The rural youth visits AGROSAVIA to build a better country

Palmira, Valle del Cauca. September 1, 2023. Today at the Palmira Research Center of Corporación colombiana de investigación agropecuaria AGROSAVIA, a field day of the First National Rural Youth Meeting organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development was held, where more than 200 young people from different parts of the country participated, including the Head of the agricultural portfolio Jhenifer Mojica.

The event took place at Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Palmira Headquarters, and AGROSAVIA to build the national rural youth policy that strengthens the country's agricultural sector.

The tour through the research center had four stations: one on the chontaduro station that shows the rescue and strengthening of this productive system in Putumayo, Cauca and the Pacific coast; the Colombian Cacao Collection of the Plant Germplasm Bank that preserves genetic variability; the production of Dominico Hartón plantain seed with multiplication through tunnels and a thermal chamber; and the avocado station, where the phytosanitary management strategies for quarantine pests that affect this fruit tree were shown.

This meeting was part of the International Youth Month brought forward by the UN General Assembly, which celebrates the role of young people as essential agents of change and raises awareness in society about the challenges and problems they must face.

Jorge Mario Díaz, Executive Director of AGROSAVIA, said, "We want to tell the young people of the country that they can count on AGROSAVIA, its research centers and infrastructure, but, above all, on our knowledge and motivation to accompany rural transformation side by side with our youth."

This celebration was also held in August at the Research Centers La Libertad in Meta and Motilonia in Agustín Codazzi, Cesar. In these meetings, agricultural issues were worked on with ancestral knowledge, agricultural justice, the climate crisis and the energy transition, beekeeping, and samples of youth projects from each region, among others.