Officials and staff of Patumwan Demonstration School (PDS), SEARCA, and Kasetsart University with the PDS students who joined the Sowing Seeds session held at PDS on 6 September 2024.
BANGKOK, Thailand—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has brought the "Sowing Seeds: Cultivating Youth's Future in Agriculture" program to Thailand. Led by SEARCA's Young Forces for Agricultural Innovation (#Y4AGRI), the program introduces young people to the diverse and exciting career opportunities available in the agriculture sector.
The inaugural offering of Sowing Seeds was held at Patumwan Demonstration School (PDS) in Bangkok with the participation of 20 high school students. Ms. Sirichan Daomanee, Manager of the PDS English Program for Talented Students (EPTS), and Dr. Buncha Chinnasri of Kasetsart University Faculty of Agriculture helped SEARCA organize the event.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Glenn Gregorio, SEARCA Center Director, emphasized the vast array of career paths available in agriculture, highlighting the essential role of carbon neutrality in building a sustainable future. He underscored that a career in agriculture extends far beyond working on a farm, encompassing a wide range of professions from various backgrounds.
"Achieving carbon neutrality is not just a goal for large corporations or scientists. It's a challenge for all of us, and agriculture offers innovative ways to make this a reality," he remarked.
Dr. Gregorio stressed that a career in agriculture extends far beyond working on a farm, encompassing a wide range of professions from various backgrounds, where individuals can contribute to the fight against climate change and help drive a carbon-neutral world.
His message was reinforced by the Sowing Seeds resource person, who is a young Thai professional working to capacitate farmers and other agriculture stakeholders through the Thailand Regional Agriculture Innovation Network (RAIN) project funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and implemented by Winrock International. SEARCA is a partner of Winrock in the Thailand RAIN project.
Mr. Phonlapat Amornrattanaket (left, standing) of the Thailand RAIN project asks the Patumwan students what comes to their mind when they think about agriculture.
The first SEARCA careers in agriculture orientation in Thailand focused on agricultural technology, innovation, and agribusiness. Mr. Phonlapat Amornrattanaket, Business Development Specialist (Agriculture Technology) at the Thailand RAIN project, delivered a presentation that highlighted how technology is transforming agriculture.
Mr. Phonlapat's presentation included a speed brainstorming activity to challenge students' perceptions of agriculture, which has traditionally been viewed as a field limited to farm work. The students' responses to his questions affirmed the prevailing notion among young people that agriculture entails long hours of manual labor in the sun and low earnings.
Ms. Sharon Malaiba, SEARCA Unit Head for Partnerships, explains that Sowing Seeds is just one of many initiatives that SEARCA has developed to promote youth engagement in agriculture.
"Sowing Seeds is just one of many initiatives that SEARCA has developed to promote youth engagement in agriculture. It will be offered across Southeast Asia and has so far been conducted in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand," Ms. Sharon Malaiba, SEARCA Unit Head for Partnerships and #YAGRI Lead, said.
Ms. Loise Ann Carandang, SEARCA Senior Associate for Communications and #Y4AGRI Youth Co-Lead, talks about the winning youth stories in video format and how they amplified voices of young agripreneurs in Southeast Asia.Ms. Loise Ann Carandang, SEARCA Senior Associate for Communications and #Y4AGRI Youth Co-Lead, also informed the senior high schoolers about #Y4AGRI's initiatives as well as SEARCA's scholarship opportunities for agricultural students.
#Y4AGRI is a SEARCA initiative designed to engage young people in Southeast Asia and empower them to become future leaders in the agriculture sector. The program offers a variety of activities and resources to equip young people with the knowledge, skills, and networks they need to succeed in agriculture.
"With the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) as its mother organization, SEARCA is committed to working with young people in Southeast Asia," Dr. Gregorio said.