To mark the year of Italy’s Presidency of the G20, on 17 and 18 September 2021, Florence is hosting the summit of agriculture ministers from the twenty countries that make up 60% of the world’s population, 80% of its wealth and 75% of foreign trade.
Preceded by an open forum on sustainable agriculture on 16 September, this event is an important chance to focus on the issues of sustainability, world hunger, nutrition, as well as the relationship between young people and agriculture, an issue which Minister Patuanelli focused on in particular during the forum which kicked off the event.
What is the relationship between the agricultural sector and new generations in 2021? According to the Minister of Agricultural Policies, with only 8% of Italian agricultural entrepreneurs under the age of 40, compared with a European average of 11%, there is lots of room for improvement in this respect. The main deterrents, confirmed the Minister, are on the one hand the conservative nature of the sector and, on the other hand, the perception that it is very hard work. Innovation could be the key to overcoming this challenge. In fact, many young people are getting into the primary sector as they see the potential of this factor, capable of uniting the three areas of sustainability: environmental, social and economic. From precision agriculture to the use of drones, from artificial intelligence systems for irrigation connected to weather forecasts to cutting-edge sensors. Many high-tech applications are already widespread in agriculture, which could benefit even more from the innovative contribution of younger people.
The Italian government is also seeking to support this process through the Recovery and Resilience Plan, with the allocation of resources for mechanisation, improving water and energy efficiency, and supply chain and logistics agreements, to name but a few. This process also includes many opportunities for young people: the agricultural sector needs to be innovated and young people need to innovate.
Image: Canva
