Posted by Rob Hefferon  |  May 9, 2018

Young people in rural communities are struggling. There are few jobs. Those that exist are low-paying, physically demanding, and unfulfilling. It’s no wonder so many youth leave their family farms behind. Their parents can barely make ends meet. Crop disease and extreme weather make it harder every year. Eager to find meaningful work, young people migrate to urban areas at home and abroad—but jobs are scarce there too. With few options but a crowded slum and exploitative labor, their lives become even more precarious.

Topics: Youth |

Posted by Will McAneny  |  December 12, 2017

Thirty years ago, this place looked very different. Nestled in the foothills where the Amazon rainforest meets the towering Andes Mountains, the Peruvian town of San Martín de Pangoa exudes an aura of calm. Life seems to move at a leisurely pace; ambling through the town’s mostly-unpaved streets, you’ll see mototaxis rumble slowly past indigenous women cradling their babies in brightly-colored wool blankets. The hills rising above the town are patchworked with a lattice of small farms, and every moto and pickup truck seems to be laden with nearly-bursting sacks of coffee.

Topics: Environment | Peace | South America | Stories of Impact | Women in Agriculture | Youth |

Posted by Will McAneny  |  September 22, 2017

For young people in many farming communities, agriculture has become a dirty word. But in Ocotepeque, Honduras, ag is cool.

Topics: Mexico and Central America | Stories of Impact | Youth |

Posted by Will McAneny  |  September 13, 2017

Last year, we asked young leaders in rural Ghana what it takes to be an effective agricultural business leader in their communities. Our next step was to translate what we learned into prototypes designed to strengthen the agricultural leaders of today and tomorrow.

Topics: Advisory Services | West Africa | Youth |

Posted by Matt Foerster  |  October 6, 2016

Young managers participating in a financial management training hosted by Root Capital. Photo credit: Stuart Freedman/Argidius Foundation The annual macadamia harvest is now underway in Kenya, and The Village Nut Company’s hilltop factory in Nyeri County is buzzing with activity. As farmers deliver their crop and employees carefully hand-sort the finest nuts, the Muhara siblings are busy mentoring the next generation of agricultural entrepreneurs, fulfilling a promise they made years ago.

Topics: East Africa | Stories of Impact | Youth |