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Future Famers Network Australia and Bayer CropScience are excited to announce 100 delegates, aged 18 to 25 and from 33 countries – including two delegates from South Africa - who have been selected for the second global Youth Ag-Summit. The Summit which is themed “Feeding a Hungry Planet” takes place in Canberra, Australia, on August 24-28, 2015.

“We nearly received 2,000 essays from around the world which signals a strong interest in the issue of feeding a hungry planet. The quality of the essays was outstanding and the challenges and solutions identified highlight that opportunities like the Youth Ag-Summit provide a great platform to continue the discussions,” said Georgie Aley, Chair of Future Farmers Network Australia. “We look forward to welcoming the delegates to Australia in August along with our partner Bayer CropScience in the delivery of the event.”

Candidates were invited to apply between October 2014 and January 2015 by submitting a 1,500 word essay, outlining their position and ideas on the underlying causes of food insecurity and its effect on a growing population. A total of 1,932 essays from 87 countries were submitted – an outstanding result which shows the passion and spirit of young people for food and farming.

“We believe there is a need for young leaders to be engaged in finding sustainable agricultural solutions to the growing global need for safe and nutritious food. The Youth Ag-Summit is an opportunity to broaden the perspectives from others around the world. It will also enable young leaders to further grow personally and develop their knowledge”, stressed Liam Condon, CEO Bayer CropScience.

Essays were evaluated by a diverse range of qualified and experienced industry professionals and scored fairly against their unique ideas. Showcasing a range of insightful perspectives on food insecurity around the world, candidates tackled topics including food wastage, local produce, education and awareness of agricultural practices – all of which will contribute to the conference agenda.

Delegates and 33 accompanying mentors will meet in Canberra to network, hear from guest speakers and participate in debates, discussions, group work and industry tours. The purpose of the Summit is to generate innovative, sustainable and actionable solutions which will be driven by their leadership.

During the Summit, the delegates identify, connect and create ideas to progress agriculture around the world. This collaborative approach aims to leave them with actionable ideas they take back to their home countries to embed into their personal operations and careers.

The delegates are from the following countries: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uruguay, USA and Vietnam.

South Africa will be represented by:
·         Nicola Theron, age: 21, third year BS.c Agriculture student, majoring in Soil Science and Agronomy, at the University of the Free State, South Africa
·         Wilbri Vorster, age 22, final year as a BSc (Agric) Plant Pathology

Visit the website www.youthagsummit.com to meet the delegates and for more information on the Youth Ag-Summit.

About the Youth Ag-Summit
The Youth Ag-Summit is a global youth conference to inspire and connect the next generation of young leaders in agriculture. At the Summit, 100 young leaders aged 18 to 25 from all around the world meet to share perspectives and create an open dialogue on one of the world’s most challenging questions: how to feed a hungry planet? The Youth Ag-Summit forms part of the Agricultural Education Program and aims at raising awareness for food and farming all over the globe. Find more information about the summit on the website www.youthagsummit.com 

About Future Farmers Network
Future Farmers Network (FFN) is Australia’s only national youth agricultural network that connects and supports young Australians involved in rural industries. Operating since 2002, FFN connects youth involved in all facets of agriculture and provides members with access to the latest news, events, scholarships, awards and information from across all aspects of the Australian agricultural sector. To learn more about FFN visit: www.futurefarmers.com.au

About Bayer CropScience
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, agriculture and high-tech materials. Bayer CropScience, the subgroup of Bayer AG responsible for the agricultural business, has annual sales of EUR 9.494 million (2014) and is one of the world’s leading innovative crop science companies in the areas of seeds, crop protection and non-agricultural pest control. The company offers an outstanding range of products including high value seeds, innovative crop protection solutions based on chemical and biological modes of action as well as an extensive service backup for modern, sustainable agriculture. In the area of non-agricultural applications, Bayer CropScience has a broad portfolio of products and services to control pests from home and garden to forestry applications. The company has a global workforce of 23,100 and is represented in more than 120 countries. This and further news is available at: www.press.bayercropscience.com

Issued by Youth Ag-Summit