Monheim, May 28 (WNM staff/Newswires) - The German company Bayer has announced 100 participants, coming from 45 countries, for the fourth edition of the Youth Ag Summit. The 2019 Summit will take place in Brasilia, Brazil from November 4-6, in partnership with Nuffield Brazil.
The Youth Ag Summit, part of the Bayer Agricultural Education Program, brings together young change-makers aged 18-25 to tackle the challenges of how to feed a growing population by 2050. For this year’s application process, each prospective participant pitched an idea to tackle food insecurity in the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In total, Bayer received over 2,800 applications from more than 140 countries.
A local country reviewed each application, before a panel of experts made the final selection. This year’s crop of 100 delegates includes entrepreneurs, farmers, students, plant scientists, and economists – to name a few. Their ideas focused on tackling challenges as varied as gender equality, sustainable agriculture, youth education, food waste, and climate change. Despite their varied backgrounds and interests, all share a commitment to driving progress towards a world without hunger.
“About 800 million people around the world go to bed hungry each night, and these young innovators are eager to help solve this challenge,” said Liam Condon, member of the Board of Management of Bayer AG and president of the Crop Science Division. “The 100 delegates headed to Brazil in November all share a commitment to driving innovation in agriculture, which is vital if we are to both feed the world and ensure healthy ecosystems.”
Rodrigo Santos, Head of the Crop Science Division in Latin America said, “Latin America has an important role in the challenge of feeding a hungry planet, so we´re very happy to receive these incredible young leaders to discuss such an important topic as food security. I hope Brazil’s thriving agricultural sector inspires our delegates to develop their innovative ideas.”
Fabiano Paganella, president of Nuffield Brazil, added, “The next generation will need to create a better tomorrow. But to do that, they need to be given a voice today. The Youth Ag Summit gives young leaders the chance to learn and practice new skills – and we are excited to help deliver these opportunities to 100 new agvocates in November.”
For the 100 chosen delegates, the Youth Ag Summit will function as an idea incubator: helping them turn their ideas into reality and equipping them with the skills needed to realize their projects. They will also hear from expert speakers and participate in field trips to learn more about the agricultural industry in Brazil.
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