No, no, no – you won’t have to literally garden in the moonlight. That would be inconvenient.  Using the lunar cycle to pinpoint seed planting dates for healthier plants and more bountiful harvest is an age-old practice still used to this day. It might not be the most popular trend right now, but it is based in science and suggested by... More

Research is essential for increasing knowledge and to establish facts and principles - data is the main ingredient.  As science and technology are getting updated, research is undertaken at the micro level and therefore various complex and large amount of data is needed to come to an accurate conclusion. But the traditional data processing application software is inadequate to deal with... More

Awareness about agriculture is steadily gaining momentum among young people in Africa- particularly in Nigeria. Concrete efforts are being made by governments and the private sector including, NGOs and civil societies, on possible ways to engage and make youth the main drivers of agricultural transformation in Africa. Participation of youth in agribusiness along the agricultural value chain has been identified as... More

Dear YPARD community, I would like to present you the Let’s Food Cities project, launched in September 2017 by the French NGO Let’s Food.  To tell you a bit more about why we initiated this project, let us tell you more about our background and how this idea appeared to be the right thing to us. Anna Faucher, now president of... More

Rumi, the great poet is quoted saying “Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes. Because for those who love with heart and soul there is no such thing as separation.” This aptly describes what the YPARD community felt upon the departure of Courtney Paisley having attained the age limit to be involved in a leadership position at YPARD.... More

Agriculture has long been perceived as a profession for the hopeless- especially unemployed youth in the society. Several years ago, people only practised agriculture as mere engagement and, as a societal norm but the recent trends in the agricultural industry has made it clear that the opportunities in agriculture cannot be overemphasized. There are many basic needs of life but food... More

The recent discussion on issues pertaining to food security and adequate nutrition proves to be very important as it has a bearing on human survival. It has become increasingly important as food security and nutrition security are essential aspects of the development goals aimed at sustainable, social, economic and human development. But did you know? … eight hundred million people still... More

According to the recent report by Nigerian Population Commission (NPC)  Nigeria's population has officially hit 198 million, with the majority (51%) living in the urban areas. Is this supposed to be a blessing or a challenge for the agri-food sector? I would say it is both.  It is a challenge, because there are now more mouths to be fed by the... More

The world’s existing network of extension agents may not be enough to disseminate farmer-to-farmer training videos to reach the millions of people who need new ideas. In general yield production videos for farmer become more common by various sorts of actors in communities. However, the multi-faceted issues that farmers face during production, need to be overcome for the sustainable development in... More

The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC) in association with Nepal Food Scientist and Technologist Association (NEFOSTA) organized three days long “Food Fair” with the aim of promoting traditional foods from Nepal.  Furthermore, the Food Fair was organized to provide information about the nutritional value of local food and the health benefits. The fair was organized from 23rd to... More

While having a cup of hot chocolate, I close my eyes and fall into memories. I remembered my trip to a chocolate production farm – Como llegar, in Talamanca Region, Costa Rica during YES lab (here, here and here you can find previous blogs on this topic) in 2017. We went there to see an indigenous tribe Bribri (just few people... More

Ghana is a key leader in the world cocoa market. According to history, cocoa was first brought to Ghana by Tetteh Quarshie from Fernando Po in 1879. Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire provide about 50 percent of the world’s cocoa supply. The cash crop is of high value as the export of cocoa fetches the country foreign exchange. Revenues from the exportation of... More

I am incredibly proud and satisfied by what we have achieved at YPARD in the last seven and a half years. When I first began in 2010 youth was rarely mentioned and we were lucky if we managed to secure an ill-attended side event. Youth organizations were limited in scope and rarely seen. But now youth is central to the agenda.... More

As YPARD’s Director, Courtney Paisley bids farewell to the young agriculturists’ network, former Communications, and Knowledge Manager, Marina Cherbonnier reflects on Courtney’s game-changing impact as a disruptive leader, towards truly sustainable development. Ironically, we don’t make enough justice to empowering leaders. This is because enabling leaders are precisely those who genuinely know that for a community to take full ownership, their... More

YPARD is delighted to welcome Myriam Perez as the incoming YPARD Director. Myriam is a graduate with a Master’s degree on Sustainable Development for Agriculture (Agris Mundus) and a Bachelor in Agricultural Engineering from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid Spain. Previously, Myriam has been working as a scientific program officer at Agropolis Foundation where she instructed and initiated actions to strengthen Montpellier’s... More

Are you a young entrepreneur, investor or student interested in sustainable finance? Or are you passionate about reaching millions online through creative storytelling? Whatever your skill - speaking, investing, writing, digital media, and more - Youth in Landscapes Initiatives and the GLF is inviting you to be one of the 200 participants tackling the topic of sustainable finance during the GLF... More

Climate Action and Agriculture for Sustainable Development in Uganda                                         Bwire Denis                                          Saerd Uganda Climate change is not only a topic of... More

The euphoria that has been encapsulated within the term ‘Africa Rising’ according to researchers is attributed to Africa’s expanding middle class and the development of information and communications technologies.  This is crucial for the growth and development of Africa’s economy. However, as the internet continues to expand to even the remotest parts of the global South and with such optimism, women... More

This meeting has taken place in the ville of Marche-en-Fammennes, in the southeast of Brussels, with represents from small Mediterranean and European cities (Tarragona in Spain, Trier-Saarburg and Hofheim in Germany); territorial groups, (such as IDELUX of Luxembourg); international organizations, (like REDRURAL, GFAR and ourselves, YPARD); research agencies (like Jules Destrée Institute, CIRAD and the library of Alexandria and a big... More

Finding a professional arena in which you feel at ease and make it your comfort zone, for youth nowadays, is a challenging issue. Hiring opportunities in most development sectors are becoming scarce and competitive over time. The rate of unemployment and under-employment as well as the need for youth to acquire technical capacities to prosper are on the rise. Agriculture indeed... More