Last May 2013, YPARD was solicited by the Chicago Council to invite some Young Professionals to take part in the live blogging and tweeting of The 2013 Global Food Security Symposium. A young live blogger would watch a panel discussion or a keynote address and then would write up summary and key points to be posted on the Chicago Council’s Global... More

A story about a Cambodian “Friends Help Friends Saving Group”By Tha Kok, Martina Graf During a forest hike to an old monastery in the frame of the 26th International Leadership Workshop for Rural Youth in Germany I got the chance to get to know Tha Kok while walking next to him. This was the first time I heard his story, and... More

Interview with Yodgor Qonunov, Senior Program Officer of Mountain Societies Development Support Programme, a project of Aga Khan Foundation By Sergiu Mihailov Yodgor Qonunov (33) from Tajikistan works as a Senior Program Officer in the Appropriate Technology Promotion Unit of Mountain Societies Development Support Programme (MSDSP). He studied ecology and is an expert in natural resource management. Yodgor shares with us... More

With over 40 young professionals supported to attend the 2013 African Agricultural Science Week (AASW), YPARD planned an event that could celebrate what young people have done on the continent in ARD and examine how we can work stronger, together. The objectives of the side event were to bring together YPARD members, representatives and those supportive of youth and agriculture issues... More

By Johanna Gysin Maimouna Diakite, 47, lives together with her husband and her children in Bamako, the capital of Mali. Maimouna studied accounting and finances in Bamako and did later on further education in the field of teaching and education. She works as accountant for UNICEF Mali in Bamako. Since Maimouna felt that rural areas are in danger to get deserted... More

By Ivana Radic, Martina Graf There is a saying in Serbia that says “one starts building a house from the basis”. It is the same with the 26th International Leadership Workshop for Rural Youth in Herrsching, Germany, both in the aspect of learning and the aspect of social networking. In the first week we have been revising our previous knowledge, learning... More

Tell us about experiences of youth migration! On 12 August 2013, we will be celebrating the Youth on International Youth Day. The assigned theme for 2013 is: ‘Youth Migration: Moving Development Forward’. “Youth are recognized as one of the most mobile social groups in the context of migration – they form about 30% of international migrants!” The UN says. It is... More

“45% of households in Africa are led by women…  Women are the source of 80% of food produced in countries stricken by famine and malnutrition… however less than 10% [of these] women can access financial resources for farming.” Those were the words of Dr. Lindiwe Sibanda, the keynote speaker at the side event called “Empowering women and youth for improved productivity... More

Seven years ago, as a fourth year agriculture undergraduate student in the mandatory one year on-farm only period, I was posted with my group to live for 2 weeks in a village that barely existed on the map, lacked access road (we had to pass through a sandstone surface), had no school, no portable water (not even a well), no power,... More

Ask any child in school what he or she would like to be in the future and I’ll bet you  $100 that 0 out of 10 will say farmer. In Africa, that’s the world we’re living in. However, as scientists, politicians, entrepreneurs and the like gather at the Africa Agriculture Science Week (AASW6) I do see a good number of young... More

  Agriculture is both an engine of economic development and a source of wellbeing, but much of the African continent has failed to make good on the promise agricultural development. In sub-Saharan Africa, Agriculture directly contributes to 34 percent of the GDP and 64 percent of employment, and agricultural products compose about 20 percent of Africa’s exports. This means it is... More

  As the 6th Africa Agriculture Science Week (AASW6) prepares to take its place in the agribusiness narrative of Africa, I offer some personal reflections on the significance of the event. Firstly, the implementation and evaluation plan laid out by FARA and its partners for the fourth pillar of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) is perhaps one of the event’s... More

  Arguably the most heated topic of discussion in the schoolyards growing up in my home country of Nigeria was, “What are you going to be when you grow up: a teacher? Or a farmer?” As far as I remember, the number of guys wanting to be a teacher always far outweighed those wanting to be a farmer — and that... More

YPARD is delighted to welcome YPARD representative for Canada: Beth Timmers. "I am thrilled to have been nominated as Canada’s YPARD Country representative." Beth says "I’m a Canadian economist, highly committed to promoting the interests of young Canadians in ARD. I’m currently working with the Agriculture and Food Security Team at Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) as this year’s Research... More

During three days, all participants of the 26th International Leadership Workshop for Rural Youth in Germany have the great opportunity to learn more about the OPEN SPACE methodology. By practicing we learn how to use it as an instrument to find solutions and develop concrete actions for our organizations. The main objective of our OPEN SPACE these days is: “How can... More

Visit to the Mayr's in Erding, Germany “Our farm is a medium to small farm, compared to the others in the area” says Clemens Mayr, a farmer from Erding, Germany, while pointing to the distant fields on his farm. This surprises his guests from Mali, Madagascar and Switzerland; a farm of 60 hectares is considered a large farm in the visitors’... More

We are delighted to welcome YPARD country representative in Russia: Iana Perevoshchikova The floor is to Iana for her to introduce herself to you: “I was very lucky with my biology teacher at school, where the interest came from. As a good specialist in the field, she ran a Youth Laboratory of Nature Research, which I attended. We went to a... More

The issue of unemployment among young people continues to be at the top of the list of agenda in global, regional, national and local meetings and discussions by governments, corporations and organisations. As these discussions rise in number continuously, there seems to be little improvement in the situation of unemployment among young people. Policies have been formulated, initiatives have been created,... More

The impact assessment studies on agricultural research in Africa (in most commodities including Rice, Maize) have shown  huge payoffs, more than any other investments, reaching rates of return of more than 100%. It is however, necessary to note that impacts of agricultural research have long time lags from initial investment to actually reaping the benefits. This is exacerbated by market failures... More

We are delighted to welcome a new YPARD representative in the region of Latin America and the Carribean (YPARD-LAC): Rebeca Souza, YPARD country representative for Brazil! Rebeca is an economist very much passionate about encouraging young people, enhacing human development and promoting food and nutrition security. She holds a Masters Degree in International Development and has a very diversified work experience... More