Young professionals tackle real-world challenges in regenerative agriculture

Young professionals tackle real-world regenerative-agriculture challenges in online competition  

A global platform for emerging talent 

For 20 years, the IFAMA Global Network has organized its renowned Student Case Competition, a platform for students, graduates, and early career professionals in the food and agribusiness sector. This year, the 2024 IFAMA Venture Building Challenge, sponsored by Bayer | Crop Science, brought together 21 teams from over a dozen countries across five continents. Participants worked on real-world challenges, with a focus on regenerative agriculture. 

GLOBALG.A.P.’s young talent in action 

Taking place on November 14–15, the challenge included an entry from GLOBALG.A.P.’s young professionals: Tobi Okusanya, Stefano Miele, Finn Lievenbrück, and Lilith Woesler. Competing against strong international teams, they advanced to the final round as one of ten top contenders. 

For the final challenge, teams were tasked with analyzing a complex case on scaling regenerative agriculture for smallholder rice farmers in India. Within a tight four-hour timeframe, they developed innovative strategies and presented their findings in a 10-minute video to an international panel of judges. 

Reflections on the experience 

Although the team from GLOBALG.A.P. didn’t take home the top prize, the experience left a lasting impression. “The case study focused on scaling regenerative agriculture for corn and rice in Indonesia and India,” said Stefano Miele. “It was an incredible opportunity to collaborate, address tough issues like sustainability, data collection, and impact measurement, and create practical solutions. Working with such a motivated team and shaping strategies that aligned with Bayer's goals while fostering long-term change was truly rewarding.” 

Congratulations to the winners and all participants for their impressive efforts. The challenge highlights the value of innovation, teamwork, and resilience in tackling the challenges of global agriculture. Well done!