Ag Tech Grows As a Big Draw For Young Talent
The agriculture industry’s challenge to attract and retain labor is a perennial issue. However, the new generation of young people entering the workforce are discovering opportunities in agriculture that are novel and compelling. Ag tech is playing an outsized role in attracting young talent to an industry that is both exciting and purpose driven.
Rob Clayton, Senior Vice President, Retail North America for Nutrien Ag Solutions, says that young people with the “big brains who are driving technology advancements want to do something that can change the planet,” and they’re finding a home in agriculture.
While agriculture has sometimes been cast as the antithesis to sustainability, agriculture today is at the forefront of promoting sustainability and it’s resonating with young talent.
The agriculture industry itself has an influential role to play in how it is perceived.
The traditional image of a farmer clad in overalls driving a tractor through the field is outdated in many respects, yet it prevails, in part because of the disconnect between food producers and end consumers.
Clayton believes there’s an opportunity for agriculture to refresh the optics and change the narrative.
For example, agriculture can do a better job of embracing what’s important to young people and those who desire to do something meaningful in life while contributing to an industry that has a critical mission.
“Agriculture’s purpose is to feed a growing world. Address climate change. Make a sustainable purpose for your kids,” he says. “Not only does agriculture provide meaning and purpose; it’s a lifelong career that offers personal satisfaction and financial success,” and the industry needs to get better at accentuating this undertaking.
Furthermore, agriculture is one of the few professions that will always have a steady supply of consumers.
People make decisions all the time about how to spend their money, “but they don’t decide whether they want to eat or not,” Clayton says.
For young people who are also interested in a career that comes with travel opportunities, working for a major company in agriculture can fit the bill.
“I’m a living example of this,” offers Clayton, who grew up in New South Wales, Australia, and worked his way up at Nutrien.
For more, read the full article as part of our special Global Insight Series report on Labor and Technology.
In addition, check out the previous reports in Meister’s Global Insight Series covering a range of topics from Soil Health to Irrigation Innovations to Agricultural Technology.
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