Education, Training & Workforce Development

Every tractor needs an operator who can run it, every soil test a technician who can interpret it, every innovation a farmer who understands how to use it well. Agriculture's future depends not only on better tools and methods but on people skilled enough to apply them — and that human capacity is built through education, training, and the steady renewal of the agricultural workforce. Education, Training & Workforce Development is the session focused on growing the talent that agriculture cannot function without.

There is a widening gap between the sophistication of modern agriculture and the skills available to practise it. As farming absorbs data, biology, machinery, and business complexity, the demand for capable people climbs — yet many regions face ageing farmer populations, declining interest among the young, and extension systems stretched thin. Investing in agricultural education and training means more than formal degrees; it spans farmer field schools, vocational skills, digital literacy, extension services, and lifelong learning that keeps practitioners current as the field evolves.

This session brings together educators, extension professionals, and workforce specialists to examine how agricultural capacity is built and sustained. The programme covers formal and vocational education, farmer training and field schools, extension and advisory services, digital and technical skills, and strategies for attracting and retaining talent in the sector. Participants at this Agriculture Conference will explore how effective teaching and training translate research into practice, how extension can reach farmers at scale, and how a skilled, motivated workforce — across farms, laboratories, and rural institutions — is the ultimate foundation on which all other agricultural progress is built.