe that addressing the question What measures can development organizations and governments take to make rural areas more appealing for future farmers? is most opportune.

In order to make farming a viable and economically attractive profession, farmers must have access to productive resources such as:

·         financing to purchase inputs,

·         quality seeds of improved varieties,

·         soil nutrients/fertilizers,

·         crop protection products,

·         irrigation,

·         crop insurance.

This is particularly true in Sub-Saharan Africa, where a wide yield gap means that not only farmers are unable to become commercial, but they often face hunger and malnutrition themselves.

Half the food we eat today is produced thanks to fertilizers. The impact of fertilizers is immediate: within a single cropping season, farm productivity can be doubled or tripled. For every 1 kg of nutrient applied, farmers obtain 5-30 kg of additional product. No farm in the world is too small to use fertilizers. 

Recognizing the importance of this issue, IFA and seven partners (AFAP, AGRA, CNFA, IFDC,  IITA, IPI, IPNI and One Acre Fund) launched a campaign advocating for access to fertilizer and other inputs for African smallholders.

The campaign calls on African leaders work to with the private sector, researchers and civil society in these areas:

·         Provide access to credit, finance and insurance by retailers and farmers.

·         Facilitate imports and the distribution of diverse fertilizer products.

·         Invest in infrastructure: transport, handling, storage, and blending facilities. 

·         Develop mobile technologies to provide information on markets, extension services and prices.

·         Train extension workers to help farmers organize themselves.

·         Disseminate best practices based on the integration of organic and mineral nutrients and balanced fertilization.

By implementing these six inter-linked measures, smallholder and family farming can become more productive pursuits with net economic gains that will attract rural youth towards agriculture as a career and way of life.

For further information, please see:

1.       Video animation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jop4omYYaWA

2.       Issue Brief: http://www.fertilizer.org/en/doc_library/Knowledge%20Resources/2014_smal...

1.     What role can schools and universities play in promoting agricultural careers to youth? Please share any relevant programs you are aware of.

Youth development, the process of growing up and developing one’s capacities, happens no matter what we do. The challenge is to promote ‘positive’ youth development and plan ‘quality’ experiences with young people. Degrees in agricultural education can be used to teach agriculture or obtain a job in an agricultural related work field. This degree can give students the qualifications and knowledge necessary to teach agricultural classes such as the courses offered at the high school level. Students will be required to complete agriculture classes as well as education classes in order to become qualified to teach. A bachelor’s degree in agricultural education will qualify a person to teach classes all the way up to the high school level. A Masters degree is required in order to teach on the college level. An agricultural education degree also gives the qualifications to do extension work for universities and agriculture related companies and organizations.

Agriculure’s image among young people is changing where youth are now turning to farming and the food system as a viable career path. 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.

Today, several universities, colleges, schools and research institutions, across the regions of the globe, are promoting agricultural career among youth population, both men and women. The Future Farmers of America (FFA, located in Virginia in the USA, http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2571/Youth-Organizations-NATIONAL-FUTURE-FARMERS-AMERICA-ORGANIZATION.html) is one such organization. The FFA, officially called the National FFA Organization, is an educational organization for high school and college students who are interested in agriculture. The National FFA Organization works in conjunction with the National FFA Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that seeks partnerships with corporations, foundations, and government agencies to help provide funding for FFA programs. The FFA's main objective is to develop in its members qualities of leadership, character, scholarship, cooperation, and citizenship through agricultural education. The FFA is an integral part of many high school agriculture programs. The organization operates in cooperation with the Office of Vocational and Adult Education in the U.S. Department of Education, as well as with state and local boards for vocational and agricultural education.

The FFA’s many programs include the New Century Farmer Program, which helps young people become aware of new opportunities in twenty-first century agriculture. New Century farmers are sent on traveling seminars to meet with and learn from innovative professional farmers and agriculture educators around the country. FFA Global Programs send members to foreign countries where they can learn the value, traditions, and role of agriculture in other cultures.

Because the majority of FFA members hope to pursue careers related to agriculture, the FFA sponsors numerous career development events at the chapter, state, and national level. These events help members explore the hundreds of career options available in the modern agriculture industry, from agronomy to food technology, forestry, floriculture, agricultural communications, and environmental and natural resources management. The FFA also provides information, incentives, and financial aid to members who wish to become college and high school teachers of agriculture.

Another career development program, Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE), offers members an opportunity for “hands on application of the agricultural skills and principles” they learned in the classroom. A student involved in SAE may be placed in an agriculture-related job or may start his or her own agriculture-related business under the guidance of an adult mentor.

The FFA operates on local, state and national levels and its agricultural education program provides students with a well-rounded, practical approach to learning through classroom education. It focuses on agricultural topics, hands-on supervised career experience, as well as provides leadership opportunities, and challenges students' agricultural skills. Further, the FFA helps students develop their leadership skills by participating in public speaking, skill contests, chapter meetings, award and recognition programs, committees and community projects. Moreover, FFA also motivates young people to make positive contributions to their schools, homes, communities and ultimately, their country. The FFA helps students develop their leadership skills by participating in public speaking, skill contests, chapter meetings, award and recognition programs, committees and community projects. Moreover, the FFA also motivates young people to make positive contributions to their:

§  schools,

§  homes,

§  communities, and

§  ultimately, their country.

Any boy or girl aged twelve to twenty-one who is enrolled in an agriculture course or program is eligible to become a member of FFA. The FFA also includes honorary and alumni members.

2.     What approaches are most successful in promoting the equality of female farmers?

Women are a critical component of agriculture in developing countries, contributing to ensuring food security and nutrition. They are farmers, unpaid workers on family farms, paid or unpaid agricultural laborers on other farms and agricultural enterprises, food processors and vendors, home gardeners, cooks, and carers for children and the elderly. Further, due to their specific roles in food production, many women are the repositories of knowledge about cultivation, processing, and preservation of nutritious and locally adapted crop varieties.

Given the right possibilities, such knowledge can allow women to be innovation leaders in sustainable agriculture. Unfortunately, despite their wealth of knowledge and capacity, women farmers are neglected by policy makers, often not being recognized as “productive farmers”. Their farm work is frequently unpaid or under-valued; they tend to be excluded from decision-making; and they do not have equal access to land and other resources, credit, markets, education, extension services and inputs.

Collective action is a powerful means for women to increase productivity and access to markets whilst sharing knowledge, information and productive assets including land, livestock, and credit. Supportive collective structures help smallholders through:

§  economies of scale,

§  greater bargaining power,

§  facilitating access to agricultural services, and

§  strengthening political voice.

Such supportive collective structures include:

o   producer organizations,

o   farmer field schools,

o   community - managed savings and credit groups,

o   enterprise and marketing cooperatives,

o   cow banks, and

o   water sharing committees.

They also reap additional social benefits by creating a safe environment for women to meet, share information and tackle social problems such as “gender-based violence”. Groups can be especially empowering for women, providing opportunities to participate in decision-making and take on leadership roles. In order to maximize the benefit of women’s collective action, it is important to understand what strategies are most effective in different contexts and for different groups of women.

In some contexts, “women - only groups” can provide “enabling spaces” where marginalized women can gain self - esteem, confidence and skills by creating a space for them to identify their needs, understand their rights and begin to articulate their demands. “Women - only groups” can also provide a step towards wider participation in mixed groups and other “decision - making forums”. For example, in Northeastern Brazil, women farmers have created a forum through which they exchange their knowledge and experiences on agro-ecological farming, while strengthening their identity as rural women and building their ‘self – confidence’. For many, this forum helped to demystify the common notion that women are ‘helpers’, whose labor is of less value than that of men.

Involvement in mixed groups can also be empowering, although work is required to raise equity within the groups. Activities pursued by many cooperatives are generally skewed towards men. For example, in many countries, land is usually required as collateral for some activities, but women are not usually the registered owners of the land they farm. Some approaches that have helped address this gender imbalance include:

o   working directly with individual cooperatives to raise awareness of the issue of women’s participation and empowerment,

o   supporting cooperatives in drafting gender - sensitive by-laws,

o   making their activities and benefits relevant and accessible to women, and

o   training model cooperatives on gender-sensitive business plan development.

Presented below is brief description of case study on “Promoting Gender-Sensitive Cooperatives in Ethiopia”:

As Africa’s largest producer of honey and beeswax, and the world’s fourth largest beeswax producer, smallholders in Ethiopia have a ready market. Yet, low productivity, poor quality, and limited market access force smallholders to sell locally at lower prices.

“An Ethiopian woman sells her seed and grain products at a women-run store at the Becho-Woliso Farmers Cooperative Union”

Through formation of the Zembaba Bee Products Development and Marketing Cooperative Union, small - scale producers were provided training in production techniques and the use of new technology that was more socially acceptable for women. The cooperatives and project partners encouraged local government to expand extension services and help the cooperatives to build capacity, ensuring that training was available at times when women could attend.

New village honey collection centers allowed women to engage in processing and marketing and gave them better access to information. Women also began making the specialist overalls, gloves, and veils required to handle bees. These measures have helped to increase women’s confidence and overcome the gender specific barriers to women’s participation in honey production. Women have organized themselves into self-help groups and are negotiating with cooperatives to revise the by-laws on women's membership and introduce a functional adult literacy intervention. Gradually through this collective action, they are becoming involved in the management of the union and cooperatives.

3.     What measures can development organizations and governments take to make rural areas more appealing for future farmers?

Young people in rural areas have often found themselves marginalized both by decisions on the formulation and development of rural policy and by decision-making processes related to youth policy. However, young people in the countryside are more profoundly affected than other young people by the transitions taking place in contemporary society. A number of serious problems confront young people in rural areas: relatively high unemployment, marginalization, a lack of appropriate resources, a level of education below that available in towns and cities and poor career prospects. Jobs in farming (formerly the main source of employment in the countryside) are becoming fewer and young farmers who want to take over a farm face many hurdles. Given these difficulties, the question young people face is whether to stay in the countryside or to go in search of opportunities elsewhere. The changes lying ahead in rural areas, in particular in central and eastern European countries, will have a fundamental impact on the opportunities available to young people continuing to live in the countryside. Society must provide the resources necessary to enable young people in rural areas to take responsibility for their own future. Developmental organizations and national governments, across the regions of the globe, should envisage strengthening following efforts for the purpose of making rural areas more appealing for future farmers:

§  Add agriculture to the curriculum,

§  Offer young farmers a voice, and

§  Innovation.

Also, the governments should:

o   consult rural youth organizations on the drafting of rural and youth policies, particularly where the setting up and implementation of education and training programs are concerned;

o   pay particular attention to the problems of young farmers, make it easier for them to set up in farming, provide training appropriate to their needs, help to improve the public image of farming and introduce increased tax relief for acquiring or developing farms;

o   ensure that educational and training opportunities in rural areas are maintained and developed and that opportunities for further study are not found only in urban areas. Priority must be given to keeping rural primary and secondary schools open;

o   take steps to develop distance learning in rural areas, promote access to the latest technology and encourage the establishment of businesses in the countryside;

o   train teachers specializing in educational fields adapted to the needs of rural areas;

o   introduce a training program for young managers of small and medium-sized businesses in the countryside;

o   provide support, including financial support, for the development of rural youth organizations, with particular emphasis on youth organization programs and projects to promote rural development;

o   instruct local authorities in rural areas and their associations to set up pilot development projects (i. e., involving businesspeople in the provision of training and mentoring for the young, setting up youth business centers providing equipment for a given period (seedbeds for rural enterprises) and offering grants to companies that employ young people, etc);

o   encourage young people to participate in local political life in rural areas (through consultation, encouragement to participate in decisions concerning them, youth councils, etc);

o   encourage job creation in rural areas by means of support programs for people wishing to retire, making it easier to transmit skills and transfer operations and ownership;

o   promote new activities and help young people to find alternative employment in the countryside;

o   encourage the development of communications, transport and new information technologies in rural areas, especially the most remote ones; and

o   promote sustainable agriculture and rural development and encourage local initiatives for a better protection of nature and the environment.

Furthermore, strengthening the technical and entrepreneurial skills of young people is of paramount importance in rural areas, where literacy and training rates are often lower than elsewhere. Farmer field schools are platforms for training and experience-sharing between farmers and have proven effective in knowledge, technology and innovation dissemination.

Agriculture is currently a source of growth, and its development is essential to ensure global food security. Young people are needed to meet these challenges. However, as is the case with their elders, constraints will have to be overcome, mainly regarding access to land and funding, while also improving training. The necessary transformation and modernization of agriculture also requires the increased appeal of agriculture for young people and greater productivity, but it will also reduce labor requirements. Rapid urbanization will also lead to the development of medium-sized cities and could generate new jobs for young people in rural areas.

4.     Please share any relevant case studies about empowering women and youth in agriculture to achieve better food security.

Presented below is description of selected case studies about empowering women and youth in agriculture to achieve better food security:

Case Study – I: Tanzania: Women’s Empowerment: Improving Resilience, Income and Food Security (WE-RISE):

Funded by the Australian Government (AusAID) through CARE Australia, this project is improving food security, income and resilience for chronically food-insecure rural women in Tanzania through their social and economic empowerment. The Lindi and Mtwara regions of Tanzania face issues of poverty, food insecurity, variable climate and poor infrastructure. Agriculture, the main occupation, is subject to many constraints such as crops vulnerable to disease and extreme weather fluctuations. In recent years inconsistent and unreliable rainfall, in addition to floods and droughts, has made this even more difficult. Cultural and religious norms shape negative attitudes towards women. For instance, many husbands assume absolute control over their wives when they marry, and decide whether or not their wives can join groups. Gender inequality is rooted within local communities and gender-based violence is common. These norms make it difficult for women to access land, education and markets. The most vulnerable women in the community often have to sell their labor to others, in order to earn enough money for food. This prevents them from being able to work their own plots.

Case Study – II: Vietnam: Women in Aquaculture - Success Story in Vietnam's Northern Uplands:

Poverty and food insecurity are common conditions among the ethnic minority communities of Vietnam's remote northern upland regions. This is especially true in the northwestern provinces of Son La, Lai Chau, and Hoa Binh. While the area is rich in water resources such as reservoirs and rivers, many families typically earn only a subsistence livelihood through small fish- and rice-farming activities. The full potential of the area has never been fully realized, and until recently, many households lived below the poverty line. Gender roles and division of labor among these ethnic groups have become defined and structured over the years. The task of fish farming has traditionally been the domain and responsibility of men. Women have had little if any involvement, particularly in matters that require decisions about which technologies to use, what investments to make, or how revenues could be increased. Though women are the linchpins of their families, tradition has limited their influence in these matters. Some of achievements of the project are discussed below:

§  Empowering Local Women:  Social and economic change came to the provinces in 1999 after they were selected to participate in a three-year pilot project aimed at alleviating poverty and malnutrition among ethnic households. The objective was to develop and promote community-based aquaculture activities as a viable livelihood. The strategy, however, departed from traditional norms by placing a high priority on engaging and empowering local women as key players. This progressive concept and its subsequent design were the result of collaborative efforts of the Vietnam Ministry of Fisheries, provincial authorities, Research Institute for Aquaculture No. 1, and the U.N. Development Program and Food and Agriculture Organization.

§  Education and Training: In preparation for their new role, women were given priority under the Aquaculture Techniques Training program to learn methodologies of pond, cage, and rice/fish culture. They were also trained in resource assessment, planning, and implementation. "I learned that fish culture was easy and brought many advantages”, said Vi Thi Mung, who is now a commune project farmer. Vi Thi Mung further said: "Our rice fields were not enough and our income was very low. After starting rice/fish farming, we earned money for daily marketing, medicine, and the children’s school fees”. Throughout the training process, the women also acquired practical information pertaining to nutrition, money matters, and community activism. These tools greatly strengthened their self-esteem by providing opportunities to increase their financial status and elevate their social standing within their families, local communities, and culture as a whole.

§  Grass Roots Involvement:  Participation at the commune, district, and provincial levels was integral to the success of the project. Its roots, however, were firmly set at the local commune level to ensure local responsibility, ownership, and sustainability beyond the term of the project. Each of 50 communes was spearheaded by a six-member committee called the Commune Action Group, which consisted of the commune extension worker, the best-performing local aquaculture farmer, and representatives from the local units of the Farmers' Association, Women's Union, Youth Union, and People's Committee. At least two of these representatives had to be women. The committees' task was to formulate a plan to develop aquaculture as a viable livelihood in their respective communes. This included facilitating and coordinating activities and mobilizing the local communities and organizations to assist in this effort. The Commune Action Group plans were reviewed and further refined by action groups at six district and three provincial levels. These groups also provided additional technical assistance, as well as ongoing leadership and support with implementation and assessment.

§  Communities Strengthened: This system created a ripple effect of success throughout the region. A total of 151 "result demonstration" farmers and more than 5,900 ethnic minority "fellow" farmers were involved as a result of the extension of this model. Over half the beneficiaries were women. Working together, women and men created and successfully managed grow out ponds, nurseries, hatcheries, rice/fish and cage culture, and integrated agriculture/aquaculture farms under this project. Financing for these activities was made available through a micro credit and savings scheme established to provide direct financial support to the farmers. Many took advantage of the opportunity, and most communes fulfilled the responsibility for 100% repayment of their loans.

Additionally, the skills of extension personnel and field staff at the province, district, and commune levels were strengthened, and local organizations such as the Women’s Union and Farmers' Association became active in advocating for their communities. Partnerships were forged between aquaculture organizations and institutions from other agricultural sectors. And the women in whom so much had been invested had the opportunity to become active partners in raising their communities' standards of living.

 

The project ended in 2002, but gained recognition as a viable and sustainable model for promoting development and reducing poverty in rural areas. In particular, the Commune Action Groups’ role in mobilizing local communities and organizing participatory extension and credit support services is being considered for replication under the Hunger Eradication and Poverty Reduction Program in Vietnam.

Greetings from CSA Youth Network .

This is an interesting thematic and below are my reactions to the query:

What role can schools and universities play in promoting agricultural careers to youth? Please share any relevant programs you are aware of.

Great. Currently CSAYN is looking forward to pilot projects in SSA Countries to scale up CSA and establish CSA Clubs in primary and secondary schools. So I feel this is going to create a huge impact in mainstreaming CSA among youth and people living with disabilities.

For past and ongoing initiatives you may have a look at our blog where I personally coordinate Plant-for-the-Planet Academies in Cameroon to ensure children and youth in school premises are well informed about the upcoming challenges in Climate Change an how to adapt and mitigate.

http://csayouthnetwork.wordpress.com/

What approaches are most successful in promoting the equality of female farmers?

Organising as many Gender Maintreaming trainings in Agricultural Research for Development just as waht FARA (Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa ) has been doing .

Equally happy to state here I equally benefited from this training and looking forward to scale Gender policies in all my programs.

http://www.fara-africa.org/apps/news/item/327/

What measures can development organizations and governments take to make rural areas more appealing for future farmers?

Establish and equip youth with the latest technologies towards promoting a sustainable agricultural settings in the marginalised communities. Lets Agriculture be colorful and stakeholders finance most of rural youth programs .

Please share any relevant case studies about empowering women and youth in agriculture to achieve better food security.

http://www.fara-africa.org/apps/news/item/327/

Thanks so much and hope this helps.

Regards,

CSAYN Founder.

This is a particularly difficult subject and one that has plagued (wo)mankind throughout history.  There is a natural desire for parents to want ‘something better’ for their children.  In the developed countries, the process has been to get bigger and increase profits with little regard for the communities that support and are supported by agriculture.  Many (most) young people leave the farm to explore other options.  Some eventually look back and realize that farming and country life have a value above dollars and those often return or want to return to the farm.  Not all youth stay away from farming and it is those who wish to return to the farm that should not be forgotten.  It may be possible to adapt the 4H model to serve and encourage youth in developing countries and the education system needs to produce those trainers to address the interests and needs of rural youth.  Also needed are those trainers who are dedicated to supporting mature women and in fact adults who need to or wish to return to farming for their family support.  In most cases this would be technological education but with an element of rural sociology injected to prepare or encourage folks choosing to live in the rural community.  I have no answers but recognize the importance of this discussion to our food and social security.  Good luck!

Jim