Implementation of the GYAP in Europe and Central Asia: Agrifood Stakeholder Network digital roundtable

The WFF Global Youth Action Plan (GYAP) 2025–2026 is a youth-led roadmap to transform agrifood systems, built through consultations with over 2 600 young people worldwide. It identifies region-specific challenges, policy priorities and concrete actions, combining capacity development, policy advocacy and partnerships. Grounded in innovation, sustainability and ancestral knowledge, the GYAP sets two actionable items per region to address pressing policy gaps, serving as an adaptable blueprint that amplifies youth voices and drives change at local, regional and global levels.

In the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region, the policy priority focuses on increasing youth involvement across agrifood supply chains by fostering local collaborations to reduce food loss and strengthen rural development initiatives. This priority reflects regional consultations in 2023–2024, which emphasized the need for practical education, intergenerational collaboration and knowledge-sharing hubs to equip young farmers and professionals with tools to minimize post-harvest losses. The focus is on two actionable items: enhancing knowledge and awareness on food loss in Western Europe and championing youth voices in rural communities in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Digital roundtable: Launch of the Stakeholder Network

On 15 September, youth leaders and experts from across the region convened for the inaugural meeting of the ECA Stakeholder Network, a new multi-stakeholder platform bringing together 30 founding members from youth organisations, academia, civil society, Indigenous communities, governments and the private sector. The session welcomed members, introduced the network’s vision and facilitated interactive exchanges using polls and open discussions to co-define key challenges.

Participants highlighted systemic barriers, including gender inequality, limited access to finance and mentorship, misinformation, weak market linkages and the erosion of traditional knowledge. Gaps in education and intergenerational collaboration were also identified as key obstacles to youth participation in agrifood systems.

Speakers emphasised the potential of the Stakeholder Network to provide concrete support through partnerships, capacity-building and policy engagement. They noted that fostering intergenerational dialogue can help reduce food loss, while knowledge-sharing hubs can enable young farmers to innovate while preserving local traditions.

Looking ahead, the Stakeholder Network will amplify regional youth voices in global agrifood systems dialogues and serve as a practical platform to implement the GYAP priority on food loss reduction. Future sessions will focus on solutions for food storage, distribution and rural youth engagement, contributing to a youth-friendly toolkit of strategies for resilient agrifood systems in Europe and Central Asia.