Brussels, October 12 – Participants in the EU-funded EU-U.S. Fellowship for Young Leaders in Agriculture will meet in the Netherlands and Brussels, Belgium, on 24-30 October 2026 for a week of site-visits and exchanges on the latest policies and practices in EU agriculture.
Young farmers in Europe and the U.S. face similar challenges, whether it’s farm profitability, soil health or pest management. Bringing young farmers together to share skills and to learn about the agricultural policies shaping their work empowers them with new knowledge they can take home and builds lasting partnerships in fields and greenhouses on both sides of the Atlantic.
European Union Ambassador to the United States Jovita Neliupšienė
During their EU visit, the 20+ young leaders in agriculture from the EU and the U.S. will engage in discussions with EU policymakers, stakeholders and agricultural experts. Highlights include talks on policies for rural social and societal sustainability, the International Trade Agenda, and the future of the common agricultural policy, with Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development and other European Commission representatives.
Participants will visit working farms and producers – from cheese-making to floriculture, observe latest agriculture innovations, and exchange with program partners including @COPA COGECA and @CEJA Young Farmers.
All this will feed into the proposals fellows are drafting on how to shape the future of agricultural policies for prosperous plant and livestock sectors, integrating examples of policies in action observed during their trip.
Now entering its second year, the EU-U.S. Fellowship for Young Leaders in Agriculture is a year-long program that brings together emerging leaders from both sides of the Atlantic to deepen their understanding of the challenges facing farmers and solutions for improving the long-term resilience and profitability of agriculture in their communities.
Since its launch in October 2025, the program has brought together farmers and ranchers from the US states of California, Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota, New Mexico, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin – as well as Austria, Belgium, Germany, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Slovenia in the EU.
Part of TSTI – Building a Resilient Future Together, the fellowship provides young farmers with the opportunity to learn more about agricultural policymaking in the EU and the U.S., farm economics, innovation, food systems, supply chains and the global market environment. Participants also broaden their leadership and networking skills, and develop life-long relationships with like-minded farmers on both sides of the Atlantic.
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icf [dot] com (info[dot]TSTI[at]icf[dot]com) to find out more.
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