This presentation outlines the program details, achievements, opportunities, and challenges for the Horticulture Innovation Lab's project promoting drip irrigation and climate resilience in Guatemala (also known as MásRiego). The MásRiego project approaches agricultural problem-solving with a novel perspective that treats youth farmers as entrepreneurs.

Highlighted achievements:

• 360 school students trained 12 demonstration plots
• 8 youth promoters have been hired as full time employees
• 5 interns from National University of San Carlos
• 613 youth trained on horticulture topics of interest

The project is focused on diverse opportunities promoting Guatemalan youth in agriculture. Including:

• Strengthening of rural youth organizations to give young people a voice
• Development of local markets that represent an advantage for youth
• Young people identified as community resource lead persons
• Overcome language barrier through developing training material.

The project is facing several challenges. Two highlighted in this presentation are: 

1. Young people are a heterogeneous group with diverse needs and disparities in opportunity, especially along gender lines.
2. Young people have difficulty accessing land with which to farm.

This presentation was given at the 2018 Horticulture Innovation Lab Annual Meeting in Rwanda by Debora Rivera with the Horticulture Innovation Lab.