"The Universe always conspires to help the dreamer", Paulo Coelho.  We all have something we like, hate or love, simply because we all have the potential to feel passionate about something.  Passion is the energy that keeps us going and filled with meaning, happiness and excitement. It's the driving force that makes us feel unique and what pushes us to keep... Continue reading

Urban and peri-urban agriculture or UPA is key to household food security, especially in times of crisis or food shortages. Due to an increased demand for food, high birth rates and migration from rural to urban areas, UPA represents a spontaneous response to tackle today’s challenge to feed the rising population. Most of Iran’s territory is located in an arid and... Continue reading

These are Courtney Paisley 's words, during her video-interview with Farming First Coalition on "What can be done to bring more young people into policy discussions around agriculture?" The average age for farmers around the world is around 58. According to YPARD director, young people are not being shown the opportunities that are available in agriculture, and how it can make money. "We need to talk to young people,... Continue reading

To mark the 2014 International Year of Family Farming (#IYFF14) and on occasion of the World International Youth Day, YPARD Nepal, in collaboration with AgriYouthNepal (AYN) and Nepal Agricultural Cooperative Central Federation Ltd. (NACCFL) kicked-off YPARD Nepal Family Farming Photo Contest on 13th of August, 2014. With the goal of giving a stronger voice to family farmers as well as the... Continue reading

In the lead up to the International Year of Soils 2015, Shamba Shape Up and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) organized on Monday 13th April, 2015 a one-hour Tweet Chat to discuss about the problems facing farmers with soil.  The discussion involved a wealth of young Kenyan farmers seeking advice for their soil related issues ranging from protecting their... Continue reading

Do you care about forests and climate change? Are you passionate about animals and plants? Would you stand up for your friends´future? This is your opportunity to contribute to the XIV World Forestry Congress (WFC) Youth Program, which will be held in Durban, South Africa from the 7th until the 11th of September, 2015. 2015 WFC - Youth on the Spotlight... Continue reading

Land is a crucial resource for poverty reduction, food security and rural development. Yet in many places, women’s rights to land tenure are still not recognized or respected. Frequently, for example, husbands control land that legally belongs to their wives, or women are blocked from access to land they inherit from relatives. In order to raise awareness on women's land rights and to celebrate International... Continue reading

The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and Shamba Shape Up have teamed up to host a 1 hour Twitter Q&A to discuss about the problems facing farmers with SOIL.  The Twitter Chat on “Helping Farmers Build Healthier Soils," which will be held on Monday 13th April 8am EST / 2pm GMT / 4pm EAT will be particularly relevant in the lead up to the... Continue reading

We are delighted to welcome our very first YPARD Country representative for Italy: Virginia Cravero. Virginia is a Biologist specialized in bio-technology and agrifood, as well as in the development of traditional and local food products. She is passionate about food and all issues related to it. “Since I was little I experienced that food carries such pleasure that it was impossible... Continue reading

We´re delighted to welcome YPARD very first national representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina: Mirjana Ribic. Mirjana finished the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Banja Luka in 2011, where she graduated in Agricultural Economics and Rural Development. She is currently completing her master’s thesis in the field of Rural Tourism at the Department of Rural Development. She´s focused on the... Continue reading

We are delighted to welcome Martina Graf as YPARD Partnerships Officer. Martina works as scientific collaborator within the topic of making agriculture more sustainable using a tool called RISE - Response Inducing Sustainability Evaluation. “I love travelling and so do I love travelling through the world of agriculture, both on national and international level. Since 15 years I can call agriculture an... Continue reading

In preparation for the World Water Day 2015, YPARD launched on the 17th of February, 2015 the Youth-in-Ag Selfie Twitter Contest – 2015 World Water Day to engage the youth in this key event.  By answering the question “How does water contribute to food security?” participants had the chance to show their views as well as to contribute to bring more... Continue reading

Better than any “who we are”- page, this 2 minute video brings you the big picture of this international movement working to ensure the youth involvement and the development of a sustainable and food secure world.  Released in March 2015. Watch our official video and let us know what you think! It wouldn't have been possible without the work of all the volunteers that have... Continue reading

All around the world, International Women's Day represents an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women while calling for greater equality. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), approximately 70% of all farmers in the developing world are women. If access to new technology, training and resources is made available to these farmers, yields could increase by 20... Continue reading

We are delighted to welcome YPARD new national representative for Indonesia: Muhammad Iqbal Firdaus. Muhammad is a 22 year-old undergraduate student who is enrolled at the Faculty of Forestry of Bogor Agricultural University, Besides, he is an active board member of the Indonesian Green Action Forum (IGAF). Within IGAF, he has initiated some agricultural and environmental projects which engage children, youth... Continue reading

“Ending Hunger is doable!” This is how Nicholas Haan, team project leader at Singularity University, started the 2nd edition of the Thought For Food Global Summit. The 2-day event was held in Convento do Beato, a 15th century magnificent monastery which is a Heritage Site of Public Interest. From the 13th to the 14th of February, 2015 this white marble building... Continue reading

From the 22nd of September to the 6th of October 2014, the e-Agriculture Community of Practice organized its 24th e-Agriculture forum as part of the participatory discussion on the theme “Communication for Development, community media and ICTs for family farming and rural development” organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC). The forum took... Continue reading

YPARD is delighted to welcome Marc Ghislain Bappa as YPARD new Web4Knowledge intern. Marc will be working some 15 hours a week remotely from Cameroon, on posting information on YPARD website and disseminating it through YPARD different social media channels - on Facebook page and group, LinkedIn page and group, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest -. Marc is a 26-year old Cameroonian... Continue reading

We are delighted to welcome Michelle Kovacevic as YPARD Mentoring Coordinator.  Michelle is an experienced project manager and facilitator with a passion for improving youth engagement in national and global fora. She has coordinated and delivered comprehensive training workshops (both webinars and face to face) in social media, science communication, public speaking skills, facilitation and moderation skills for scientists, students, policymakers... Continue reading

Each year, UN-Water supports the World Water Day campaign by highlighting a specific aspect of freshwater. Under the theme ‘Water and Sustainable Development’, the year 2015 provides an important opportunity to consolidate and build upon the previous World Water Days to underline water's role in the sustainable development agenda. Water – Key to Food Security The link between water and food... Continue reading