Eight students under 30 identifying as black or people of colour will attend the Oxford Farming Conference as part of a 'breaking barriers' scholarship.
The students are being sponsored to attend January's conference and were chosen for demonstrating their passion for British farming.
The breaking barriers scholarship looks to support diversity and inclusion within the industry by offering candidates the opportunity to attend the annual conference.
They will also benefit from the programme more broadly, which includes a workshop event in collaboration with McDonald's, an interactive webinar, and in-person leadership and communication training.
Quadrupling the intake since the programme was launched five years ago, the 2025 cohort sees representation from a range of industry specialisms, from animal nutrition and veterinary science, to sustainability and food system resilience.
The OFC said the successful candidates were able to demonstrate a passion for the agricultural sector, ambition to advance their skills, and desire to embrace valuable networking opportunities.
Welcoming the new cohort, OFC director Jude McCann said diversity "isn’t just a tick box; it’s a vital ingredient for innovation and resilience".
She said: "The increased interest and intake for 2025 demonstrate both the urgent need and growing desire for greater diversity in our sector.
“These eight exceptional individuals represent the future of agriculture - their unique experiences, academic backgrounds, and industry insights are exactly what we need to meet the challenges ahead."
Navjot Gill, who is a 2025 breaking barriers scholar, said she applied to it as it presented a unique opportunity to develop her farming career.
"This scholarship will allow me to connect with like-minded individuals and mentors passionate about advancing diversity and inclusion in this sector.
"I am most looking forward to getting to know and building meaningful relationships with the others on the programme, understanding their experiences in the agriculture industry and getting out and about on the field trips.”
As a vet student who grew up in Hong Kong, fellow scholar Jessica Dickson never set foot on a working farm until vet school, but she said she looked forward to gaining a foothold in the industry.
"I look forward to learning more about farming, agriculture, and food production - particularly aspects of safeguarding public health and how British farming can be at the forefront of global advancements," she said.
The group recently gathered in London for a "get to know each other" day, where they shared their aspirations for both the programme and their future careers.
In November, they will join the larger scholars group - 40 individuals - for a two-day field trip focused on networking, training, and skills development.
Next year's Oxford Farming Conference takes place from 8 to 10 January 2025.
