Picture You in Agriculture (PYiA) cherishes partners who help realise the dreams of young people in agriculture, and this year they have joined with Corteva Agriscience to support another crop of young leaders.
Dan Dixon, Corteva Agriscience, ANZ Marketing Director said Corteva is excited to participate in this initiative and support young agricultural professionals willing to champion agriculture through the wider community. “Educating teachers, students and non-farming communities on the latest sustainable agricultural advancements and the importance of agriculture to the nation is vital to ensure that not only Australian agriculture has a voice, but that voice is providing accurate information that is then amplified through our schools,” he says. “Previous participants of the programme are already viewed as leaders in their fields.”
We invited young emerging leaders to share with us what drives them. We also asked them to tell us what they would do if they could wave a magic wand and change an aspect of agriculture. Their answers and their stories are inspiring and Corteva invited the Youth Voices Leadership Team to select eight of the best. The best of the best were identified as Francesca Earp and Ishaya Usman Gadzama. Corteva will be supporting Francesca and Ishaya to share their story from the podium at a live event in 2021.
Francesca (or Franny) is hungry for equality, believing the empowerment of women is critical to the future of food security – particularly in the developing world. Read Franny’s story here.
Ishaya hails from Africa where witnessing food insecurity first hand led him on a path of agricultural change. As a young person who mentors other young people he believes in seeking every opportunity, opening every door, giving back and paying forward. Read his story here.
Choosing these joint winners was no easy task, given the high quality of all entrants and their passion for agriculture. Alongside Franny and Ishaya, four new voices were celebrated. They are:
Renae Kretchmer, who lost her Mum but found her voice, and believes farmers are some of the most driven, intelligent, innovative and resourceful scientists you will ever meet. Read her story here.
Alice Burwell, a veterinarian driven to overcome gender bias in agriculture, who also believes we need to break down barriers between producers and veterinarians. Read her story here.
Elizabeth Argue, who decided to become a jillaroo at age ten, and who believes modern agriculture requires a range of individuals with an ever increasing range of skills. Read her story here.
Veronika Vicic, who has a passion for bridging the rural-urban gap and believes enabling others to broaden their agricultural knowledge will strengthen agriculture for all. Read her story here.
Emily May is a peri-urban agriculturist helping others to adjust to changes and new technology in modern agriculture. Read Emily's story here.
Calum Watt is a crop-breeder of the future who believes scientists, too, can be agriculturists. Read Calum’s story here.
