SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½

Young people challenged to explore sustainability and careers in food and farming

Posted 13 January

External Shows and Events Officer Sarah Swinnerton and Fiona Rust, Education Networks and Partnership Lead at LEAF, launching the challenge at New Scientist Live

A programme challenging young people across the UK to explore careers and sustainability in food and farming will welcome selected participants to SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ this spring.

Leading global charity LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming)’s will offer students from all backgrounds the chance to explore their passion for sustainability through hands-on learning and experiences about how sustainable food production plays a pivotal role in addressing global climate change.

Launched at New Scientist Live in London, applications for its challenge – being supported by SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ and LEAF and supported and funded by McDonald’s UK and Ireland - are open until January 28 2026.

Successful applicants will then be invited to SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ for a Challenge Day in April, then take part in LEAF’s 20^th anniversary Open Farm Sunday event this June -exploring sustainable farming practices on farms across the country.

Having presented their reflections on the April event, the young people will then be invited to a two-day residential at Harper Adams in September, where the winners will be announced.

Aimed at pupils currently aged between 15 and 17, the Sustainable You(th) Challenge will offer winners bursaries to support further education opportunities; exclusive placements with industry partners; and flexibility around grades to support gaining a place at a top agricultural university.

It follows research commissioned by LEAF which found 83.5 per cent of students stated it is ‘very’ or ‘somewhat important’ that their future career helps protect the planet.

Rachel Brookes, Widening Participation Officer at SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½, said: “Showing young people the wealth of opportunities which can come from a career in food and farming is truly rewarding – as we know from the many residential programmes we run at the University already.

“We’re delighted, therefore, to be partnering with LEAF and McDonald’s UK and Ireland to take this message out to even more young people across the UK – and hopefully strengthening our food and farming sectors with new and diverse talent as a result.”

Fiona Rust, Education Networks and Partnership Lead at LEAF, added: “We are incredibly excited to be running this Challenge, which aims to show young people with a passion for the environment just how much is already happening within the food and farming sector to drive a more sustainable future and where future opportunities lie.

“We hope to inspire and engage them to become more conscious consumers while also empowering them to see themselves as the next generation of highly skilled, tech savvy professionals shaping the future of our industry.”

And Caroline Lewis, Sustainable Sourcing Consultant, McDonald’s UK & Ireland, said: “Building on our involvement in LEAF’s 2024 secondary school competition, we recognised the vital role we can play in inspiring and educating the next generation as they consider their future careers.

“Through our partnership with LEAF and SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½, we aim to empower young people to become future leaders in the industry and strengthen resilience across food and agriculture for years to come.”

The Challenge is open to students from across the UK and is free to enter. Participants must be in years 12 or 13 in the academic 2026-2027 year or born between 1 September 2008 and 31 August 2010.

For more information about the Sustainable You(th) Challenge and how to apply, go to .