TO FARM OR NOT TO FARM

In this postmodern era where there are major advancements in technology, majority of the youths have taken off to white collar jobs. In a society where almost everyone dreams of driving the latest Mercedes, owning an exquisite mansion and operating the newest devices, agriculture has been put at the bottom of the list. When I was a small kid my parents always told me to study hard so that I would be a pilot, an engineer or perhaps a doctor. Agriculture was never in the picture. They all thought that farming was for the poor, for the villagers because they had plenty of land and what they could do best was to cultivate it to earn a living.
Over the years, it has come to my realization that there are several opportunities in the agriculture industry that many youths fail to see. Earning the most from agriculture requires one to merge the knowledge acquired from agriculture with that of business. Modern agriculture has several avenues where young people can venture into and make huge profits. It's not like traditional agriculture where one had to get down and do manual farming. With the rapid advancement in technology, one can actually come up with innovations and inventions that will boost agricultural production and marketing. 
Social media, which is very popular among today's youths can be linked with agriculture to help build networks and find employment. For instance, there is an online business platform in Kenya popularly known as M-Farm where one can connect with farmers and buyers around them to sell their produce. In addition, there are opportunities in the area of farming journalism where one can disseminate information regarding latest farming technologies, new crop varieties and diverse farming techniques adopted by farmers in various regions.
 In the field of agricultural research, young minds could be very resourceful. During a time when climate change is posing a fundamental threat to food security in various parts of the world, development research could come in handy. This is a perfect avenue for young educated individuals to discover new drought resistant crop varieties, animal strains and farming techniques so as to secure their future and that of generations to come.
As society seeks to adapt to the changes that come with urbanization, an opportunity in urban agriculture has cropped up. As the popular English proverb goes, necessity is the mother of invention. With the increase in numbers of people in urban areas the demand for food increases yet the farming space is limited. This has resulted  into rooftop gardens or green gardens. Youths in the field of architecture and structural engineering could plunge into designing green roofs covered with vegetation so as to boost agricultural production. Moreover, they can engage in modern farming systems such as the portable garden hanging where foods are grown in sacks filled with soils. It simply about making the most out of small spaces.
With all these opportunities, agro-business seems like a lucrative career to take up, doesn't it?