The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) organized the 2nd Youth Forum of ARD on 21st April to discuss what qualifications a researcher needs, what atmosphere is needed for young researchers in ARD. Speakers from leading research agencies - Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peking University and CAAS shared their experiences and ideas. YPARD China Representatives Jieying Bi presented on behalf of... More

The Forum for Agricultural Risk Management in Development (FARMD) is a network of institutions, practitioners, and academics seeking to enhance experience and knowledge sharing in agricultural risk management, particularly in developing countries. By improving the practice of agricultural risk management, the network seeks to strengthen investments in the agricultural sector and reduce the vulnerabilities faced by different stakeholders. FARMD is open... More

Recently I participated in the 18th Orientation Course Programme for faculty of Swami Keshwanand Rajasthan Agricultural University (SKRAU), conducted by Directorate of Human Resource Development-DHRD (SKRAU), Bikaner, (Rajasthan), India during 13th to 26th February, 2013. On its second day of the program, there was one lecture on “Agricultural Education: Perspectives and Prospects” delivered by Dr. M. P. Sahu, Dean, College of Agriculture,... More

It must have been two years ago when I had a discussion with my sister-in-law Nancy about my blog. She was surprised about the nature of my blog, my writing about my work as an agricultural economist, and how relatively unexciting that was. (Nancy is a senior legal officer in an international media company so she does have some idea of... More

Just few days after been nominated as the Local Representative for Young Professionals’ Platform for Agricultural Research for Development (YPARD) in Lagos, Nigeria. I was privileged to attend the Youth and Policy Dialogue Series on: Food Security for a Mega Population organized by HEDA resources, Lagos - Nigeria on 5th March, 2013. It was a very wonderful occasion involving individuals, farmers,... More

In the global agriculture diaspora, several topics/issues are always relevant or rather more current than others. I’ve realized that youth in agriculture are one of these. With fewer and fewer youth becoming involved in agriculture each year many wonder what will happen to the future of the industry. But if this is the case shouldn’t youth that are currently involved in... More

In rural development today, there is much more reliance on the market than in the past decades. Issues of what to do to reduce poverty, increase profit from agricultural production, employment and widened consumers` choice are still to be answered. To deal with these problems, development agencies design projects that increasingly turned to grants to provide solutions. In agriculture grants are... More

by Abodunrin Adeola Atinuke “The budget of any nation, especially a developing nation such as ours, is the next important instrument of governance after the Constitution. It reflects government's priorities in the various sectors while also showcasing government's values and reward systems. It is the budget that government utilises in encouraging or discouraging growth as well as in improving the welfare... More

I first heard of the global essay writing competition by Youth for Fish Program (YFFP) on how to fully engage youth in Fisheries and Aquaculture development from a friend at work. I later viewed it on the website of the Young Professionals Platform for Agricultural Research for development (YPARD). I first registered as a YFFP member  and then submitted my application... More

YPARD welcomes YPARD representative for Moldova: Sergiu Mihailov Sergiu Mihailov became a YPARD member in 2012 together with other young professionals from the agricultural field, in Moldova. He believes that through a joint cooperation between private farmers, civil society (NGO-s), research institutions and other key actors from the entire agricultural system, it is possible to achieve a sustainable development of the... More

Universities are extraordinary institutions. Among 12 universities in Nepal, there are 3 which are related to higher agricultural education. As namely: Tribhuvan University (TU) with Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Gokuleshwor Agriculture and Animal Science Campus, Agri- engineering and Food Technology, Tea Technology and Management, Horticulture and Floriculture Management;Purbanchal University (PU) with Himalayan College of Science and Technology and Nepal... More

YPARD welcomes Ivana Radic, YPARD Country Representative for Serbia. Ivana Radic fell into the field of agriculture at her first age : her mother was the manager of a big and successful agricultural cooperative, and later her father started running a pig and cattle farm. She entered the Faculty of Agriculture although this was not the path expected by people she... More

By Raymond Erick Zvavanyange Recently, I attended a roving seminar hosted by the University Of Zimbabwe Department Of Physics in association with Agromet Vision of the Netherlands from 19-21 March, 2013. The speaker was Professor C. Kees Stigter of the International Association of Agricultural Meteorology and Agromet Vision of The Netherlands. Previous seminars were held under the title "Operational Agrometeorology: Reaching... More

YPARD welcomes Meerim Shakirova as YPARD Country Representative for Kyrgyzstan. Meerim Shakirova was born and raised in Kyrgyzstan. When Meerim was 16, she moved to Moscow and started her active role in the international sphere, which has allowed her to play leadership roles as a global youth leader, climate change consultant and educator. Meerim has received scholarships from the Kyrgyz government... More

YPARD welcomes YPARD representative for Iran: Mohammadreza Davari. Mohammadreza Davari has completed his PhD degree in Agronomy from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in 2009. After completion of his education he has been engaging in research and teaching at university as well as in voluntary work with young in environmental NGOs. SabzAndishan Arak and Kimiyaye sabz are two of these NGOs (website... More

YPARD welcomes Keron Bascombe as YPARD Representative for Trinidad and Tobago. Keron Bascombe is a writer, blogger and budding agri journalist from the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago. Currently he reads for a Msc in Agribusiness and Marketing at the University of the West Indies (UWI). However due to experiencing several other learning environments he is now set on a... More

Nowadays, internet enables us to live everywhere in the world with the feeling of no distance to each other even though one may live in a small isolated village. One of the most useful usages of internet is through contributing in sharing information either on modern concepts or indigenous knowledge. Young professionals can effectively take part by sharing their knowledge through... More

by André-Daniel Stucki,(Bern University of Applied Sciences School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (HAFL) Usually it took me about half an hour to make my way from the Institute of Agroecology of the University of BaltI to the “Brigade”, the machinery section of the research Institute “Selectia” on the outskirts of the city. This way always included some traffic with... More

Urban farming in Kenya has moved beyond just being a poor man's profession. Can it even provide a solution to looming food insecurity? On a stroll through Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, one's eyes are drawn to a myriad of agricultural activities taking place. From a distance, greenhouses seem to sprout from any available piece of land and backyards. And that... More

YPARD is glad to announce the winner of the Seeing Thoughts contest! YPARD Seeing Thoughts video competition launched in 2012 was an attempt to capture and showcase the voices of youth and their contribution to agriculture for development, whether in research, in production or assisting a community to develop a sustainable livelihood. The contest was coupled with a learning process: the... More