FAO expert warns of dwindling youth engagement in farming

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), young people around the world are increasingly losing interest in pursuing careers in agriculture.

According to Report, this alarming trend was highlighted by Cem Erdogan, an FAO plant protection specialist, during a training session titled "Sustainable Agriculture and Crop Production in Azerbaijan within the Framework of Integrated Plant Protection" held in Baku.

Erdogan emphasized the limited availability of arable land worldwide, stating, "We must establish a food chain on these restricted lands. In other words, we need to achieve higher productivity on limited territories."

The expert also drew attention to the significant impact of climate change on the agricultural sector. "In Türkiye, for instance, we are already witnessing problems that we had predicted for 2030-2035 due to climate change," Erdogan noted.

To address these challenges, Erdogan stressed the importance of implementing an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system, which aims to reduce and optimize the use of pesticides.