Global Summit in Lyon spotlights youth leadership in One Health

From 6 to 7 April 2026, the World Food Forum (WFF) Global Youth Action Initiative (Youth Initiative) along with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), participated in the One Health Summit in Lyon, France. The event convened Heads of State and government, alongside representatives from the public and private sectors, international and regional organizations, academia, civil society and youth.

FAO’s engagement emphasized the importance of a One Health approach within agrifood systems transformation to safeguard the health of people, animals, plants and the environment, with a strong focus on empowering youth in this space.

During the Summit, the FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu announced a set of key initiatives to strengthen youth engagement in One Health. These include the launch of the first global youth-led platform on One Health in Agrifood Systems to foster collaboration, knowledge exchange and youth-led action, and the organization of a Global Youth Forum during the FAO Global Conference for Actions on One Health in Agrifood Systems in September 2026. The Director-General also announced the launch of the 2026 WFF Transformative Research Challenge Prize on One Health. Together, these initiatives aim to enhance youth participation and leadership in driving transformative change in One Health.

A key moment of the Summit was the session “Youth calls on the world: One Planet, One Health, One Generation in Action”, organized by the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) in collaboration with FAO, the WFF Youth Initiative and partners. The session brought together young leaders, experts and policymakers, including representatives from the WFF Young Scientists Group and the WFF France Youth Chapter. Discussions highlighted the vital role of youth in advancing science-based, inclusive solutions and reinforced the need to put agrifood systems at the center of the discussion. Additionally, youth called out for stronger cross-sectoral collaboration and greater recognition in decision-making.

Throughout the Summit, FAO supported youth participation across multiple sessions, ensuring their perspectives were reflected in both discussions and outcomes. Exchanges highlighted the strong engagement of young people contributing to One Health through research, innovation and community action, while also underscoring the need for increased inclusion in policy-making processes to enable their full participation in driving transformative change.

Building on the Summit’s outcomes, FAO will continue working with partners to advance these initiatives and further strengthen youth collaboration and leadership in One Health across agrifood systems.