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Italy – Youth agriculture, between present and future

16 October 2019

(ANS - Lombriasco) - The first international meeting of Salesian Agricultural Schools took place in the land of Don Bosco in recent days. The event, entitled "Expo Lombriasco 2019 - AgriCultura International Exhibition" has fostered sharing, formation, Salesian spirituality and the development of common projects.

Eight Salesian schools attended: the local host of Lombriasco, three from Argentina (Venado Tuerto, San Ambrosio, Rodeo del Medio), and one each from Ireland (Limerick), Albania (Cerrik), France (Ressins) and Ghana (Sunyani). In total there were 22 students from abroad, accompanied by 7 professors, in addition to the teachers and students of the last three years of the Lombriasco Institute and representatives of the cooperating NGO Salesian for Development (VIS) who cooperate in agricultural projects in Albania and Ghana.

On Thursday 3 October, schools experienced a powerful moment of spirituality on visiting Valdocco and Colle Don Bosco. In the following two days, the delegations of the different schools, in addition to presenting their own activities, each illustrated an already active project dedicated to the Agricultural, Agro-Industrial and Agribusiness sector on the theme of innovation, sustainability and social agriculture.

During the event, there were many forums, conferences and in-depth workshops: from the cultivation of bamboo to fish, from insects as feed to the new frontiers of agriculture ... One of the most important moments was the sharing among the students of the Salesian Agricultural Schools and Agricultural Institutes in the area concerning the theme "giving the land back to young people."

During the event, various projects of collaboration between companies and productive realities of the territory and Salesian schools arose - in particular with the institutes of Cerrik (Albania) and Sunyani (Ghana).

On Sunday, October 6, diplomas and scholarships were awarded to the best three projects presented. The first classified was for the cultivation of vegetables under innovative greenhouses, of the Salesian Agricultural School of Sunyani (Ghana).

The morning ended with the presentation of the “Net4Grow” project: a network between the Salesian School of Lombriasco, the Salesian Agricultural Schools in the world, the past pupils, companies and professionals of the sector that aims to preserve and develop agricultural vocational training and to generate shared local development projects.

Given this first meeting's success, the next appointment has already been set for October 2020, with other novelties and new Salesian schools participating to share together one single project: the integration and formation of young people in the style of Don Bosco.

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