FFA speaker highlights need for future farmers
As the world’s population grows, producing enough food is becoming more of a challenge, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Steve Censky told Oklahoma high school FFA members Tuesday in Oklahoma City.
Censky spoke on the opening day of the 92nd annual Oklahoma FFA Association Convention at the Cox Convention Center. The convention runs through Wednesday.
“You are the leaders, the future leaders of American agriculture,” Censky told students.
About 10,000 Oklahoma FFA members from 360 high school chapters statewide are in Oklahoma City for the convention.
Censky spoke Tuesday morning in the center’s main arena.
“Agriculture needs you. The USDA needs you. Humanity needs you,” Censky said.
The current world population is estimated at 7.6 billion people and is expected to increase to 8.6 billion in 2030, he said. By 2050, Censky said, the world’s population could be near 10 billion, according to United Nations estimates, he said.
Censky said producing food for a growing global population is not going to be an easy job. There are challenges ahead, he said, but there are also more career opportunities.
“We are going to have to produce more food over the next 32 years than we have in the last 10,000 if we are going to prevent mass starvation,” Censky said.
Censky encouraged the FFA members to pursue careers in agricultural production and related sciences.
“You’re here demonstrating today that the future is now,” Censky said.
During the two-day conference, scholarships, awards and other honors will be given to high school FFA members to recognize their work in their communities throughout the school year. There are about 27,000 Oklahoma youths involved in FFA.
Officers for the 20182019 year will also be elected, said Shelly Peper Sitton, an Oklahoma State University agriculture professor and Oklahoma FFA Convention spokeswoman.