Who will farm in the in the next 10 years? That should be one of the most critical questions the world should be thinking about. Why? Population keeps growing, and climate change, diseases and political tensions exacerbate the pressure on the agri-food systems daily. Having qualified farmers in the field is a shared challenge both in the Global North and Global South. Rural youth leaving agriculture is a symptom of structural problems and deserves immediate in-depth conversations to connect intergenerational, economic, and social aspects such as access to land, credit, markets, education, and gender roles.
The challenge of farming in some countries in the Global South might have an additional layer: conflict and illegal economies. In Colombia, legal and illegal economies (e.g., illicit crop production and illegal logging) co-exist in rural contexts and rurality; rural youth’s future is disputed by schools, families, and illicit enterprises. On one hand, teachers and families aspire for adolescents to overcome poverty and dedication to their education. This usually means leaving the farm and abandoning the rural spaces where they belong and are familiar with. For illegal groups, rural youth represent cheap and accessible labor. And, despite their critical role, rural youth voices are still missing from the sustainable development agenda and related academic research.
A research study was conducted in a small village in rural Colombia, La India for eight months. The research study included a larger photovoice project that engaged 36 rural Colombian teenagers in tangled conversations about their territories, aspirations, and communities. This research study was conducted by Margarita Fontecha, PhD candidate at the University of Guelph, Vanier Scholar, and Arrell Scholar Alumna. Margarita works under Dr. Silvia Sarapura's supervision.
The research seeks to understand the conditions that influence rural youth engagement in legal activities (food production) or illegal economies (logging, mining, or coca production). Researchers engaged with students in long and in-depth conversations while they documented their life experiences, surroundings, and environment from their perspectives. The photos represent their daily activities and realities. For some youth, it was the first time they had a camera in their hands. For all youth, it was the first time an adult told them that their voices, experiences, and knowledge mattered.
