A YOUNG farmer has fought off stiff national competition to win one of only three places to represent England at the World Youth Agricultural Summit to be held in Canada this summer.

Caroline Trude, 23, from Clyst Hydon, will be the only delegate from the south west invited to attend a 120-strong summit of 18 to 25-year-olds chosen from 20 different countries to debate and discuss the burgeoning problem of finding sustainable solutions to feed a growing world.

The summit, entitled ‘Feeding a Hungry Planet’ and sponsored by Bayer Crop Science, will be held from August 19-25 in Alberta, Canada.

Its aim is to bring together a group of enthusiastic, like-minded young people from across the globe and provide them with a platform and the chance to express their opinions on food production for an ever-increasing global population.

Caroline, who acts as junior vice chairman for the Devon Federation of Young Farmer's Clubs, won her coveted place by writing a 2,000 word essay describing her thoughts about the underlying causes of food insecurity and how sustainable agricultural practices could provide practical solutions.

“With world population predicted to rise to 9 billion by the year 2050, world food security is becoming an increasingly relevant issue,” said Caroline, a farmer’s daughter who currently works for the Vale Veterinary Centre in Cullompton “Even today, a billion people do not have enough safe and nutritious food to eat.

“So it is going to be down to the youth of today – tomorrow’s food producers – to start proposing ideas and actions to address this worrying situation.”