Youth leaders convene at FAO to advance food systems transformation
What:
High-level segment of the UN Food Systems Youth Leadership Programme (YLP) convening
(“Building the next generation of food systems leaders in developing countries: Reflection and advancement convening of the Youth Leadership Programme”)
When:
15 May 2026, 09:00 – 15:30 (CEST)
Location: FAO Headquarters, Rome, Italy
Format: Hybrid (in-person with livestreamed access)
Who:
Organized by the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub (the Hub) with the support of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), hosted at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Speakers and participants include:
- FAO leadership and senior representatives of the Hub
- Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives to the Rome-based UN agencies
- Representatives from FAO, IFAD, WFP, and partner organizations
- Youth leaders from the Hub’s YLP, representing countries across Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean
Why:
This high-level event brings together youth leaders and global partners to discuss how to strengthen the role of youth in food systems transformation, including through more sustained engagement in decision-making and governance processes.
Building on the UN Food Systems Youth Leadership Programme and its contributions to national pathways, science–policy–society interfaces, and global processes, the dialogue will focus on how youth leadership can be embedded within institutional systems and contribute to the implementation of the UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) outcomes, including the UNFSS+4 Youth Declaration on Food Systems Transformation.
Highlights include:
- High-level roundtable with Ambassadors to the Rome-based UN agencies
- Dialogue on moving from youth participation to influence in decision-making
- Exchanges between youth representatives and institutional partners
- Sessions on science–policy–society interfaces and implementation pathways
Media opportunities:
- Interviews with youth leaders from across regions
- Interviews with representatives of the Hub and partners
- Access to high-level sessions and policy dialogues
- Visual coverage of the event at FAO Headquarters
In-person Media Accreditation:
Journalists interested in participating in-person should send their accreditation request to [email protected], including a valid press card or letter of assignment on company stationery and a copy of a valid photo ID (passport/identity card).
Virtual Participation:
Please inform the media contacts below and register here, using ‘journalist’ and outlet as organization field: https://fao.zoom.us/meeting/register/dUF3v6yMRTK46HfsxiZZXg
Media Contact:
Alissa Collins, [email protected]
Abigail Smith, [email protected]
Read past news articles about YLP:
- Youth Leadership Programme (YLP) alumnus Carlos Paul Nidza is empowering Zimbabwe’s youth to cut food waste and build new livelihoods.
- Youth Leadership Programme (YLP) alumna Melissa Yamel Flores López is turning food policy into action, empowering communities across Mexico.
- Nicolette Francis, an alumna of the Hub’s Youth Leadership Programme (YLP), is empowering students with the skills and confidence to shape the future of agriculture.
- At WAFI 2024, alumni from the Hub’s Youth Leadership Programme shared powerful stories and bold ideas, underscoring the essential role of youth in driving food systems transformation to tackle climate and sustainability challenges.
- Musa Juwara: Gambia’s lead young person for Food Systems Transformation
- How Sizophila Asanda Mqadi is changing urban food systems in South Africa
- A leaf with a legacy: How Dina Kassa Kebede is revitalizing a forgotten plant for sustainable nutrition
- Growing greatness: How Nicolette Francis is transforming agricultural education in Antigua and Barbuda
- How a young leader in Mexico is bridging the gap between food policy and local communities
- Building opportunities from food waste: One youth advocate’s work in Zimbabwe
- Data, dialogue, and determination: A young researcher reimagines food systems in India
- When youth lead, the world listens at UNFSS+4
UN Food Systems Coordination Hub
More information:
- Event webpage:https://www.unfoodsystemshub.org/latest-updates/events/detail/building-the-next-generation-of-food-systems-leaders-in-developing-countries/en
- Youth Leadership Programme webpage: https://www.unfoodsystemshub.org/hub-solution/youth-leadership-programme/en
