The fifth session of the WFO Gymnasium training programme arrived in the heart of the world’s largest intergovernmental conference on climate change, the UN Climate Change Conference 2019, with young farmers from all over the world gathering together in Madrid, for two weeks of networking, debates and skills training.
The December 2019 session of the WFO Gymnasium trained the participants in the international decision-making process on climate change.
Lecturers at this session included Mr Martien Van Nieuwkoop, Global Director for Agriculture and Food, World Bank; Mr Gábor Figeczky, Head of Global Policy, IFOAM Organics International; Mr David Stevens, Director of Bonn Office, UNDRR; Dr Bruce Campbell, Director, CCAFS; Dr Ceris Jones, facilitator of the WFO Working Group on Climate Change, UK NFU, and Mr Gerolf Bücheler, Policy Advisor Environment & Sustainability, DBV; Mr Hayden Montgomery, Special Representative, GRA and New Zealand Government.
The impact of this Gymnasium Session will live on long after our young farmers have returned to their home, having had the chance to be involved in the works of the UN Climate Change Conference 2019, that took place in Madrid from December 2nd to 13th.
They represented WFO and its positions, as panellists in several side events and as spokespersons within official interviews.
Furthermore, the group had the opportunity to join the meetings of the youth non-governmental organisations (YOUNGO), sharing their opinions and exchanging their views on the crucial role of young people to accelerate the achievement of a sustainable future for all.
All of them played their part in demonstrating young farmers’ forward-looking approach to work on challenges and opportunities of global agriculture!
