Organized by the IsDB and the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) under the title “Youth engagement in agriculture production: Developing technologies that appeal to youth to make farming an attractive career option”, the seminar looked at the challenges and problems facing rural young people and what should be done to overcome them. 

Participants agreed that the focus should be on resource-efficient technologies that work for young people and make agriculture a viable source of income. These technologies can include solar pumps, improved irrigation systems that use sensors to control water flows based on plant needs, or can automatically adjust fertilizer and pesticide application rates based on growing conditions. For example, greenhouse and net-house technologies, as well as other technologies for protected agriculture, make high-value agricultural production possible even in the most marginal lands and provide higher incomes from primary production.