Youth as the salvation for cooperatives

03-10-2024

Cooperatives worldwide are ageing, and the number of young farmers is decreasing. This poses a threat to the future of agriculture and food security. It is therefore crucial that cooperatives involve young people, as they bring fresh ideas and new ways of working. To stimulate youth participation, Agriterra has developed the 'Youth in Agribusiness' programme, which begins with a Kick-off workshop.

Dennis with the youth participants in Vietnam

Recently, Dennis Lievestro (33) and Berdine den Hartog (25) set off as Agripool experts to deliver this workshop. Dennis, who runs a dairy farm with his parents, went to Vietnam. “I’ve always been very curious about other cultures.” Berdine, a controller in greenhouse horticulture, visited Tanzania and shares his enthusiasm: “If you get the chance to talk with young people on the other side of the world about the future, you should seize it.”

The workshop participants, both young people and board members, had the same goal: to involve more young people in their cooperatives. Dennis, who served on the youth council of FrieslandCampina for six years, emphasises: "Young people have great ideas, and when combined with the experience of the older generation, it leads to a strong collaboration. It’s very important to engage them with the cooperative and inspire them to continue as young farmers.” Berdine adds: “The young people are there, but they’re not always heard. Through the Youth Kick-off, we hope to change that.”

Berdine with one of the participants of the workshop

The workshops focused on knowledge exchange and creating action plans. Berdine: “We shared experiences—not to dictate how things should be done, but to inspire. Sometimes, as an outsider, you can offer a different perspective.”
One key message Dennis shared with participants was the importance of making it appealing for young people to join a youth council. “Make it fun and create a sense of unity.” Visiting another cooperative, which had already received intensive support and involved young people in everything, was motivating, especially because the cooperative had seen significant growth.

Similarities and differences

In Vietnam, there is little new blood joining cooperatives, just as in the Netherlands. Dennis also noticed many differences: “The organisational hierarchy is based on seniority. The older generation firmly holds the reins. But in terms of technology, they’re modern. For example, they plant rice using drones.”
Berdine also discovered that the challenges facing farmers in Tanzania are different from those in the Netherlands: “A farmer told me that two of his five cows had been stolen. Our challenges are different, but not necessarily bigger or smaller.”
She realised how fortunate we are in the Netherlands: “We have access to safe food, water, and electricity. These things are not a given everywhere. I think we should all appreciate what a wonderful sector we have here.” Dennis adds: “Dutch farmers should be prouder of their products. In Vietnam, farmers talked enthusiastically about their rice or coffee beans, and that made an impression.”

Collaboration

Dennis and Berdine are convinced that cooperation between generations and across countries is crucial to making agriculture sustainable for the future. Berdine points to the ageing population in the Netherlands and the large number of young people in countries like Tanzania. “They also have space and fertile land, while we have the knowledge. In the future, we will need to feed 10 billion people. This can only be achieved through collaboration, both within and beyond our borders.”