Engaging Vietnamese youth in agriculture through collaboration with the Netherlands
On March 19, 2024 Vietnam celebrated the kick-off of the Vietnam chapter of the Empower Youth4Food campaign #EY4F Viet Nam. The campaign aims to change how young people view farming and agricultural jobs. Young people in Southeast Asia tend to see agriculture as ‘old-fashioned’ and not offering a good prospect for a prosperous life. The campaign is a tool to change this and engage young people to develop a perspective on agriculture in Vietnam as a modern and dynamic sector of the economy, applying high-end technology and supporting a healthy life style. With support from various stakeholders, the campaign has the intention to make farming more appealing to the next generation and ensure a sustainable food supply for Vietnam's future.
Farming made cool
Like in many countries across the globe, in Vietnam there's a need to change people’s view on agricultural practises in order to ensure future food security. With the looming threats of climate change and an aging population of farmers, the self-sufficiency of Vietnam is at risk. Unfortunately, many young people view farming as outdated and undesirable, just ‘not cool enough’ for modern times.
The Empower Youth4Food campaign aims to change this perception by showcasing the opportunities within the agricultural sector to young people aged 16 to 35 with a during of 2 years (2024 – 2025). Taking inspiration from advanced farming practices in countries like the Netherlands, the campaign emphasizes the innovative sides and the and potential of farming. As the Netherlands and Vietnam have been collaborating on sustainable agriculture and food security goals for over 10 years, the campaign fits into the strategic partnership between the two countries. Empower Youth4Food Campaign Chapter Vietnam (youtube.com)
On the first day of the recent Netherlands economic mission to Vietnam, the campaign was launched by Mrs. Christianne van der Wal, Minister for Nature and Nitrogen Policy from the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality from the Netherlands together with the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam, Mr. Le Minh Hoan. By jointly launching the campaign, both ministers endorse the urgency and aims of what the campaign intends to achieve.
Opening doors for youth
The Vietnam Empower Youth4Food campaign consists of four key elements: events, success stories, a changemaker challenge, and navigating career paths. Tailored events will engage different age groups, offering activities like social media contests and online seminars to educate on sustainable food systems. Success stories will highlight Vietnamese professionals, especially those who studied in the Netherlands, demonstrating the rewarding careers available in agriculture. The Changemaker Challenge will engage students in solving real-world issues faced by agri-food companies, providing seed money to the winning teams to bring their innovative ideas into implementation. Additionally, the campaign will connect Vietnamese students and young professionals with career opportunities through collaboration with members of the Dutch Business Association Vietnam (DBAV), offering guest lectures and company visits for high school students aged 16-21 and promoting job openings and internships for young professionals aged 22-35 to foster career advancement.
For students, the campaign opens doors to various career paths within agriculture. Young Vietnamese students can explore different areas like marketing, technology, and food economics. Through events and challenges, they can learn how to solve real problems in agriculture. At the same time, for business the campaign is an attractive vehicle to find youth with required skills for their companies. The campaign hereby is promising to open up opportunities for both students and companies by linking them together through a range of activities.
Changing a mindset
Nuffic, the organisation responsible for coordinating the campaign, has experience on multiple levels with investing in (agricultural) education, vocational training, and research as a solution for challenges such as climate solutions for agriculture. However, the mobilisation of youth has been a blind spot within the approach so far. After strengthening universities and training colleges with upgraded curricula and teaching methodologies, what is still lacking is the enthusiasm of youth for the agricultural sector, which by itself is a universal problem for worldwide opportunities in the vocational sector. The EmpowerYouth4Food campaign is all about changing this mindset through enabling students, schools, and the private sector to learn from each other. “We need to convince the young generation in Vietnam to see education and working in the agricultural sector as an interesting and high-value proposition for their future, nurturing people and nature through building sustainable food production and business.” – Peter van Tuijl, Director of Nuffic Southeast Asia.
For youth & with youth
Change starts with people, so in order to connect with youth in Vietnam, young people have been mobilised to play a role as ambassadors for the Campaign. These ambassadors consist of a group of young Vietnamese who chose for a career in agriculture, and proudly promote career opportunities within the sector. Additionally, students are also part of the ambassador team, as they know best how to reach prospective high-school students. At the launch event, the group of youth ambassadors for the campaign were welcomed with enthusiasm. The main role of the ambassadors is to promote the vision of the campaign: how attractive, cool, and meaningful a career in agriculture can be.
Besides the group of ambassadors, in the upcoming months a sounding board group will be created. This group of people – consisting of youth representing different age categories - will do more than promoting the vision of the campaign. The ‘Vietnam Sounding Board’ will give further advice on context and activities, hereby shaping the campaign assuring the campaign that will be appealing to young people in Vietnam, for example by using the social media in an attractive way. Together with the ambassadors and the sounding board, the EY4F Campaign is an initiative for youth and with youth. Inspiring youth is central to upcoming activities for 2024, consisting of a changemaker challenge full of storytelling, as well as a Dutch company visit and the participation on World Food Day. Activities and updates on the EY4F-campaign can be followed through the following website: Vietnam — Empower-Youth4food (the website is currently being updated).
Getting involved
The initiative EmpowerYouth4Food is supported by the Netherlands Embassy in Hanoi, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and managed by Nuffic. Among participating organizations are the Netherlands Food Partnership, Agriterra, WUR, Aeres and East West Seeds. Businesses and other stakeholders who wish to join the campaign can subscribe through the following link: About 1 — Empower-Youth4food
Do you have any questions for the agriculture department please send an email to HAN-LNV@minbuza.nl. For the latest updates, news funding opportunities and more, follow us on Twitter @AgroVietnam and LinkedIn Netherlands Agricultural Network in Vietnam.