Toledo will host the seventh edition of the Youth Cooperative Summer Camp, organized by Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias Castilla-La Mancha, from June 21 to 23. The event aims to promote generational renewal and encourage young people to enter the agri-food sector. The Commission of Youth of the cooperatives met to prepare the program of activities for the event. The aim is to recognize the contribution of young people to the agro-food sector, stimulate their access to it, and prevent depopulation. A group of 50 young people will enjoy three activity-packed days, including both classroom sessions and technical visits, recreational activities, and exchange of experiences.
Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias Castilla-La Mancha has revealed that 29% of cooperative members in the region are aged between 16 and 45 years old. Only 1% are aged under 25 years old (2,327 young people), 7% are between 26 and 35 years old (11,463 members), and 21% are aged between 36 and 45 years old (34,318 members). The organization considers it essential to promote generational renewal in the region, which is predominantly agricultural, and rural development plays a vital role in its future.
The Youth Commission also reviewed the Cultiva 2022 program, which aimed to support young farmers in their first five years of activity by providing practical training on real and active farms. A total of 14 young people from other regions of Spain came to Castilla-La Mancha to learn more about innovative business models, production methods, and social and environmental aspects. Ten model farms are included in the national register, and four of them (Finca Marta in Tomelloso, Monteviejo in Membrilla, Kimie in Valdepeñas, and Cristian in El Herrumblar) are managed by young people from the Commission, representing 59% of the model farm hosts.
Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias Castilla-La Mancha is also planning to hold other events to support young rural people, including the IV National Youth Meeting, which will coincide with the COGEA Business Forum, to be held in Tarragona on November 9-10. The proposed activities include visits to innovative farms in the region, focusing on alternative crops such as truffles, aromatic plants, and beekeeping. The group also discussed their projects and plans for next year, including the Rural Development and Demographic Challenge Working Group.
