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U of A student selected for Youth Ag Summit

U of A student selected for Youth Ag Summit

Amanda Hardman is one of two people representing Canada

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

A sustainable agriculture student at the University of Alberta will represent Canada at a youth event later this year.

Amanda Hardman of Stony Plain, Alta. is one of two Canadians chosen to participate in Bayer’s 2021 Youth Ag Summit (YAS).

“I wasn’t quite sure what my chances were when I applied, so to find out I’d been selected was very exciting,” the 19-year-old told Farms.com. “Being one of only two Canadians selected adds a little bit of pressure but I’m thrilled to be part of the event.”

Emily Robb, an 18-year-old University of Manitoba student studying agroecology, is the other Canadian representative.

The biennial YAS brings together 100 delegates between the ages of 18 and 25 from 44 countries.

As part of the YAS application process, interested youth had to present project ideas and examples of advocacy work on the event’s overall theme “Feeding a Hungry Planet.”

Hardman’s project focuses on biodegradable food packaging to replace plastic clamshell packaging.

“I took a sugarcane fibre to-go box and sprayed it with nano-crystals from wood pulp,” she said. “Together it combines into this alternative to plastic clamshell packaging. The plastic packaging is hard to get rid of and in Alberta, landfills had to stop accepting them because they took up too much space.”

Hardman decided to apply to be a part of YAS after hearing about the experience from one of her friends.

Canada sent five delegates to the previous event two years ago.

“A friend of mine went in 2019 and only had good things to say about it,” she said. “It’s right up my alley with sustainable agriculture and it just kind of spoke to me.”

Hardman hoping to draw on her life experience around the discussion tables.

Being from a rural community but not from a farm gives her a unique look at agriculture.

“I understand what our producers are doing, and I also have an understanding of what people from an urban setting are thinking,” she said. “I’m hoping to bring that kind of middle ground perspective and convey how to approach ag education or how to satisfy consumers while including producers.”

She’s also excited to learn about what projects her peers are bringing to the summit.

“There’s a really wide variety of projects including GMOs and urban farming,” she said. “I’m hoping to learn what experiences they’ve gained from their projects and bring that back to a Canadian or an Alberta perspective.”

The two-day event will take place on Nov. 16 and 17.

Afterwards, delegates participate in a 10-week online mentoring program to help further their research projects.


Trending Video

Canada's Agriculture Day 2025

Video: Canada's Agriculture Day 2025

Let's celebrate Canadian agriculture.

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Well, I think it's important that Canadians understand exactly what takes place, what happens to produce this food, no matter what sector you're talking about.

An awful lot of work goes into that. It's important to understand that meat does not come out of a showcase, and milk does not come out of a bottle. It's produced by farmers and hard work.

Canada has the best farmers in the world. And agriculture is vital to Canada.

In 2024, our agriculture and agri-food sector represented $150 billion of Canada's GDP, nearly $100 billion of our exports, and one in nine jobs.

From grains to fruits to dairy and beef, we are truly blessed with an incredible bounty. Having spent my whole life in agriculture, I see so much potential for the sector.

This time last year, I was proud to open our first-ever agriculture and trade office in the Indo-Pacific, the world’s fastest-growing economy, to cement our presence in the region and grow our exports even more. We've also been making historic investments to help our farmers to boost their yields, protect the planet, and earn a fair living.

The world wants more top-quality, sustainable food, and I know our Canadian farmers can deliver. And it's so important that you do that with pride. We need you.

Quite simply, you eat the most top quality food in the world. You do that because of the quality of farmers and ranchers you have in this country.

Just say thank you to a farmer or a rancher. They work very hard, yes, for a living, but also with a sense of pride in what they produce.

That's what Canada's Agriculture Day is all about.