[0:00]Time now for Focus. Now, young Italians continue to pour out of the country despite the economy doing better. But there is an encouraging trend, graduates seeking their fortunes in the neglected countryside.
[0:13]About 1 in 10 young entrepreneurs in Italy is now in the agriculture sector. The following report is from France 2 with France 24's Waseem Ghani.
[0:24]In the Italian countryside, a new phenomenon.
[0:29]Young Italians rediscovering agriculture.
[0:33]They're often overqualified and across the country, 50,000 men and women under the age of 35 have decided to return to mother nature.
[0:43]My name is Domenico. I'm 30 years old and I've been a farmer for three years.
[0:48]Domenico took over abandoned farmland on the hills of Calabria.
[0:53]Over 12 acres of bushes, whose leaves feed silkworms.
[1:00]I came back to the countryside because this is our future, our origins, our roots. And culture are all here.
[1:09]Miles away from Naples, the big city where he was planning on becoming a sociologist, Domenico obtained financial help from the town and the government to start his business here.
[1:21]My new life gives me a lot of happiness, but I'm also trying to fulfill a mission. I'm helping keep the earth alive. I'm trying to help protect the environment.
[1:33]Domenico also works on the farm with his girlfriend. She used to work for an airline based in Berlin.
[1:40]My name is Miriam, I'm 28 years old, and I've been a farmer for three years.
[1:46]Miriam was fired from her first job. She then learned to produce silk and she loves her new life.
[1:56]You don't become rich by leading a life on the farm, but our life is authentic and full of dignity. So yes, we sacrifice a lot, but at the end of the day, it's absolutely worth it.
[2:06]And this small business is booming. The couple sells clothes and jewelry made of silk.
[2:13]Together they earn more than 4,000 euros a month. In Italy, that is equivalent to the salary of two managers.
[2:19]In the same village, Stefano has also started a new business. He began by growing a vegetable garden the size of seven football fields.
[2:27]My name is Stefano, I'm 29 years old and I've been a farmer for three years.
[2:31]His pride and joy, however, is his ultramodern mill. Stefano studied computer science and economics. He had planned to settle down in the Silicon Valley.
[2:42]Instead, he's chosen another challenge, succeed in his home region.
[2:46]There aren't that many jobs in Calabria, so creating economic activity that allows families to live is essential. We're all young here because we invent our own work.
[2:55]The methods may be traditional, but the atmosphere feels more like that of a startup.
[3:01]Stefano raised half a million euros using crowdfunding websites. He has hired seven people in less than one year.
[3:09]And for them, it's a unique opportunity.
[3:13]Just like a lot of young people, I was unable to find a job and I was about to leave Italy. But thanks to Stefano, I'm able to pursue my passion in my village.
[3:22]Thanks to the return of Stefano, Miriam, Domenico and many others. Italy has become the country with the highest number of youth working in agriculture in Europe.
