Investing in the Future Pays Off: Canadian Cattle Youth Council celebrates 10th anniversary

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2023 has been a year of reflection, as well as a prime opportunity to look ahead to the future for the Canadian Cattle Youth Council.

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The youth council (formerly known as the Young Cattlemen’s Council) was established under the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) in 2013, to give young beef producers an opportunity to learn how to lead the industry through a direct opportunity for involvement, while bringing the viewpoints of the next generation to the table.

Under the leadership of Brad Wildeman, who was CCA President at the time, a need was recognized to change the dynamics of the Canadian beef industry in a fundamental way by engaging the next generation. A group of young people in the industry came together to give direction to this vision for more youth involvement, not only in the industry, but around the decision-making table and policy development discussions. This built on the launch of the popular Canadian Cattle Young Leaders (CYL) mentorship program established by CCA in 2010.

The concept of the Young Cattlemen’s Council was successful in gaining the support of the CCA board and provincial associations, where the first council delegates were named at the CCA semi-annual meeting in London, ON in August 2013.

The youth council has continued its success thanks to the long-standing support of the provincial associations, CCA and the generosity of its Platinum Partner, New Holland. The sponsorship from New Holland since the early years, and provincial associations’ investments in the youth council on top of their CCA contributions, is an important example of the sector’s commitment to building a strong, sustainable future.

Open to young cattle producers across Canada ages 18-40, the council is comprised of seven provincial representatives and three-member at large positions. In the last 10 years, there have been over 50 young beef producers from across Canada hold a seat on the youth council.

The young beef producer delegates serve as non-voting members on CCA policy committees, participate in various advocacy activities, and strive to be a conduit of information between producer organizations and youth of the beef industry.

Investing in the next generation to secure a brighter future is a shared goal across various political parties and organizations. Putting youth front and centre in the beef industry through the work of the youth council has opened doors to new conversations, new connections, and new opportunities.

A highlight for many delegates over the years is the annual youth fly-in meetings to Parliament Hill in conjunction with the CCA annual general meeting in Ottawa. This is a unique opportunity to engage with Members of Parliament, Senators, and parliamentary staff to provide a young producer perspective on challenges and opportunities of importance to the next generation.

There have also been unique opportunities for the next generation to engage in international dialogues alongside CCA. This has provided strategic opportunities to make connections between young beef industry leaders in Canada and their counterparts around the world, while learning more about international markets of importance for Canadian beef, and helping further position the industry as a world-leader in sustainability.

This includes participation of young producer representatives in the International Beef Alliance meetings that have taken place in countries such as New Zealand, Paraguay, and more. Another example is the annual CCA youth trip to Denver, Colorado to build important relationships and learn more about the strong, integrated U.S.-Canada relationship. More recently, youth council representatives have also joined CCA on the world stage at various U.N. focused events such as the United Nations Committee on World Food Security Meetings in Rome, Italy and the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The world needs more, not less, sustainably produced foods like Canadian beef; an impactful message on the global stage when coming from the next generation.

Another significant milestone of the council was the creation of a Youth Member position on the Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off Agency in 2022. The position feeds into the youth council as a non-voting member to raise awareness of how critically important industry work such as research, marketing, and advocacy is funded and administered. We are excited to see how this position will continue to grow and evolve in the coming years.

We are very proud of the quality young producers who have served on the council who continue to thrive in industry leadership roles today. Examples include chairing provincial associations, leadership in national organizations, gaining new ground through involvement in international sustainable livestock youth networks and more. Investing in the next generation has played a crucial role in laying the foundation for future success.  

If you’re interested in becoming involved with the Canadian Cattle Youth Council, you can visit www.canadiancattleyouthcouncil.ca to learn more. Ages 18-40 can sign up as a member for free to stay up to date and learn more about opportunities to serve as a delegate in the future.