Youth gather to discuss how to feed the world

More than 100 young people countries across the globe – including the winner of a Farmers Weekly competition – will attend the first ever Youth Ag Summit in Canada later this month.

What is the summit all about?

The first Youth Ag Summit, organised by 4-H Canada, involves more than 100 18-to 25-year-olds who are going to Canada to discuss how to feed the world’s growing population.

Delegates from 20 countries including the UK, Australia, India and China will gather in Calgary, Alberta, from 19-25 August to hear from scientists and business leaders about the challenges and opportunities facing farmers in their efforts to produce more food.

Delegates will then share their own ideas and come up with a plan of how global agriculture can secure sustainable food supplies in the face of diminishing resources.

What is 4-H Canada?

4-H is one of Canada’s longest-running youth organisations for young people between the ages of eight and 21. It has more than 26,000 members.

Who is going from the UK?

Farmers Weekly ran a competition in conjunction with conference sponsor Bayer CropScience, offering one lucky reader the chance to win an all-expenses-paid place at the summit. Entrants were required to write a 1,400 word essay on whether farming is doing enough to tackle national and global food security.

The winner was Joe Fisher from Nottinghamshire (see below), who will attend the conference.

Meet Joe Fisher, Wye Valley

What’s your farming background?

I grew up on a family-run 344ha arable farm in Nottinghamshire which grows cereals, oilseed rape and sugar beet. I studied farm business management at Newcastle University and am in my first placement within the Management Development Scheme.

I am harvest efficiency manager at Cobrey Farms in the Wye Valley, Herefordshire, where I have overseen the asparagus, rhubarb and now blueberry harvest.

Any hobbies?

I’m keen on ball sports and snowboarding.

What do you hope to get from the summit?

I have never been to North America, so this event has already fulfilled one big ambition. I hope to learn from different nationalities and take away fresh approaches to the issues surrounding food security.

I hope to explore methods and ideas from across the continents and share my findings through as many avenues as possible on my return.

For more on this topic

Read an extract from Joe’s winning essay

The UK delegate

Joe Fisher is the winner of a Farmers Weekly/Bayer competition run earlier in the year to find a UK delegate to send to the summit. Joe grew up on an arable farm in Nottinghamshire and is currently working in the fresh produce industry as part of the graduate scheme offered by Management Development Scheme Ltd. Follow the conference using the hastag #youthagsummit.