A movement by youth, for youth,

for agricultural development

Ageing ARD populationAgeing ARD population Age distribution by agency and gender, 2007 (calculated by

headcount)

At these three agencies, the large majority of researchers were over the age of 40 in 2007. Over half were between the ages 51 and 60. This aging pool of well-qualified researchers, many of whom will retire in the next decade, is a major area of concern.

Source: ASTI-AWARD 2008/09.

A global platform of young professionals under 40 years of age active in Agricultural Research for Development (ARD)

What is YPARDWhat is YPARD?

Why YPARD?Why YPARD?

• Insufficient participation of young professionals in dialogues addressing critical development issues

• Limited access to professional opportunities for youth

• Absence of a support network or platform to voice young professionals’ ideas, opinions and concerns

• Declining interest in agricultural education among youth

• The need for sustainable ARD

1. To facilitate the exchange of information and knowledge among young professionals across disciplines, professions, age and regions

2. To broaden opportunities for young professionals to contribute to strategic ARD policy debates

3. To promote agriculture among young people

4. To facilitate access to resources and capacity building opportunities

ObjectivesObjectives

Our StakeholdersOur Stakeholders

• Universities• Research Institutions• Donor organizations• NGOs/CSOs• Government agencies• Farmer organizations• Private sector

Distribution:1950 members from 117 countries

CoordinationCoordination officesoffices

Global Coordination Global Coordination UnitUnit

at

at

at

at

Some ActivitiesSome Activities1.1. Facilitate exchange of information and knowledge Facilitate exchange of information and knowledge

among young professionals across disciplines, among young professionals across disciplines, professions, age and regions.professions, age and regions.

• Online platform at www.ypard.net enables young professionals to share information, engage in online discussions and blog about your experiences

• Support of small networking events organised by YPARD members in different countries (YPARD café in C’ote D’ivoire)

• Planned development of a mentoring programme that will connect young professionals around the world

2.2. Broaden opportunities for Broaden opportunities for young professionals to young professionals to contribute to strategic ARD contribute to strategic ARD policy debatespolicy debates

• Have enabled YPs to attend and contribute to several events including: CGIAR 2007 AGM and 2009 and 2011 Science Forum, young researchers seminar in GCARD, ARIMNet, AfricaAdapt, EU Forum for Rural Dev., Web 2.0 training, Share Fair, etc

• Sometimes through full or partial sponsorship and sometimes through lobbying of organisations for more youth representation

• Want to make the inclusion of young professionals at events a regular stakeholder group for invitation

Collect data on the declining interest of young people in agriculture and work with members and organisations to develop concrete steps for addressing some of these issues.

As the ARD community struggles to find concrete ways to make agriculture more attractive to young people, youth must be involved in this discussion and development of these strategies.

Implemented a study on assessing the new skills that are needed for emerging young professionals to contribute effectively to an improved ARD.

3.3. Promote agriculture Promote agriculture among young peopleamong young people

4.4. Facilitate access to resource Facilitate access to resource and capacity building and capacity building opportunitiesopportunities

Organising capacity building opportunities in collaboration with partners, eg. workshops on grant writing , agro-entrepreneurship, communication skills, etc.

Encouraging partners and other organisations to include young people in their trainings and to include trainings in those areas that young people have expressed that they need to further develop their skills

Information services to members: newsletter, funding opportunities and information relevant to YPs in ARD

YPARD LAC Activities 2011 YPARD LAC Activities 2011 Strengthening the website, including translations into

SpanishSurvey of LAC young professionals on what they want

from YPARD Profiles of successful young professionals as role models

developed for the website

YPARD representative given a position on the FORAGRO Executive Committee (September, 2011)

YPARD LAC plans for 2012YPARD LAC plans for 2012

• Activate the youth in the region and raise awareness. Can you help to spread the word among young professionals in ARD?

• Contribute to FORAGRO’s efforts on generational change by providing guidelines for organisations to work with youth in the region

• A youth session to feed into the upcoming GCARD conference in Uruguay

• Youth engagement in the CRPs

• Mechanism to select youth for meetings/workshops/conferences

What will you gain from What will you gain from being a YPARD member?being a YPARD member?

Information on funding opportunities, jobs, news in ARD and more!

YPARD newsletter to keep up-to-date on activities of interest to YPs in ARD

Become involved in the mentoring programmeBecoming a representative and building your professional

experienceOnline interaction with YPs around the globeOpportunities to apply to represent YP interests at

meetings and workshopsActively contributing to a more dynamic ARD!

What else? We‘reWhat else? We‘re lookinglooking for...for...

More members!Expanding YP members in different stakeholder groups Increasing institutional linkagesMore young professionals driving the process – ideas

coming from a local levelMore dynamic online discussionsMore young faces and voices at key ARD debates Innovative and youth led ARD!

Thank You!Thank You!

Sign up now ! @ www.ypard.net

info@ypard.net

and