World Food Forum Highlights Youth Collaboration for Sustainable Food Systems

2025-07-09 green

Amsterdam, Wednesday, 9 July 2025.
In 2024, the World Food Forum focuses on uniting youth and stakeholders to tackle sustainability and food security, emphasizing innovation and partnership for resilient agrifood systems.

Emphasizing Innovation and Partnership

The World Food Forum (WFF) has announced its focal theme for 2024: ‘Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future,’ emphasizing collaboration across generations and sectors to innovate and transform global agrifood systems. This initiative, led by youth, seeks to involve stakeholders such as farmers, researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders to address the critical challenges faced by the agrifood sector, particularly in the realms of sustainability, food security, and climate response [1][2].

Global Context and Urgent Challenges

This focus on collaboration comes at a time when the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is celebrating its 80th anniversary, reflecting on historical achievements while addressing current and future challenges. Global agrifood systems today grapple with issues such as rising food insecurity, aggravated by climate extremes and socio-political instability. Recent data reveal that food insecurity among youth increased significantly, affecting millions, especially in low-income regions like sub-Saharan Africa [2][3].

Youth as Catalysts for Change

The FAO’s recent report underscores the pivotal role of the youth in driving the transformation of agrifood systems, noting that 85% of global youth live in low- and lower-middle-income countries, where their integration into agrifood industries could have profound economic impacts [2]. With 44% of young people employed in agrifood systems, initiatives such as the WFF are crucial in fostering this generational workforce to innovate and implement solutions that address food production and sustainability challenges [2].

The Path Forward for Sustainable Food Systems

As detailed by the WFF, the transformation of food systems hinges on the collective efforts of various stakeholders through trust, shared knowledge, and resources. The initiative champions a holistic approach by implementing the ‘Four Betters’: Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment, and a Better Life. Such frameworks aim to mobilize and equip young leaders with the necessary skills and opportunities to reshape food systems globally [1][5].

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sustainable innovation agrifood systems