Geopa-Copa is the EU institution-recognised European federation representing the agriculture sector. On 21 October 2021, a memorandum of understanding was signed in Malmö, Sweden between the FEDE’s Chairwoman Claude Vivier Le Got and the President of Geopa-Copa Joseph Lechner. It aims to create synergies between agricultural companies and farms and FEDE institutions in our subject areas 10 (Environment, Natural Resources and Sustainable Development) and 11 (Nature, Agriculture and Farming). In particular, it will help to ensure a good match between the FEDE’s educational programmes and the skills needed in the agriculture sector.

We spoke to Joseph Lechner, President of Geopa-Copa and a hops farmer based in Alsace.

  • During the seminar in Malmö, you deplored the loss of 2 million employees in the agriculture sector since the beginning of the 2000s. In your opinion, how can the sector combat this labour shortage? How can it attract and retain more young people and women?

Yes, there are fewer and fewer farmers in Europe. Young people are turning away from careers in farming, which have a negative image and are often poorly understood by careers advisors. Simultaneously, half of farmers will be retiring in the next 10 years, and demand for qualified workers is increasing. It is urgent to act so as to replace the older generation with the new. Current trends, such as digitalisation and environmental transition, are both challenges and opportunities. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown, on the one hand, that farms can use digital tools and new technology to improve production, recruitment and working conditions. On the other hand, more and more young people want a job that will give them a sense of purpose in life and a form of authenticity. They can find these things in a career in agriculture, working alongside nature and animals. These developments need to be matched with information and guidance campaigns targeting young people: talks in schools, visits to farms, work experience placements and more apprenticeships. This will make it possible to address prejudices and nurture a sense of vocation, particularly among women. Now more than ever, agriculture is a sector with a promising future. We need to make people aware of that!

  • During the discussions in Sweden, there was talk of some new job roles that are expected to exist in the agriculture sector by 2040. Could you briefly describe an agricultural career that you think has a promising future?

The agriculture sector faces a paradox: it must keep up (or even increase) production while at the same time reducing its environmental impact. Consequently, robotics is a fast-growing field. It is already providing numerous solutions and will doubtless play an increasingly important role: drones, robots for milking, for precision harvesting, for manual weeding in organic farming etc. The technological leap of the past 20 years has been spectacular, and the future possibilities for reducing the arduousness of farm work and its environmental impact are infinite. Nonetheless, I don’t think we’ll have fully autonomous robots. We will always need a farmer to operate them. So I’d say that a career as a farmer-robot operator, in charge of managing and maintaining farms, has a very promising future. We will need to include this technical dimensional and in the academic training of future farmers and agricultural workers.

  • From the FEDE’s point of view, the aim of the FEDE-Geopa-Copa partnership is to create synergies between FEDE institutions that offer agriculture-focused programmes and agricultural businesses and farms; we want to ensure a good fit between course content and the skills needed in the sector. The partnership has only just started, but what are your hopes for our memorandum of understanding?

For me, this partnership agreement is precious. It is fully aligned with our European organisation’s policy to boost the attractiveness of agricultural careers. The aim is twofold: to help optimise educational programmes and to create connections between FEDE institutions and the members of Geopa-Copa. The FNSEA, which I represent at the European level, is already working hard with secondary-level agricultural colleges and, in collaboration with the public authorities, is trying to ensure that qualifications are aligned with changing job needs. The partnership with the FEDE aims to continue this work at a higher-educational level, thereby increasing the pertinence of what is taught and bringing together employers and graduates at the national and European levels. I hope that the agreement will lead to concrete action, such as regular talks by our professionals at FEDE institutions, farm visits, grants for internships, European exchanges, and perhaps events to reward student initiatives that favour future-oriented farming. The memorandum of understanding is a starting point; we will need to develop the partnership and make it known to our respective members.

 

Joseph Lechner

President of Geopa-Copa