The faces of agrifood systems transformation in Europe and Central Asia
Young people are transforming agriculture through innovation, community building and inclusion
FAO/Sanja Knezevic
27/11/2025
In a quiet field outside Madrid, a sheep owner looks up at a drone humming above grazing sheep, scanning for signs of stress, injury or predators. Tens of thousands of kilometres away, a young farmer shifts gears entirely, leaving a job in banking to return to his family farm in a Kyrgyz village. Meanwhile, in Ukraine, an engineer turned dairy farm owner opens her gates, creating a unique, multifunctional space focused on ethical farming, veteran rehabilitation and community well-being.
The three winners of the Mark of Recognition of Young Farmers in Europe and Central Asia, launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), are showing what it means to be a young farmer today: pioneering new methods, rebuilding rural life and empowering others.
Youth are a driving force for agrifood systems transformation, yet they face several challenges, including limited access to land and capital, inadequate training and poor infrastructure, low prices for produce, and limited credit and support services – all while being met with the pressure to adopt sustainable and resilient practices in a changing climate.
FAO provides specific, targeted support to help young farmers acquire the knowledge and skills they need to innovate, adopt new technologies and practices, spearhead digital transformation and, ultimately, reach their full potential. This recognition highlights young farmers who stand out in at least one of the key pillars of rural development: innovation in agrifood systems, community building, and inclusion and empowerment. Through their lives and work, these three winners illustrate how every pillar is essential – spanning technology, social change and community revival.
Digital tools and an innovative spirit
Life on the farm is never stagnant. Weather conditions shift, crops grow, and the flock is constantly bustling in a lively microcosmos requiring attention and care. Lourdes Perona López, based in Valdepeñas de Jaén, Spain, manages an organic mixed farm of sheep and crops. Being an agricultural technical engineer, her training gave her both the technical tools and the will to bring digital innovation into what might otherwise be seen as a traditional livestock-farm setting.
“I dedicated myself to agriculture and livestock farming because I have always believed in the value of living in harmony with the land and in the transformative power of working in rural areas,” Lourdes said in her acceptance speech during the FAO award ceremony for the Recognition of Young Farmers. Recognized as an innovator in agrifood systems, Lourdes uses drone and GPS technology in the organic sheep farm she’s running to track animals in real time, providing more security and better flock and pasture management.
“I am driven by a deep desire to protect the land and produce food sustainably and a conviction that rural areas can be a place full of opportunities,” she says. “Thanks to this work, I had the chance to support other young women like me who work in agriculture and to demonstrate that innovation does not always equal technology – sometimes it means rethinking traditional practices with a sustainable and modern perspective.”
As a member of the board of directors of a local rural women’s association, Lourdes also works to raise awareness of women’s work in agriculture and to foster support networks. She embodies the use of innovative agrifood technologies and practices that enhance productivity while championing environmental sustainability and inclusive rural developments.
We must cultivate our garden
Ruslan Kubanychbekov returned to his home village, Zhangak, in Kosh-Dobo, Kyrgyzstan, with a desire to rebuild local agriculture. In a region where young people migrate to cities for opportunities and farms struggle to modernize, he and his family set out to transform both the soil and the social fabric.
“I used to work in a bank, but then I returned home because I realized that the most valuable thing for me is to be close to my family and inspire people in my community,” Ruslan says with a proud smile. © Lourdes Perona López (L) and © Ruslan Kubanychbekov (R)
“I chose agriculture because I believe that is the true foundation of our future. Working on the land gives me strength and motivates me to contribute to society. Together with my family, we started producing biohumus and completely abandoned chemical fertilizers. As a result, the harvest of raspberries, watermelons and cherries increased by 20 to 30 percent, and the quality improved and export increased.”
In many rural parts of Europe and Central Asia, rural decline and youth outmigration are acute. Ruslan’s model shows how one young farmer can act as a catalyst: not only producing food, but also creating jobs, reinforcing local ties and regenerating rural livelihoods.
“My work is not only about harvest,” he says. “It is also about people. During the raspberry harvest season, dozens of families can earn additional income. Young women are also starting their own farms, and some families even returned from abroad because they now believe that the future can be built in their own village.”
Ruslan’s work is a prime example of powerful community building in the agricultural sector.
Rebuild, reintegrate and reconnect
Originally trained as a mechanical engineer, Yevheniia Molchanova began to restore abandoned village lands in Ukraine by building a farm focused on ethical dairy production and social integration. To her, the farmlands, the soil and the people cultivating the land are visions of hope.
“Farming became a form of rehabilitation for me – and a form of reintegration of society after the war started,” she says. “We were able to build a farm where we combine agriculture, education and rehabilitation – where we can help people who were affected by the war. We are breaking stereotypes about rural life and showing that this is a land of opportunities, even so close to the front lines.”
Agriculture’s potential to foster social inclusion is often overlooked. Yevheniia demonstrates how young farmers can reach beyond production, transforming farms into platforms for community empowerment, equality and sustainable practice. © Yevheniia Molchanova
“It is my dream that more and more farms are established in Ukraine, which is why we are sharing our experiences with others,” she says. “This helps to rebuild the economy and ensure food safety in the region and the whole of Ukraine. This award is important for me, but it is important for my country, too, as it is one of the biggest agricultural producers in the world. We, Ukrainians, are very thankful to FAO for their continued support.”
Together, the journeys of Lourdes, Ruslan and Yevheniia show that the future of agriculture will not be shaped only by yields and machines, but by the young farmers who bring innovation, community building, and inclusion and empowerment into every acre they cultivate. They are not just winners of FAO recognition – they are the engines of rural transformation across Europe and Central Asia.