2025 World Food Forum Global Youth Action Initiative: Hand in Hand for better foods and a better future

Now in its fifth year, the World Food Forum (WFF)’s Global Youth Action Initiative (Youth Initiative) continues to grow as a global movement powered by the passion, energy and ideas of young people around the world. On 17 April 2025, the WFF Youth Initiative officially launched its 2025 cycle with a dynamic event that brought together young leaders, partners and changemakers from all over the world.

In her opening remarks, Mietani Chauke, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Zimbabwe to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), underlined the urgency of empowering youth in decision-making spaces. She encouraged young people to take ownership of their role in building more inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, and urged them to see agriculture as a viable and rewarding career path. She further highlighted that the future of food and the planet rests in the hands of youth.

The event continued with the WFF Youth Initiative programmes – Youth Assembly, Youth Innovation Lab, Youth Education Programme, Youth Culture Programme and Local Youth Action, sharing their upcoming projects, activities and opportunities for youth engagement throughout the year. From global consultations and hands-on innovation labs to film festivals and establishing new National Youth Chapters, the 2025 cycle of the WFF Youth Initiative promises to be the most ambitious yet.

The theme - Hand in Hand for better foods and a better future - reflects the importance of working across regions, sectors and generations to drive transformative action. Participants also took part in a live Q&A, raising questions and ideas that showed the breadth of global interest in joining the WFF Youth Initiative.

All of these efforts will culminate at the 2025 WFF flagship event from 10 to17 October at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy and online. This launch marks the beginning of a bold new chapter - one grounded in youth leadership, innovation and collective action. The momentum is growing towards a better food future.

Get involved today.