CBC is celebrating the province’s new generation of leaders, success stories and change-makers under the age of 40. 2024 Future 40 honorees come from all walks of life, backgrounds and industries.
Regina’s Arslan Azeem is only 25 years old, but he’s already making big moves to revolutionize Saskatchewan’s agriculture industry. Much of his inspiration comes from his family farm and his tireless entrepreneurial spirit.
Azeem has a long list of goals when it comes to improving agribusiness: “Ensuring that different people in different parts of the supply chain are fairly remunerated. Ensuring that the products we export have proper food transparency and can be traced to their origins and health indicators.”
Azeem now draws on his experience in his family’s agricultural business to work on new food development centres and feasibility studies for smart farms.
He’s also looking at ways to lower the cost of exporting Saskatchewan agricultural products.
Azeem said his passion for agribusiness innovation began during his time at university. From 2018 to 2022, Azeem served as president of Enactus Regina, the University of Regina’s student entrepreneurship development hub.
Meet CBC Saskatchewan Future 40 2024 winner Arslan Azeem
During his tenure, Azeem helped raise and invest approximately $50,000 in youth-led social enterprises, educational opportunities and student events, including a $20,000 Student Investment Fund in 2019.
Under his leadership, Enactus Regina student volunteer hours increased from less than 4,000 hours per year to a peak of 14,000 hours. During this time, several student-run social businesses were launched in areas such as sustainability, pandemic prevention and education.
Azeem said he buys into the idea of ​​”conscious capitalism,” which he learned about at the Enactus national expo in Toronto in 2018.
“[It means] It’s basically about starting your own project in a way that achieves environmental and social goals. That means starting your own business and creating jobs, while also pursuing your passions and the problems facing the world.”
It feels like there are fewer people in the industry. But at the same time, companies [are] It’s getting bigger and bigger, so I definitely think we need more young people in this industry.– Arslan Azeem, Entrepreneur, Regina
Azeem said this is what started to change his mindset.
“When I was in high school, I was kind of interested in making money. But then it shifted to, ‘Okay, what legacy do I actually want to leave in this world?'”
Preserving the grain elevator heritage
Azeem has no shortage of projects, including a social venture with the Canada Revenue Agency to teach financial literacy to more than 400 apprentices across the Prairie region.
But his new project is especially dear to his heart: This summer, Azeem partnered with the University of Calgary’s archaeology department to digitize his family’s grain storehouse in the village of Markinch, Saskatchewan.
“We are creating a 3D model of the elevator to communicate its history and tradition. We hope to attract investors so that the building can be preserved,” he said.
Azeem said it will serve as a digital educational tool open to the public and will be the first agricultural project of its kind in Saskatchewan. He hopes that digitizing his family’s grain elevator is just the start, with many others to follow.
Agriculture needs young people
Azeem said the industry needs more young people, including passionate farmers and entrepreneurs who will lead agriculture into the future.
“This is a big problem. I think over time we’re seeing more and more farms turning into bigger corporate farms or being bought out by financial companies based in New York or Toronto,” Azeem said.
The young entrepreneur said he sees these big companies increasingly becoming monopolies in the industry.
“We can see that the industry is losing people. But at the same time, companies [are] It’s getting bigger and bigger, so I definitely think the industry needs more young people.”
One of the ideologies I support is “solarpunk,” which is the idea of ​​using technology to combine [with nature] In the form of building a highly sustainable world.– Arslan Azeem, Entrepreneur, Regina
Azeem said “conscious capitalism” and innovation in agriculture includes addressing the impacts of climate change on agriculture, and while many people of his generation may feel powerless when it comes to climate change, he said he is optimistic about the future of agriculture.
“One of the ideologies I support is called ‘Solarpunk.’ It’s about using technology to [with nature] In a way that builds a very sustainable world.”
Azeem said there are many technologies that can help industry players “make the world a better place.”
“In the last 10 years, we’ve seen a lot of mass mobilization and self-organization, which I think will really help not only the current generation but future generations to solve the problems of today and tomorrow,” Azeem said.
“I’m an optimist. I believe change is going to happen, but you know it’s one of those things that requires patience.”
