[TIG] Much attention has been given to the "brain drain" from rural areas to high-paying jobs in the city, especially among young people. The population of cities are burgeoning as the average age in rural communities climbs higher and higher. Youth employment levels are soaring, often two to three times the national average. In what specific ways can technology stem this exodus of young people by providing meaningful, competitive job opportunities in rural areas?
[Seiders] I wouldn’t necessarily use the term “brain drain” when considering the impact of young people leaving rural areas for the cities, but it definitely represents a significant loss of critically important human resources. Farming populations are ageing. In many developing countries, especially in Sub-Sahara Africa, sickness and death caused by HIV/AIDS, are devastating the middle age groups - those most active in agricultural production. Young people, leaving the countryside in great numbers, create a dangerous vacuum, threatening the very existence of rural communities and contributing significantly to increases in national food insecurity and hunger.
Not only the hope of “high-paying” jobs in the cities encourage young people to leave rural areas, because in most cases, the ones who leave have few or no skills, or little experience and can only expect the most menial of jobs. It is also the expectation of a better life and perhaps even adventure that “pull” youth from the rural areas. The “push” factors include poverty; limited or no opportunities for education and training; lack of social, sport and recreation activities; and limited work opportunities that could provide a satisfying and economically rewarding life in rural areas.
Another concern that could be considered as a “push” factor is the negative attitude that so many rural youth have concerning rural life in general, and specifically, agriculture as an employment possibility. The experience that young people often have is that farm work is menial, which is neither satisfying nor remunerative. Most work involves hard labour in the fields, often under exploitative conditions, with low pay, little job security and limited prospects of advancement. Labour in rural areas becomes even more difficult under conditions of hunger and poverty. As needed, youth are forced to work to help sustain the family farm or as day-laborers. This usually involves long days under very harsh working conditions.
The answer to the question is to use technology to reduce the influence of the pull factors and overcome the problems associated with the push factors. A key is the access to relevant technology through information, training and education to increase knowledge and skills to improve the quality of life in rural areas and to enhance the potential for finding meaningful and economically rewarding employment. In addition to causing severe social, economic, political and environmental problems in urban areas, food security is severely compromised by so many, often the brightest and most capable, rural youth leaving the countryside.
[TIG] Many people respond to the "rural crisis" by saying, who cares? It's beauty of choice allows young people to move to cities and all the opportunities it offers. It's the natural progression from agrarian to industrial and information-based societies. How would you respond to this? Why is the cause of rural communities worth fighting for?
[Seiders] Unfortunately, all too often young people in developing countries leave rural areas for the cities not by choice, but because they are desperate and see no future for themselves in the village where they come from. It is true that the global trends are towards a more urbanized society. It appears that by the year 2005, for the first time ever, there will be slightly more people living in urban and peri-urban areas around the world than in the countryside.
Even considering the above, especially in developing countries, for many years to come, a large percentage of the population must continue to be actively involved in agricultural production to provide for the basic food needs of their growing populations. National development planners and decision makers must keep this in mind and provide, accordingly, strategies and policies to try to improve the quality of life in rural areas and provide the necessary economic incentives to encourage young people to consider rural life and farming as a viable life choice for themselves and their families.
[TIG] How is technology changing the face of agriculture, and specifically the family farm? Is this movement hindering the family farm by consolidating of farm land into larger, corporate models? Or is it helping the family farm become sustainable through increased efficiency and mechanization?
[Seiders] This question is a little difficult to answer in the context of developing countries. The so called “family farm” is the predominant system of agriculture in most of these countries and will remain so for many years to come. There are the trends of consolidating farm lands into larger corporate models, but not being an expert in this area, I would guess that it is more due to certain economic incentives and globalization rather that the availability of technology. I do feel that technology can help strengthen family farms through increased efficiency and certain appropriate levels of mechanization moving away from subsistence agriculture to market-oriented production.
[TIG] The divisive issue of farm subsidies has been center stage in recent WTO gatherings, most notably the failed meeting in Cancun, Mexico. It is of particular importance for young people looking at a career in agriculture as it speaks to its immediate future. What will be the effect of farm subsidies, as practiced by Europe and the US in particular, on the future of agriculture, especially in developing countries?
[Seiders] Again, I am not an expert in the area of world trade, but I think anything that reduces economic incentives for farming, such as major subsidies for agricultural products by developed countries, will negatively impact the willingness of young people to consider agriculture as a viable career choice.
[TIG] What advice would you give to a young person considering entering agriculture as a profession?
[Seiders] I would advise any young person wishing to consider agriculture as a profession to seek as much education and training as possible. Agriculture is technology and science-based area of work whether research in the laboratory or ploughing a field. Knowledge, skills and relevant experience will contribute significantly to success as an agricultural professional. Many young people even from urban areas wish to go into agriculture. My advice to them is that, in addition to formal training, try to get as much hands-on, practical experience as possible.
[TIG] Can you give a brief overview of the activities, objectives and vision of the FAO Rural Youth programmes?
[Seiders] FAO’s mission related to young people is to help create, strengthen and expand government and non-government youth development programmes. Given adequate knowledge, skills and resources, youth can play a significant role in helping meet the World Food Summit goal of reducing the number of the world’s hungry by one-half by the year 2015. The programme encourages the development of essential life skills through experiential learning and income-generating project and activities. In recognition of the importance of youth and their potential impact on hunger, FAO created in 1999 a new project called Youth in Agriculture, Food Security and Sustainable Livelihoods (2002-2007). Rural youth development in FAO draws on resources and support from the many technical divisions within the organization, including nutrition, gender, agriculture, forestry, natural resources and fisheries. FAO is actively seeking the development of partnerships and collaboration with other UN agencies, international development organizations, potential donors and civil society sharing a common interest of empowering young people in rural areas to become contributing and productive citizens of their local communities, their countries and their world.
[TIG] Why is the dissemination of information in agriculture important? How can this issue be raised and proposed within decision making and capacity building processes?
[Seiders] Combined with local indigenous knowledge, the dissemination of information is the life blood of agriculture. Agriculture is not a static endeavour. It is ever changing. There are always external factors impacting on the production of crops and livestock, such as new insect pests, animal diseases, changing weather patterns and new market demands. There are so many cultural practices influencing production that can be adjusted in any combination of ways that could increase or decrease output.
The dissemination of information is important but not enough. It is not only a matter of technology transfer, but just as importantly, that of building the capacity of farmers through education and training to empower them through the acquisition of basic skills and knowledge to be able to use the information in a meaningful way to improve their agricultural production and marketing systems.
The dissemination of information in agricultural has traditionally been the responsibility of public sector government extension services. Today there are radical changes all over the world in terms of how extension services are organized and how they deliver agricultural technology to farmers. In many countries there is no longer the single public sector extension service of the past, but rather a pluralistic system including NGOs and private advisory businesses. In addition, new extension systems in order to be relevant must be demand-driven, gender sensitive and cost effective. Decision makers need to take all this into account when considering national agricultural and rural development strategies and policy. On concrete way to bring this need for national extension reform to the attention of policy makers is to carry out a participatory strategic planning process, based on background studies and including a national conference to come up with a national strategy and plan of action.
R. William (Bill) Seiders, Ed.D.
Senior Officer, Rural Youth Development
Extension, Education and Communication Service
Research, Extension and Training Division
Viale delle Terme di Carcalla
00100 Rome, Italy
Telephone: +39 06 5705 3615
FAX: +39 06 5705 3801
e-mail: william.seiders@fao.org
Website: www.fao.org/ruralyouth
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