AGREE: promoting agricultural entrepreneurship
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Transcript of AGREE: promoting agricultural entrepreneurship
AGREE:promo+ngagricultural
entrepreneurship
AndrewBartle:TeamLeaderandPolicyAdviserLaoUplandRuralAdvisoryService
SSWG-FAB
February,2017
RuralYouth! Thereisapproximatelyone
millionpeopleinLaosbetweentheageof15-24wholiveinruralareas.
! WhatisthefutureforthisimportantsecMonofsociety?
! Whatservicesdotheyneed,andwhataretheygeOng?
Rapidchanges! TheshiPfromsubsistenceto
commercialagricultureisaccompaniedbyincreasedconnec%vity(eg.roadsandphones),whichbringsopportuniMesandproblems
! Comparedtotheirparents,ruralyoutharebeTerinformed,increasinglymobile,andhaveaccesstoawiderrangeofproducts
! Theyarealsomoreexposedtothethreatoftrafficking,drugs,debt...andmorelikleytoleavethevillage.
! ManythousandsaremovingtociMesinLaosandgoingtoworkinThailand
AspiraMonsofruralparents! Focusgroupdiscussionscarriedout
byLURASshowthatparentsdonotwanttheirchildrentoconMnueinfarming.
! Villagersstatethatfarmingishardanddirtywork,withuncertainreturns.
! TheyalsoseethemselvesashavinglowsocialstatusandfewopportuniMesforadvancement.
! ParentswanttheirchildrentogetaneducaMon,leadingtoanon-farmjob(ideallywithGovernment),sothattheycansendmoneybackhome.
AspiraMonsofruralyouth! AstudyofstudentsatAgriculturalCollege
showedthatmostofthemwanttoworkfortheGovernment,ratherthanreturningtotheirvillage.
! OtherstudiesinLaosshowthattheaspiraMonfora‘beTerlife’leadstopaidemploymentratherthanunpaidlabouronthefamilyfarm.
! ThesearchforacashincomemayinvolvemigraMontourbanareas(eg.construcMon,texMles)butequallyimportantispaidlabourintheagricsector(eg.plantaMons,processing).
! Inmanyruralhouseholds,onechildwillstaywiththeparentswhileothersleave.ThisisoPenachildwithlessformaleducaMon
ScenariosforthenextgeneraMon
GreyVillages BrownVillages GreenVillages
Out-migraMonbyyoungpeopleresultsin
anageingruralpopulaMon,withnoinnovaMonandlow
producMvity
Investmentinindustrialscale
agribusinessprovidecashincomesinruralareas,andpeoplestay
invillages
FarmergroupsandSMEsengagedin
‘green’producMonandprocessingprovideaTracMvenewlivelihoods
Youthbecomeurbanworkersandconsumers
Youthbecomelabourforcefortheglobal
foodindustry
Youthbecomepioneersforruralcommunity
development
Whichscenarioismostlikelytohappen?
Youthempowerment! Someobserversthinkthesectorhasanimage
problem,andthatweneedtomakefarmingmore‘sexy’,
" Ifthisisthecase,weneedtoiden%fynewrolemodelsandsuccesscases,anddevelopadvocacystrategiesthatmakefarmingmoreappealing
! ButmaybetheproblemismorepracMcal.Youngpeoplewanttoescapedrudgery,earncashandgetaccesstotheproductsofamodernlife
" Inwhichcase,weneedtopaymorea:en%ontoruraljobcrea%onandenterprisedevelopment
! Theyalsoalsowantgreaterindependence,self-respectandachancetodosomethingdifferent
" Inwhichcase,weneedmoreini%a%vesthatareplannedandmanagedbyruralyouththemselves
YoungAgripreneurs! IffarmingcommuniMesaretoremain
aviableandvibrantpartofLaosociety,ruralyouthneedlocalopportuniMestoearnmoney,becreaMveandenjoythemselves.
! TheroleofAgriculturalCollegesisimportant,notjustbecausetheytrainnewGovernmentstaff,butbecausetheycanbelaunchpadsforyoungagripreneurs
! Youngagripreneursarestudentsandgraduateswhoaredevelopingtheirownagribusiness.Theymakeplans,makeconnecMonsandhopefullymakemoney.
Let’sAGREE!! AGREEisaschemeforYoungAgriprenuers
thatstartedlastyearattheNorthernAgricultureandForestryCollegeinLuangPrabang
! AGREE=AgripreneursforGreenRuralEnterprisesandEconomy
! AcMviMestodate:# Weekendworkshopsonbusinessplanning# ThefirstAGREEcompeMMon
! AGREEissupportedbytwoprojectsfundedbySDCandimplementedbyHelvetas:# TheLaoUplandRuralAdvisoryService
(LURAS)# SupporttotheReformofAgricultureand
ForestryColleges(SURAFCO)
Theprocess
DesignandimplementaMonofthefirstAGREEschemewassub-contractedtoEDC
! ThefirststageofAGREEstartedwith52proposalsinOctoberandendedwith12teamswhopresentedtheirbusinessideastoapanelofjudgeson21stJanuary.
! Theprototypeproductsincludedout-of-seasonlimes,frozenfrogslegs,vermi-compost,ornamentalplants,eggtraysmadefromrecycledpaper...andmore
ThecompeMMon
! ThepanelofjudgesconsistedofprominentpeoplefromthepublicandprivatesectorinLuangPrabang
! Theyawardedfirstprizeof6.5millionkiptothreestudentswhodevelopedaplanforprocessingandmarkeMngaherbalteamadefromtheflowerofthebuTerflypea(dokangsan).
! Whatimpressedthepanelwastheprototypepackaging,thefinancialcalculaMons,andtheconfidenceofthestudents.
Thewinners
NextstepsforAGREE! LURASiscurrentlymakingplanstosupport
someoftheAGREEfinalistsaPergraduaMon.Thiscouldinclude..# Cashgrants# Advancedtraining# Mentoringvisits# Abusinessadvicehotline# Anonlinesupportgroup
! AsecondroundofbusinessplanningworkshopsandcompeMMonisbeingconsideredforNAFC
! ExpansionofAGREEtoothercollegesisalsopossibleaspartofPhaseIIIofSURAFCO
SomeQuesMons
! WhichscenarioforruralLaosismostrealisMc:grey,brownorgreen?
! ThecontribuMonofagricsectortoGDPisfallingsteadily.Isthisinevitable,orcanagripreneursmakeasignificantdifference?
! WhatotherresourcesandchannelsareavailableforsupporMngyoungagripreneurs?
! Whatelsecanbedonetoimprovetheprospectsforruralyouth?
! Howdowereachscale?Wearetalkingaboutthefutureof1millionpeople!