March 3, 2000

By cooperating to overcome common challenges, young farmers and ranchers from around the globe will ensure that the world’s population is "better fed, better clothed and better housed." That was the message American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman delivered recently to more than 1,300 young farmers and ranchers from 43 countries gathered in Orlando, Fla., for the World Congress of Young Farmers.

Stallman said that through greater understanding among the world’s farmers, not only will the planet’s inhabitants benefit, but also "your family and your nation will be better off in a more stable, more peaceful world."

Globally, Stallman said, agriculture has come a long way since he earned his university degree, accepted a city job, then spurned that career path and returned to his family’s rice and cattle operation near Columbus, Tex.

He told the young farmers that agriculture’s future is just as bright as when he decided to make farming his career.

"I learned the difference between a job and work," he recalled. "I chose work and went running back to the farm. And I’ve been glad every day since."

Past surveys of Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers indicate that America’s young farmers are just as optimistic about farming. "Year after year, a sense of hopefulness and confidence shines through—no matter what the economics are at the time," Stallman said.

The new AFBF president said young farmers from around the world are visibly dedicated to producing food while protecting the environment, and young farmers from the United States, in particular, have shown a willingness to adopt environmentally friendly innovations that produce crops deemed safe and wholesome by science.