Gen Z farmer inspires students to pursue agriculture at Searca session

A passionate Gen Z farmer inspired students to consider agriculture as a career during a session organized by Searca. Sharing personal experiences and success stories, the farmer highlighted the rewarding opportunities in farming and its role in sustainability. The session aimed to motivate the younger generation to view agriculture as a vital and innovative field, encouraging them to explore its potential for creating meaningful change and addressing global food and environmental challenges.

Around 800 students from various basic education schools attended a special session of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture's (Searca) "Sowing Seeds: Cultivating Youth's Future in Agriculture" program. The event took place at the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) on December 14, 2024.

Searca Director Glenn Gregorio explained that the event, organized in partnership with UA&P, aimed to "inspire young individuals to engage in agriculture and pursue higher education in agriculture and related fields."

Gregorio noted that "Sowing Seeds" is a career orientation initiative spearheaded by Searca’s Partnerships Unit under its Young Forces for Agricultural Innovation (#Y4AGRI) program. The initiative seeks to ignite interest in agriculture among Southeast Asian youth.

The session featured Francis Perdigon, a Generation Z farmer from Perdigon Farm in Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, as the resource speaker. Perdigon shared his journey and experiences as a young farmer, offering valuable insights.

A licensed agriculturist and the first-ever youth Lakbay Bukid awardee, Perdigon emphasized the value of agriculture and its potential as a viable and rewarding career path.

His discussion focused on the principles of sustainable agriculture, highlighting ways to increase food production, enhance food consumption, and generate employment opportunities in the sector.

Perdigon also stressed the importance of nurturing nature responsibly while strengthening communities and ecosystems. He underscored the vital role of the youth in agriculture as both preservers of tradition and catalysts of hope for the future.

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Source: manilatimes‍