Making farming both intellectually and economically stimulating will help make the food system an attractive career option for youth. Across sub-Saharan Africa, mobile phones and the Internet are connecting farmers to information about weather and markets; in the US, Food Corps is teaching students how to grow and cook food, preparing them for a lifetime of healthy eating.

Evan Vucci/AP
Wesley Johnson, left, and Sharolyn Hyson, center, watch as first lady Michelle Obama, right, works in the garden at the White House on Wednesday, March 31, in Washington.