Global Youth Hackathon on Food Waste: empowering youth to innovate for a sustainable future

On 30 July 2024, the Global Youth Hackathon on Food Waste, hosted by the World Food Forum (WFF) and KidsforSDGs, gathered bright young minds from across the globe to address a critical issue: food waste. The event was designed to inspire and empower young people to propose creative, community-focused solutions to minimize food waste.

The hackathon day was the culmination of multiple stages. From hundreds of proposals submitted by individuals and teams aged 18 to 35, 15 were selected to participate. These participants were paired with mentors who provided guidance through online sessions, with the goal of supporting the development of their solutions and preparing them for the hackathon.

During the hackathon, participants showcased their projects to a panel of expert judges, receiving live feedback to improve their ideas. Following this, participants could resubmit their proposals and the judges selected the top five projects to advance to the final stage in October during the WFF flagship event.

The finalists will travel to Rome for the hybrid live pitch presentations at the 2024 WFF flagship event. There, they will compete for cash prizes ranging from USD 500 to USD 3 500, helping them turn their innovative concepts into reality.

The finalists are:

• Getachew Worku Alebachew and Esubalew Muluneh Medmim (Near East and North Africa) with the project named "From Fillet to Broth: Transforming Fish Waste into Nutritious Soup".
• Marjan Lotfi Fard, Zahra Lotfifard and Ian Anthony Wijono (Asia and the Pacific) with the project named "Carbon Dragon".
• Nicholas Kofi Adegbe, Martin Lutherking Aduko and Afloe Emmanuel (Africa) with the project named "Brown Technology".
• Shatha Awni Abu Al Nadi, Esraa ALhaj and Roa'a Abu shaqrah (Near East and North Africa) with the project named "EcoPet Cuisine".
• Suraj Chaudhary (Asia and the Pacific) the project named "Green Weddings – Transforming Indian Traditions for a Sustainable Future".

The hackathon day featured an esteemed panel of judges, composed of:

• Sharon Gil: Programme Management Officer and Cities Lead at the UN Environment Programme, specializing in sustainable urban food systems and nature-based solutions in cities.
• Kim van Seeters: Senior policy officer at the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security, and Nature, with extensive experience in multilateral negotiations on food security and biodiversity.
• Dr. Alexandros Stratakos: Associate Professor at the University of the West of England, focusing on innovative technologies to enhance the sustainability of the food supply chain.
• Antonia Andúgar Miñarro: Project Leader in the Green Growth Unit of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, leading projects on solid waste management and food loss reduction.

The WFF and KidsforSDGs extend heartfelt thanks to the judges who supported this initiative.  With their feedback, participants were able to advance their ideas, focusing on feasible and scalable solutions to fight food waste.

The Global Youth Hackathon on Food Waste aims to showcase the power of youth-led innovation in tackling food waste. By providing young people with mentorship, resources and a platform to showcase their initiatives and connect with key actors, we aim to support the cultivation of a new generation of leaders committed to sustainability and food security.