This project will introduce modern organic farming techniques to 150 youths from underserved communities. The benefits are manifold: Participants learn sustainable farming from a real-world social enterprise that benefits both people and planet; The program elevates the perception of farming among the younger generation - farmers don't have to be poor and uneducated; The program sows the seeds for teens who may consider a career in agriculture and become tomorrow's agripreneurs.
The number of retiring farmers in Mauritius is increasing - over 10,000 since 2014 - and there aren't enough youths willing to replace them. This poses significant challenges for local food supply - essential food requirements have to be imported and are therefore expensive, with low-income consumers most affected by volatile changes in price. This program helps young people see new potential in the organic farming value chain as a tool to both earn a living and uplift their community.
Using a working modern organic farm, this project elevates the perception of farming as a profession that is meaningful, impactful and rewarding. Youths will learn how organic farming can be a tool to earn a decent income while feeding their local community with food that is affordable and nutritious. They will also be taught how their participation in the local food system can increase food security, reduce the nation's dependance on food imports, and thus increase the stability of food prices.
This project will enable 150 youths to view farming in a modern and appealing light, and as a means to generate poverty reducing growth for themselves and their community. It will empower 150 youths to challenge existing stereotypes about farming being reserved for the poor and uneducated, to capture new opportunities in organic agriculture, and to become the agripreneurs of tomorrow.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
