Brief summary

2nd IFAP World Congress of Young Farmers, Buenos Aires, 26-28 July 2007

Under the theme “Today's actions for tomorrow's harvest”, 150 young farmers from over 30 countries met at the Palermo Country Show in Buenos Aires, Argentina to discuss subjects such as the strength and effectiveness of farmer organizations, new blood in farming, climate change, bio-fuels, profitability, risk management and WTO negotiations. They stressed the need to assist the entry of young farmers into agriculture as a profession and to guarantee farming’s future viability. Today’s and tomorrow’s farmers must meet stringent standards for production and quality and be conversant with new technology and improved farming practices if they are to gain a footing in markets that are increasingly dominated by large multinational companies. Young farmers must also strive for sustainable agriculture.

 

It is vital that agriculture worldwide is profitable if we want to attract young people to enter farming as a profession and way of life.

 

Felix Grimau, President of the IFAP Young Farmers Committee and member of the host organization Ateneo de Jovenes de Sociedad Rural Argentina (Argentinian Young Farmers Association) stressed the need for young people to participate actively in the farmers’ organizations. Building on this message, the IFAP President, Jack Wilkinson, added that there is a need for good farmers’ leaders who can work for the benefit of their colleagues, people who can see beyond their own local concerns and work for the community as a whole. He stressed that this was one of the reasons why IFAP supported young farmers and he called on them to take on leadership roles in farming organizations. Young farmers worked jointly on a final Congress declaration that is to be sent to their governments and their own farmers’ organizations.