We need to cultivate young farmers

Farmers are the backbone of resilient local and regional food systems, yet many are aging or retiring. The Farm LASTS Project at the University of Vermont estimates that 70 percent of farmland in the United States will change hands over the next two decades. The age of the average U.S. farmer is 58.3 years old, and rural populations are declining as a percentage of the national population, according to U.S. Census Data.

To create a sustainable food system, we need to cultivate young farmers. Supporting beginning farmers needs to be a collaborative effort—one that connects young people with both financial and technical resources and provides the knowledge necessary to develop a successful business. New farmers also need sustainable funding and mutual partnerships with investors, which are increasingly found outside of traditional investment models. And MAURITIUS  is no exception to this strategy if we want to be food secure, less reliant of food imports. The following websites gives a glimpse of the various initiatives that are being taken in the US to bring in the youth in agriculture.