Young farmers discuss public policies and remaining on the land

Held by the Agrarian Development Ministry (MDA), the Dialogues Workshop of the National Youth Plan and Rural Succession began this Tuesday (Feb. 23) and brought together young farmers from 23 states to discuss the challenges they face. Attracting young people to remain on the land and integrating them into public policies are among the topics to be discussed until Thursday (Feb. 25).

For Agrarian Development Minister Patrus Ananias, one of the main challenges is exactly to make young people remain on the land. "One of our goals is to turn the land into a more attractive place for young people. We want to create conditions for them to stay, to strengthen ties, encourage family and community values, produce healthy food in order to provide the entire Brazilian population with food security. We also want to contribute to the balance between a productive agriculture and environmental protection." said the minister.

Hernan Chiriboga, representative from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture in Brazil, considers the workshop important to empower young people. In his view, it is necessary to train young leaders to make a difference. "We need to make the agricultural sector attractive to young people. We want to create opportunities. Changes in the sector were very fast and it is our duty to fulfill the necessary conditions for them to remain on the land," he reported.

The workshop will be attended by researchers, state managers, and representatives from federal agencies linked to the rural and youth development agenda.

Translated by Amarílis Anchieta