KITCHENER -- A University of Guelph graduate has been chosen to be part of Canada’s first-ever Agricultural Youth Council.

According to a press release from the university, Gordon Bell was among 25 youths chosen for the council, which will help advise the federal government on agri-food issues that matter most to young people.

Bell is a graduate student from the Ontario Agricultural College where he studied soil health.

According to the release, he hopes to find ways to ensure farmers receive support and incentives to adopt affordable and sustainable practices. He also wants to ensure the agriculture industry is accessible to people of all backgrounds.

Over 800 people applied to become a member of the new council, and all those chosen will represent a subsector of the agri-food sector, as well as each province and the North.

The youth council will work with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), who says youth council members will provide insights on topics including how the sector is adapting to COVID-19, business risk management programs, sustainable agriculture, market diversification, skills and labour, intergenerational farm transfers and mental health.

The council will meet multiple times annually, with their inaugural meeting being held virtually in August.