From participation to influence: the Youth Leadership Programme grows a new generation of food systems leaders

A global community comes together

In May 2026, Rome became a meeting point for a new generation of food systems leaders. Supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), around 60 alumni of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub’s Youth Leadership Programme (YLP) gathered from 44 countries across Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean for four days of exchange, collaboration, and forward-looking dialogue on the future of food.

Throughout the week, participants exchanged experiences from their countries, explored common challenges, and built new collaborations across regions and generations. Discussions focused not only on leadership but on how emerging professionals can help shape governance, strengthen partnerships, and contribute to food systems change in practical and lasting ways.

“Food systems transformation will not succeed without young people meaningfully shaping it. Not symbolically. Not occasionally. But systematically,” said Mr Carlos Watson, Director ad interim of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub and FAO’s Office of SDGs.

One of the strongest themes to emerge from the YLP Convening was the sense of connection participants built during the two-year Programme.

“Oftentimes, within the Caribbean, we might feel isolated,” said Danny Brooks of Jamaica. “But being a part of this Programme, it has exposed me to the reality that there are many regions across this world that are experiencing similar challenges.”

For many participants, the Convening reinforced that food systems transformation is not happening in isolation, but through a growing global network of young leaders learning from one another and advancing change together

A growing network of action and influence

Across regions, YLP alumni are already applying systems thinking, adaptive leadership and foresight skills within their own countries and institutions.

For Sofia Bacquerizo of Ecuador, the YLP helped transform local experience into national policy action. After beginning her work through community kitchens supporting women in low-income areas, she used lessons and peer collaboration from the Programme to shape a legislative proposal focused on public procurement from family farmers.

“The YLP did not only train me, but it connected me with fresh, innovative minds from across the globe,” she said. “The legislative reform I’m bringing to the National Assembly today is not mine alone. It contains a piece of many of the fellow leaders I have met in this Programme.”

Other participants described how the YLP strengthened their ability to connect local realities with broader policy and systems approaches. In India, Alokita Jha reflected on how YLP shifted her perspective “from isolation to interconnections,” helping her work across ministries and institutions to link climate, agriculture, health, and nutrition efforts.

In Fiji, Asali Naika described how the Programme helped him bring Indigenous knowledge and biodiversity perspectives into regional and international policy discussions. “YLP helped me reframe my master’s research from thesis into policy instrument,” he said.

The experiences and achievements of the first YLP cohort demonstrated the growing impact of the Programme and helped lay the foundation for its next phase. During the Convening in Rome, BMZ announced its support for a second phase of the YLP.

“The YLP reminds me of my own personal journey,” said Dr Andreas Schaumayer, Head of Division, Food Security and Fisheries at BMZ. “When I see these young leaders so active in such a complex and contested space, I see the value of this investment. We want to see a second cohort under the Youth Leadership Programme.”

The announcement reflected growing recognition that young leaders are already shaping food systems transformation through policy engagement, entrepreneurship, science, advocacy, and community action.

A network beyond the programme

The Convening culminated in a high-level closing event at FAO Headquarters, bringing together YLP alumni, Ambassadors from six countries, IFAD, WFP, National Convenors, and partners for a public dialogue on the future of youth engagement in food systems transformation. Nearly 500 participants registered to join the discussions online, reflecting growing global interest in the role of emerging leaders across food systems processes.

Beyond technical knowledge and leadership development, participants repeatedly reflected on the importance of the relationships built through the YLP. Across regions and lived experiences, the Programme created opportunities for emerging professionals to learn from one another, collaborate across sectors, and build lasting networks connected by a shared commitment to food systems transformation.

For many participants, the continuation of the YLP represented not only an investment in future cohorts, but in a growing global network of emerging leaders already contributing to food systems transformation in their own countries and communities.

“Leadership is not waiting until you feel ready, but it is a choice,” said Jody Brown of South Africa.“A choice to show up fully and consistently with who you are.”

For Reno Kabunga of the Philippines, that sense of shared responsibility became especially visible during the development of the UNFSS+4 Youth Declaration on Food Systems Transformation. “Your challenge is my challenge. Your future is my future,” he said. “The Youth Declaration is where we become truly one United Nations for food systems.”

Dr Nicole de Paula, Technical Officer at the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub (the Hub) and Global Coordinator of the YLP, reflected on how those connections have become one of the Programme’s defining strengths. “What made this Programme unique was not only the knowledge shared, but the relationships and collaborations built across regions, disciplines, and lived experiences,” she said.

As the Convening closed, participants shared this impression, reflecting not only on what they had learned, but also on the growing community they will continue to carry forward across countries, institutions, and food systems processes. “The bridge is now built,” Kabunga said. “It is time to cross it.”

Looking Ahead

As the Convening came to a close, discussions increasingly focused not only on what the first YLP cohort had achieved, but on the growing community and momentum that will continue beyond the Programme itself.

Throughout the week, participants reflected on how the relationships, collaborations, and shared learning developed through the YLP had continued to shape their work long after the Programme’s trainings and exchanges had ended. For many, the experience reinforced the importance of building stronger connections across regions, generations, and institutions to advance food systems transformation.

Building on the achievements of the first cohort, BMZ also confirmed its intention to continue supporting the YLP through a second phase, signaling continued investment in emerging leadership and cross-regional collaboration. “We believe increased youth participation in policy dialogue can translate into meaningful impact on food systems governance,” said Dr Andreas Schaumayer, Head of Division, Food Security and Fisheries at BMZ.

Looking ahead, participants emphasized that the relationships and momentum built through the YLP will continue far beyond the Programme itself, strengthening collaboration across regions and shaping the future of food systems for years to come.