From Rome to Baku! The WFF Youth Assembly goes to COP29

The year 2024 presents a unique opportunity in global multilateral processes with three Conference of the Parties (COP) taking place – COP16 on biodiversity in Colombia, COP29 on climate change in Azerbaijan and COP16 on desertification in Saudi Arabia. Recognizing the essential role that youth play in co-creating agrifood systems solutions to these pressing interlinked challenges – the World Food Forum's (WFF) Youth Assembly gathered to discuss all three thematic areas during the WFF flagship event held in October.

More specifically, in preparation for COP29 – the Youth Assembly came together twice during the flagship event to discuss climate action in agrifood systems with the YOUNGO Food and Agriculture working group, the International Association of Students in Agriculture and Related Sciences (IAAS), Act4Food, YARN and the World Animal Protection. The first Assembly meeting served as a capacity-strengthening session – with presentations on the negotiation processes, the Global Goal on Adaptation, the Just Transition work programme, the FAST partnership and the YOUNGO Food & Agriculture demands from COP27 – 29.

This set the tone for the second Youth Assembly session, where participants explored four critical topics identified by the WFF's Youth Policy Board (YPB) as priorities for COP29 – namely Just Transition, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Climate Finance and the Baku Harmoniya Climate Initiative for Farmers. With keynote remarks from Kaveh Zahedi and David Laborde, respectively Director of the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment and Director of the Agriculture Economics Division at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) – the session fostered meaningful intergenerational dialogue on the urgent need for agrifood systems transformation.

What were the outcomes?

The Youth Assembly's outcomes will guide the advocacy efforts of the WFF's YPB and partner organizations at the upcoming COP29 – they will be presented at the Children and Youth Pavilion and during interventions on Food, Agriculture and Water Day to be held on 19 November.

The Youth Assembly calls for:

• Full, effective and meaningful engagement of youth in shaping the Just Transition to climate-resilient agricultural communities, adopting a systems approach that fosters equity and encourages intergenerational communication and cooperation.
• Reduction in political, financial, social and technological barriers to enable farmers to lead agrifood systems transformation and be represented in multilateral, national and sub-national environmental agreements.
• Increase in the use of agroecological practices, including those rooted in Indigenous knowledge, to maximize co-benefits of mitigation and adaptation.
• Prioritization of technological innovation, financial support and knowledge transfer to achieve climate resilience in agrifood systems.
• Promotion of financial packages that combine funding with technical resources such as mentorship, training and access to infrastructure to support youth-led innovation.
• Active engagement with the Harmoniya Initiative to ensure alignment and continuity across COP Presidencies, emphasizing the need for farmers to be included in digital transformation to address food security challenges.

Beyond the ‘Road to COP29’ thematic Youth Assembly sessions

The outcomes of the other WFF thematic Youth Assembly sessions, ranging from forestry to One Health and antimicrobial resistance, will also be shared with stakeholders at COP29 – further ensuring that the voice of youth is heard in relevant policymaking spaces.

At the Water for Climate Pavilion, where FAO is a key partner, the ‘Youth Declaration on Water Scarcity in Agriculture (WASAG)’, recently presented at the High-Level Meeting on WASAG – will be discussed in a high-level side event on sustainable water management.

The Global Youth Action Plan 2025-2026, developed by the WFF YPB will also be presented at COP29, with a focus on building partnerships to support the implementation phase of this two-year roadmap.

Finally, the WFF will also return as a Youth Co-Host of the Action on Food Hub, facilitating multistakeholder engagement amongst youth organizations who are following the negotiation processes.