Youth Leaders Take on the Fight to Feed a Hungry Planet

LEVERKEUSEN / BRASILIA, November 4, 2019 /3BL Media/ – Some of the world’s brightest and most passionate young minds convene in Brazil for this year‘s Youth Ag Summit to think deeply about food and agriculture and unlock innovative and sustainable solutions to one of our most challenging questions: how do we feed a hungry planet while at the same time protect its natural resources?

Hosted by Bayer in partnership with the Nuffield International Farming Network and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the biennial Youth Ag Summit aims to give the next generation of agricultural change-makers a platform and provide them with the skills and knowledge they need to act on solutions for a more sustainable future.

“The power of the Youth Ag Summit movement lies in its people”, said Liam Condon, Member of the Board of Management of Bayer AG and President of the Crop Science Division. “The Youth Ag Summit is all about enabling young leaders to help shape this world for the better, in ways both big and small”, he continued. “We know that young people are our planet’s greatest natural resource, and we’re providing them with an inclusive and supportive platform where their ideas can take root and thrive.”

During the Summit, delegates will visit SLC Agricola Pamplona farm, which produces a range of crops – including soy, cotton and corn – across an area of over 20,548 ha. Delegates will also have the chance to gain real-world insights into sustainability in action from Nuffield and IICA. And, they will hear from expert speakers such as:

• Sara Menker, Founder and CEO, Gro Intelligence.
• Marina Grossi, President, Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS).
• David Hertz, Co-founder and President, Gastromotiva.
• Gustavo Gross Belchior, Founder and CEO, Core Us.

“For IICA, it is vitally important that young global leaders in agriculture exchange sustainability-focused success stories and apply them when they return to their countries,” said Hernan Chiriboga, Representative of IICA in Brazil. “This enables information to be shared for the benefit of all rural inhabitants.”

“As an organization that is focused on nurturing and supporting future agricultural leaders, Nuffield Brazil is proud to be a partner and help deliver an exciting Youth Ag Summit program in Brasilia this week,” Murilo Bettarello, President of Nuffield Brazil, said. “We look forward to seeing the future impact these delegates will have on achieving a more food-secure world.”

Follow the latest news on social media with the hashtags #youthagsummit and #plantyourpath, or watch livestreamed sessions from the Summit here.

About the Youth Ag Summit
The Youth Ag Summit movement is a community of global young leaders championing sustainable agriculture and food security and working to bridge the understanding gap between those who produce our food and those who consume it. Every two years, 100 delegates are chosen to take part in the Summit. Previous editions have been hosted in Canada, Australia, and Belgium. This year’s Summit is the first to be held in Latin America. Bayer is covering all travel, accommodation and related costs for the chosen delegates.

The Summit is part of Bayer’s Agricultural Education Program: a holistic, long-term approach to encourage young people aged 18 to 28 to learn about sustainable agriculture. The program aims to inspire the next generation to learn more about modern agriculture and find solutions to global food security. As a research-driven company, Bayer is committed to driving societal acceptance of technology, as well as fostering a future talent pipeline of scientists.

Find out more about the Program at www.ag-education.bayer.com, https://www.facebook.com/BayerAgEdu/, or on Twitter @BayerAgEdu.

About Nuffield Brazil
Nuffield Brazil is a member of the Nuffield International Farming Network, established in 1947 in the UK to promote excellence in agribusiness through personal, professional and social development of emerging leaders, especially farmers. It's main program, Nuffield International Farming Scholarships, develops and inspires producers and agri-professionals between 25 and 45 years of age who travel globally to find solutions for local issues and opportunities, and to become leaders in agriculture. With a network of more than 1.800 Nuffield Scholars around the world, participants are able to grow personally and contribute professionally through experiential travel and investigation of contemporary issues in agriculture.

Scholarships are supported by forward-thinking companies, NGO‘s and individuals who see the importance of developing and challenging the emerging agrisector leaders to have practical groundings and worldly views as they contribute throughout their life to improving the sector.

For more information, go to www.nuffieldinternational.org and www.nuffield.com.br.

About IICA
As the specialized agency of the Inter-American System for agriculture, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) supports the efforts of the Member States to achieve agricultural development and rural well-being. IICA’s mission is to encourage, promote and support its Member States in their efforts to achieve agricultural development and rural well-being through international technical cooperation of excellence. As part of its vision, they aim to create a competitive, inclusive and sustainable inter-American agriculture that feeds the hemisphere and the world, while at the same time generating opportunities to reduce hunger and poverty among farmers and rural dwellers. Learn more at www.iica.int.

About Bayer
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to benefit people by supporting efforts to overcome the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development, and the Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2018, the Group employed around 117,000 people and had sales of 39.6 billion euros. Capital expenditures amounted to 2.6 billion euros, R&D expenses to 5.2 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.