Again this year, at the invitation of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), 16 young farmers, including a delegation selected from the new class attending the WFO Gymnasium Programme, joined the 14th Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (2022 GFFA) participating in the International Young Farmers’ Forum.
From January 24 to 28, the group had the opportunity to discuss, share their visions and exchange their experiences on the 2022 GFFA theme “Sustainable Land Use: Food Security Starts with the Soil“.
Moreover, they worked out on a joint statement that two Young Farmers‘ group representatives, Chrispen Mununga from Zimbabwe and Ana Carolina Zimmermann from Brazil, delivered at today’s Berlin Agriculture Ministers’ Conference in front of over 60 Ministers of Agriculture from all over the world.
“Farming is our passion and, most of all, our profession. We, young farmers, are entrepreneurs, and we call for an enabling environment that allows agriculture to be a sustainable – and hence profitable – business model,” said Chrispen and Ana Carolina, starting off their speech.
Here are some key messages from the 2022 GFFA Young Farmers’ Statement.
- Sustainable land use and soil management is essential to improve food production, thus reducing food and nutrition insecurity.
- For farmers to contribute to increasing soil health, education and training are key, as well as an enabling environment with public policies that support farmers’ use of more sustainable practices.
- Responsible investments and enabling public policies are vital to increasing farmers’ access to science and technology, which are key to improving the quality of food production while protecting the environment and contributing to food systems’ sustainability.
Young Farmers present a huge goldmine that can provide a solution to the main challenges of the 21st century. Their energy and passion, empowered with the right tools and measures, will boost the entire agricultural sector towards a sustainable future for all.