4-H Nepal organized the first Agro Entrepreneurship Symposium in Kathmandu in July 2016. The symposium assembled youth entrepreneurs, agriculture enthusiasts, experts from various sectors, representatives from government authorities, civil society organizations, and farmers’ organizations. The participants exchanged expertise, insights, and practical skills and formed a loose network entitled ‘Youth Agro Entrepreneurs’ Association. Since then, the network has actively advocated for addressing issues related to agricultural development, entrepreneurship, and engaging youth in these sectors.

Major highlights of the conference

• The conference was the first of its kind, bringing youth farmers together to discuss, share, and learn about the problems and issues of agro-based entrepreneurship.
• Farmers from different parts of Nepal had a good opportunity to share their struggles, problems, experiences, successes, and learnings.
• During the conference, documentaries on different themes of agriculture were screened, most of which showcased the successes and learnings of farmers and their farming initiatives.
• Plenary discussions on various thematic and practical areas of the agriculture sector were conducted, with many interactions among participants, presenters, and panelists.
• Additionally, working papers on different themes of agriculture were presented by scholars and experts in agriculture and the agro-entrepreneur sector.
• Most of the problems, issues, and needs of the farmers discussed in the conference were summed up in the form of a declaration, which was later made public with recommendations for the concerned stakeholders.
• The conference was inaugurated by the Rt. Honorable Vice President of Nepal, Nanda Bahadur Pun, Agriculture Minister Haribol Gajurel, and the Israeli Ambassador to Nepal, who were the chief guests in the inaugural session.
• The conference successfully identified the issues of agriculture and the need to develop the required skills of entrepreneurship among farmers and youths. It was also fruitful in identifying possible people who wanted to be engaged in agriculture. Moreover, it served as a platform to establish a network of farmers and youths across Nepal. They formed a group of interested farmers on Facebook to hold discussions regularly.
• At the end of the event, certificates were awarded to more than 170 participants who attended the two-day event in Kathmandu.
• The main organizer of the event was 4-H Nepal, and the two-day event was organized in collaboration and with the support of several government offices and private organizations. The senior leader of the Nepali Congress, Ram Chandra Paudel, was the chief guest at the concluding function on the second day of the conference.

Major achievements

• The first conference proved to be a good platform to address the issues and concerns of youths regarding their involvement and engagement in the agriculture sector, as well as to establish their connection to the field.
• The motto of the first conference was ‘youths in agro-entrepreneurship’ and most of the speakers emphasized the importance of focusing on young people in agro-entrepreneurship. The Ministry of Agriculture incorporated the phrase ‘youths in agro-entrepreneurship’ into its 30-point agenda for developing the agriculture sector in Nepal.
• The agriculture campuses in Nepal expressed their commitment to sending students studying agriculture science to the upcoming conference.
• The NGOs working in the youth and agriculture sectors began to include ‘entrepreneurship in agriculture’ as one of their focus areas and started promoting the concept.
• The conference promoted and highlighted the concept and practical application of ‘Thopa Sinchai’ (drip irrigation).
• The participants of the first conference formed a loose network called the 4-H Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS), Lamjung section. The network was involved in observing the local, provincial, and federal elections held in 2017. It has been actively engaging in volunteerism and providing beneficial services in various parts of the country related to agriculture.