Impact film screening marks the launch of the WFF Albania Youth Chapter

On 16 June, the Agricultural University of Tirana (AUT) hosted the official launch of the World Food Forum (WFF) Albania Youth Chapter. The event featured a screening of the 2025 WFF film festival finalist, "The Harvest” (La Cosecha), followed by discussions on engaging youth in agrifood systems. Organized by the Chapter, the event brought together representatives from academia, government institutions, civil society organizations, farmers and international partners to discuss the future of Albania's climate resilient agriculture and the role of young people in leading agrifood systems transformation.

The event opened with remarks from key institutional and youth representatives who emphasized the importance of empowering young people as active contributors to the transformation of agrifood systems and highlighted the value of collaboration between institutions, academia, civil society and youth-led organizations.

At the center of the event was the screening of The Harvest, directed by Laura Molina Boada. The film tells the story of Nina and Maria, a mother and a daughter navigating the challenges of family farming while confronting market barriers and social inequalities. The screening was organized in recognition of the International Year of the Women Farmer. Participants identified parallels between the experiences depicted on screen and the challenges faced by small-scale farmers in the country, the effects of globalization on local agriculture production and the often-overlooked role of women in farming communities.

Building on these exchanges, participants took part in an interactive workshop organized around thematic groups exploring key issues affecting the country's agrifood systems. The groups reflected on common challenges and identified opportunities for future action and collaboration.

A recurring theme was the need to make agriculture more attractive to younger generations. While agriculture remains essential to the country's economy and cultural identity, many young people perceive it as a difficult and unrewarding career path. Participants emphasized that innovation and technology could help reposition agriculture as a sector of opportunity and entrepreneurship.

Education and climate change also emerged as key topics. Discussions highlighted concerns about the loss of local plants, the growing impact of extreme weather events and the environmental cost of food waste, reinforcing the importance of building more resilient agrifood systems capable of adapting to future challenges.

The event also created opportunities for future collaboration. Among the outcomes was the Ministry of Agriculture’s interest in strengthening engagement with the Chapter, including through partnerships with vocational education and training (VET) institutions and the organization of additional WFF impact screenings across the country. These initiatives aim to use storytelling as a tool to engage young people in conversations on agriculture, sustainability and agrifood systems.

The launch of the Chapter marked an important step in expanding youth engagement in agrifood systems in Albania. Through film, dialogue and collaboration, the event demonstrated the potential of storytelling to foster exchange, strengthen partnerships and encourage young people to play an active role in shaping the future of food and agriculture.