Country: Hungary
Wellbeing of Farmers: Social Wellbeing
Key Challenges: Lack of attractiveness of certain farming profession, Lack of generational renewal on farm
Key Target Groups:
Find Out More
Key contact: Anita László
Email: laszlo.anita@agrya.hu
Organization: Agrya - Association of young farmers in Hungary
Relevant Links:
Summary
The Hungarian Association of Young Farmers – AGRYA launched the Rural Adventure Program in 2011 and announced annually until 2016, then re-announced in 2019. Unfortunately, the Covid epidemic in 2020 and 2021 did not allow the program to be announced, but organizers are already planning to restart in 2022. The aim of the program is to introduce the everyday life of farmers and farming families, the agricultural production in practice as well as the role of farmers in food production and society through real personal experience. As part of the program young farmers (under the age of 35) receive urban youth (age of 18-35) on their farm for one week each. During this time the received young people share in the life of the farming family and actively participate in the everyday farm work guided and supervisioned by the host farmer. Later “adventurers” share their experience on the program’s website.
The main challenge is to reduce the gap between urban population/young people and rural farmers to improve the perception of farming as a way of life. In the minds of ordinary people, an image of farmers and agricultural production has been formed, based on clichés and generalisations. This is the image that AGRYA would like to complement and nuance with this programme.
Objective
The Rural Adventure aims to introduce urban youth to the practices of agricultural production, food production, processing and the everyday life of a farming family. The mission of the programme is to sensitize the young urban society towards the promotion of a farming lifestyle, raise awareness of the importance, difficulties and beauties of farming. While the programme allows farmers to make new connections, stimulate community life and reduce workload during the summer period.
Activities
Rural Adventure organises the application process for adventurers and farmers, manages the selection process and the conduct of the one-week programme. The programme also provides a media and communication platform and contributes to the networking and knowledge sharing of different actors.
Main Outcome of the activity
Approximately 30 farmer and 150 adventurer participated in the program over the years. According to the previous survey on the farmers feedback (own survey of AGRYA), farmers are most motivated to participate in the programme by the enrichment of urban people’s image and knowledge of the countryside and rural life. Participation in the programme is also motivated by meeting new people and new ways of looking at things. The enthusiasm and interest of the adventurers and the valuable human contacts are also an important positive and added value of the programme for the farmers. The programme is also enabled to reduce the isolation of Hungarian host farmers, especially those living beyond the borders in Transylvania or in Felvidék. The one-week programme contributes significantly to the mental well-being of farmers by strengthening their links with the motherland country.
Main Practical Recommendations
Farmers like the programme, with which many of them have expressed their wish to keep on a personal basis as it is now. At the same time, many miss the up-to-date information on the website and would like to welcome more adventurers, possibly for longer periods – reducing the workload in the summer. Several farmers expressed the idea that it would be worthwhile to coordinate the adventurer weeks by region, so that at the end of the week farmers and adventurers could organise joint knowledge exchanges and meetings, possibly with a little help from outside organisers. In order to improve the impact of the program, greater emphasis might be put on communication, sharing knowledge and experience as well as building and maintaining the program network.
Key Stakeholders Involved
- Applicant farmers as hosts
- Young urban people applying as adventurers
- Supporting organisations: Ministry of Agriculture, National Agricultural Chamber
Most Innovative Aspects of the Solution
The Rural Adventure Program in Hungary is definitely innovative, because there was no similar initiative before. It is also innovative because it has been extended to Hungarian farmers beyond the borders, living in Transylvania and Felvidék.