Young Coopercitrus League debuts meeting on rural property continuity Credit: Coopercitrus Archives Coopercitrus officially launched the Young Coopercitrus League. Held during Coopercitrus Expo 2026, in Bebedouro (SP), the “A Voz do Jovem” meeting brought together more than 300 people, according to the organization's estimate, including rural producers, families, students, cooperative leaders and representatives of educational institutions. The program discussed family succession, business continuity, governance and training of future agricultural leaders. At the opening, the president of the Board of Directors of Coopercitrus, Matheus Marino, pointed out business continuity as one of the sector's main challenges. According to him, the process cannot be treated solely as a legal or patrimonial issue. "If the family does not have unity, well-developed values ??and relationships built with dialogue, no legal structure will be sufficient to guarantee continuity. Succession needs to prepare people, and not just divide shares", said Marino. The Young Coopercitrus League was created to bring young people from families linked to the cooperative closer to the different professional possibilities that exist in agribusiness. This Tuesday's meeting opened the initiative's permanent agenda. Among the planned actions are training activities, meetings throughout the year, visits to rural properties, contact with different production systems and access to areas such as digital agriculture, financial management, marketing, drones, autopilot, programming and technology applied to the camp Coopercitrus League Young debuts meeting on rural property continuity Credit: Coopercitrus Archives Participants will also be able to learn about vacation internship opportunities in Coopercitrus units and departments, in addition to developing academic work with the technical support of the cooperative's teams. "We want to complement the training that these young people receive in schools and universities, bring them closer to cooperativism and listen to them more and more. Voz do Jovem exists for them to present their interests, doubts and expectations", explained Marino. Success measured in three generations The program had as its main guest Jorge Nishimura, shareholder of the Jacto Group and a reference in the transition of family businesses. Based on the experience of the Nishimura family, which is already preparing the participation of the fourth generation, he highlighted that continuity requires long-term planning, governance, shared values ??and the ability to manage conflicts. "Success needs to be analyzed from the perspective of three generations. It is not enough for one generation to build a business. It is necessary to create conditions so that children and grandchildren can continue", said Nishimura. During the presentation, he organized the family's learnings into five pillars: purpose and long-term vision, governance structure, agreements between partners, fundamental values ??and emotional balance. Nishimura also defended the separation between decision-making environments. Family matters must be dealt with in family spaces, while corporate and administrative issues must follow their own governance structures. Another point highlighted was the importance of young people acquiring professional experience outside the family business before taking on management responsibilities. According to him, this experience allows him to understand hierarchies, develop discipline and learn to work under the leadership of other people. To bring together generations with different experiences and ways of seeing the business, Nishimura suggested the practice of reverse mentoring, in which young people and more experienced leaders share knowledge and build decisions together. "Older people need to be willing to ask and listen to young people. At the same time, young people need to recognize and learn from the experience of those who built the business", he highlighted. Continuity requires learning from both sides Milk producer Larissa Zambiasi, representative of the National Committee Generation C, of ??the OCB System, shared her experience in the process of entering the family property, in Coqueiros do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul. According to her, academic training and the willingness to innovate need to go hand in hand with the knowledge accumulated by the generation that already manages the business. "When I started, I wanted to change many things quickly. Over time, I understood that, if my father had implemented everything I proposed in the first few years, we could have compromised the property. He was the one who had the experience to run the business", he reported. Larissa highlighted that continuity must be built gradually, with a progressive increase in responsibilities and concrete demonstrations of commitment. "There is no exact moment when someone is completely ready to take over. It is a continuous learning process. The more I showed interest, work and dedication, the more my parents invested and made room for my participation", he explained. She also highlighted that initiatives such as the Young League must train people prepared to participate in the management of properties and the governance of cooperatives. "The young people who participate in these movements can be future advisors, directors and leaders. But this needs to happen due to their ability, training and commitment, and not just because of their age", he stated. New generation combines training, external experience and links with the field Agricultural engineer Luísa Lian, member of the communications leadership of the Liga Coopercitrus Jovem, reported her career as a member of a family linked to citrus farming for over 60 years in the Bebedouro region. Luísa began her professional experience through an internship at Coopercitrus and is preparing to take on responsibilities in the family business in the future. For her, seeking technical training and experiences outside the property helps to expand