The cohort of the 4^th edition of the WFO Gymnasium participated in the “I am a Climate Champion” Video Contest, an initiative designed to spotlight young farmers leading climate action on the ground. After a peer voting process, David Newcombe was recognised as WFO Youth Farmer Climate Champion.

This year’s World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) General Assembly marked the conclusion of the 2024–2025 edition of the WFO Gymnasium High-level Capacity Building Programme, wrapping up a transformative year of leadership training and international engagement for a new generation of young farmer leaders. Yet that wasn’t the end — as alumni, they now join a growing global network of young farmer leaders shaping the future of agriculture.

As a first step on their journey beyond the programme, the cohort of the 4th edition of the WFO Gymnasium took part in the video contest “I Am a Climate Champion”, launched by WFO in the lead-up to the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (COP30).

The contest offered a platform for young farmers to raise their voices in the global climate conversation, sharing their first-hand experiences of how climate change affects their farms and how they are driving climate solutions by building resilience and supporting sustainability.

Among the inspiring participants were David Charles Newcombe from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA-FCA), Rafael Riedel from the Confederação da Agricultura e Pecuária do Brasil (CNA Brazil), and Martin Murray from the National Farmers Federation (NFF Australia).

These young leaders seized the opportunity to showcase their commitment to climate action through powerful videos that reflected their unique contexts and shared challenges. Their entries were submitted for peer voting, with David’s video selected as the best representation of the spirit of a young Climate Champion.

WFO Secretary General Andrea Porro and members of the 4th edition of the Gymnasium gathered for the winner’s announcement – Photo credit: © WFO.

David is a 10th-generation farmer whose family began farming in Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1761. Today, their diversified operation includes dairy cows, broilers, and laying hens, and covers around 1,900 acres of corn, wheat, soybeans, and forages. Alongside his commitment to sustainable, climate-smart farming, David is also deeply passionate about the mental health and well-being of farmers and is actively involved in initiatives aimed at addressing this growing concern within the agricultural community.

In his award-winning video, he spoke about the wide-ranging impacts of climate change and put forward solutions that reflect the priorities of many young farmers: building resilience while keeping farms profitable. He stressed that profitability is essential to sustainability, and that showing how climate-smart practices can reduce risks, strengthen resilience and improve returns is the best way to encourage their adoption. Farms that remain financially viable can continue producing food and safeguard generations of farming knowledge.

As WFO’s Youth Farmer Climate Champion, David Newcombe will be invited to join the official WFO delegation at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, bringing the voice of young farmers to the most important climate stage in the world.

Watch David’s winning video and the other submissions here.

Cover photo: Image courtesy of David Newcombe