Three college students and one faculty member supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) NextGen program attended the 2024 G7 Ministers’ Meeting on Agriculture in Syracuse, Italy. The delegation represented the United States and participated in the Agri-Young Hackathon to discuss and propose solutions to world issues in agriculture.
The G7 forum brings together Italy, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The G7 has engaged in dialogue and negotiated solutions to world issues at Ministerial Meetings since 1998.
The U.S. delegation included NextGen Project Director Dr. Stacy Philpott, University of California, Santa Cruz and NextGen students Kennedy Bentley, Tennessee State University; Crystal Salazar-Nieto, California State University, Monterey Bay; and Steffan Kinley, Northwest Indian College.
NextGen, a $262.5 million USDA investment, enables colleges and universities to engage, train and support students to build the next generation of diverse food, agriculture, natural resources and human sciences professionals. The NextGen program’s goal is to expose students to new settings and opportunities. Kinley expressed his excitement to experience flying overseas for the first time, as well as reuniting with the members of the delegation whom he previously met at the NextGen Student Summits.
Bentley said she was “baffled” and “blown away” when she learned about the opportunity. Earlier this summer, Bentley traveled to Senegal with other NextGen students at TSU. “I just keep getting to experience the world,” she said about her NextGen experiences.
Prior to the meeting, the delegation met with NIFA Director Dr. Manjit Misra in Washington, D.C. for a sendoff event. During the Hackathon, the NextGen delegates were assigned to groups with students, young farmers and professors from the G7 countries to engage in discussions and draft policy recommendations on agriculture topics.
“It was really about being able to decide what is the major [origin] issue, but also what can be done right now and what’s something that can change moving forward,” said Salazar-Nieto of her experience discussing youth in agriculture in the Global South.
Kinley and Bentley were assigned to a global water scarcity group. “It was really interesting to see all of our perspectives on the aspects [of the issue] in our countries,” said Bentley. Kinley echoed Bentley’s experience, saying, “it was cool to see people come out of their comfort zone and speak about what they feel.”
After discussing their respective issue, each group’s youth delegates presented their conclusions and proposals to the G7 Ministers, including USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Salazar-Nieto’s group recommended that government leaders provide young farmers with financial support services. “The International community should provide financing and education for young farmers,” she said.
Bentley and Kinley’s group felt a responsibility to emphasize to the ministers the importance of community-informed solutions. “We want to see more faces of those that aren’t here and their representation. We need everybody at the table,” said Bentley.
Of his experience, Kinley said, “If we’re going to try to help somebody fix something, don’t we need to ask them for themselves instead of just assuming.” Kinley drew connections to his experience as a Lummi Tribal Member: “It made me think about, as a Native person…where I’m from, everyone is associated with the water one way or another. This is our way of harvesting. So, I was talking to people in my group about…you’re on land. I’m on water. We have similarities; we both harvest, and we both need each other to do things.”
Dr. Philpott said that she found it “inspiring to work with young farmers and scholars from the U.S. and the other G7 countries…and to hear ministers from the G7 and African nations taking note of the valuable role that youth, especially young women, have to play in shaping the future of our agricultural and food systems.”
After their return home, the delegates were excited to share what they learned with their community. The students expressed that the experience boosted their confidence as they look ahead to new challenges and opportunities. For example, Bentley proceeded to represent NextGen at the 2024 Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue with the World Food Prize Foundation in October during a global discussion on cultivating the next generation of food and agricultural leaders.
“This whole year, I have been very grateful for going to the NextGen [Summits],” said Kinley, “And then with this [G7] opportunity that came up, it feels like a steady incline and I’m ready for it.”
Salazar-Nieto said she realizes the need for “opening the door, but also holding it open for other people to go through…I want to continue to have opportunities not just for myself but for my own sisters and for my community,” she said. “I think the NextGen program really embodies that, I am so grateful to be a part of it.”
USDA staff spoke with the students about their accomplishment after their return. NIFA National Program Leader Dr. Carlos Ortiz challenged the group to continue sharing about their experiences with their family, friends and community.
“Think of that next person who may be wanting to do an internship but doesn’t feel too comfortable leaving their hometown,” Ortiz said. “You have gone to Italy. You have crossed oceans. Share about your hesitations at the beginning and what you got by the end. And hopefully that will help expand the views and horizons of others.”
Of the accomplishment, NIFA Community and Education Division Director Dr. Peter Motavalli said the delegation’s story helps USDA “communicate to all of those who invested in the NextGen effort why it’s so important that our students not only have experiences at their own universities but also explore the world. That is a voyage of discovery.”