Leone Magliocchetti Lombi, Vegetable Production Specialist of the Food and Agriculture organization of the United Nations (FAO) held a training workshop for students of the presidential school of Namangan city during the visit to Uzbekistan. The event was organized by FAO in cooperation with the Agency of Presidential Educational Institutions.
This training workshop addressed technology and innovation for the sustainable intensification of agricultural production. About 40 students from the 9-11 grades took part in the classes. Children showed a keen interest in the presentation of a foreign expert, who told about innovations in agriculture – important branch of the economy which today employs about 1 billion of the economically active population of the world.
The students were briefed in detail on such methods of growing plants as hydroponics and aeroponics, as well as on the features of the so-called “vertical farming” – a technology that is being actively implemented all over the world and allows using 95% less water than a traditional farm. The presentation also considered the advantages of a new generation of solar-powered water pumps, the use of IT technologies in greenhouses, and much more.
“FAO supports the rural communities towards the sustainable intensification of vegetable and animal production. The introduction of key technology coupled with the reinforcement of extension services maximizes the impact of interventions on livelihoods and food security”, – Leone Magliocchetti Lombi, FAO Vegetable Production Specialist highlighted in his presentation.
The presidential schools, strictly selecting their students, create a multidisciplinary educational environment to determine intellectual abilities of young generation. In this regard, the training workshop on agriculture proved to be useful in expanding the horizons of students.
“Our school provides advanced study of the natural and exact sciences, foreign languages, engineering and information and communication technologies. The training-workshop set several students contemplating about the career in agriculture, they are already planning how to introduce IT-technologies in agricultural sector. Such events are important for the professional orientation of students, so that they master the best foreign practices and stay up to date with the latest trends”, – noted Shukhrat Aziboev, the principal of the presidential school of Namangan city.
It is gratifying that children could put in practice the knowledge gained during the training on greenhouse management right in the school yard, where they have their own greenhouse. It was established and granted to school by FAO within the framework of the “Zamin Eco-Education” program implemented by “Zamin” International Public Foundation. The greenhouse serves as a platform for practical classes to improve the knowledge and skills of students in environmental protection, agriculture and ecology and to date, greens and some agricultural crops have already been grown there with the active participation of children. In this way, environmental education is an important factor for increasing the responsibility of the younger generation for the rational use of natural resources and forms the ecological culture of society.
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