Page 83 - TIF2018 | UNITED STATES PAVILION EXHIBITORS CATALOGUE

UNITED STATES PAVILION BOOTH No 31

RUTGERS UNIVERSITY, RECHARGING THE YOUTH:
NEW AGRICULTURE FOR A NEW GENERATION

88 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, USA
Tel. +30 6974 087193, E-mail: helena.athanailidou@rutgers.edu, Website: greece.rutgers.edu

utgers is a top-25 public research university in the U.S. It enrolls nearly 70,000 students in 30
schools, including the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. The school and the
RNew Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) focus on teaching, research, and services
across a wide range of topic areas, including agriculture and food. The NJAES Food Innovation
Center is a business and technology incubator that supports agrofood start-ups in New Jersey and
globally.
Through the generous support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Rutgers leads an innovative
multi-year initiative in Greece, Recharging the Youth: New Agriculture for a New Generation, in
partnership with the Agricultural University of Athens and the American Farm School.
Statement of Need
The global financial crisis caused the Greek economy to contract by 17 percent by the end of 2012,
leading to disproportionately high youth unemployment, which reached to 44.7 percent. The
New Agriculture for a New Generation initiative will create job opportunities for youth in
agriculture and food_Greece’s second-largest employment sector.
Objectives
ñ Training Programs for youth in agriculture, jobs at food-related businesses and family farms, and
starting or expanding their agricultural business.
ñ Infrastructure and Capital Projects in the agrofood sectors_incubators, innovation centers,
support networks, and a farm and business advisory service in Greece.
ñ Communication and Awareness to engage youth in the trainings, develop sharable success
stories, and create ambassadors who amplify the important role agriculture can play in the
rebirth of the Greek economy.

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