Latin America: Young professionals leave the office in the countryside

Latin America: Young professionals leave the office for the field

23/03/2015

According to European studies, today thousands of young Latin Americans leave the comfort and routine of the office for work in the field. They are professionals who are attracted to well-paid agricultural jobs and away from the pressures of the city.

They were born in these lands and - unlike their parents, for whom the countryside was a fatal destination - these young people found in agriculture a true vocation. And what is better, an opportunity to carve out a long-term professional future, despite the intense workload.

Currently, 3 of every Latin American 10 depend on land to survive. In countries like Mexico and Peru, it is estimated that 20% of young people work in the field. In Brazil, more than a quarter of the rural population (8 million) is between 15 and 29 years.

The current reality of the planet, devoid of food and crying out for healthy life is in the hands of the youngest. They must produce enough food to feed 9 one billion mouths in 2050. This is a huge challenge and young people together with the good use of technology and science can achieve it.

The field has many possibilities for the young person who wants to undertake, provided there are minimum conditions such as roads, rural electrification, internet and mobile telephony.

«If the process of creating a company is expensive and time consuming, young people are less willing to do business. We must also facilitate the processes of certification of products and services«says economist Diego Arias of the World Bank, who is in charge of the Santa Catarina Rural program.

The Santa Catarina Rural program is a partnership between the World Bank and the state government, it is exactly what has allowed hundreds of entrepreneurs to have a life project in the countryside. Similar initiatives are having great achievements in places like Armenia, Cameroon, Malawi, Senegal and Sri Lanka.

World Bank data shows that investment in agriculture is not expensive if the benefits for farmers are taken into account: an increase in income associated with this activity is between 2 and 4 times more effective in reducing poverty than growth in other sectors.

Source: World Bank