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!