Implementation of the GYAP in the Near East and North Africa: Insights from the #YouthLead Dialogue

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.

The Youth Policy Board (YPB) from the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region organized a #YouthLead Dialogue as part of the United Nations Youth Office’s global initiative leading to the #YouthLead Festival and the 30th anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY). The event brought together over 100 young people from across the region to share experiences, perspectives and solutions, with a focus on improving life and work conditions for rural communities, particularly women and marginalized groups in agrifood systems.

The dialogue contributed to the regional policy priority in the GYAP, ensuring that the voices of youth, women and rural communities are reflected in global discussions on sustainable agrifood systems. Its objectives included providing youth a platform to highlight priorities on agrifood systems, climate justice and rural livelihoods, identifying barriers that limit engagement in agriculture, collecting actionable recommendations for the GYAP and promoting intergenerational collaboration by showcasing youth-led innovations.

Participants raised key priorities such as improving agricultural infrastructure and water management, supporting local production and fair markets, increasing youth inclusion in policy and entrepreneurship, advancing climate adaptation through regenerative practices and renewable energy, promoting digital tools and innovation, and strengthening social and climate justice.

Participants also highlighted systemic barriers, including discriminatory land and resource laws, limited access to credit and finance, cultural norms that undervalue young people and women, exclusion from decision-making processes, weak infrastructure, gaps in sustainable agriculture education and resistance to innovation from traditional structures.

Despite these challenges, youth envisioned a future where agriculture is green, climate-resilient, inclusive and dignified. In this vision, women and youth have equitable access to land, water and finance, local agrifood systems are strengthened and agriculture is recognized as a respected and profitable career path. Youth leadership, innovation and intergenerational collaboration were seen as critical drivers of systemic transformation.

The dialogue also showcased promising practices already emerging in the region, such as regenerative agriculture and water-harvesting projects, urban farming models addressing food security, community cooperatives, digital tools for pest management and climate monitoring, and initiatives reducing food waste and producing biofertilizers.

Reflections emphasized that youth are actively leading change. Equitable access to resources, sustainability and climate resilience are central to agrifood systems transformation, while mentorship, capacity-building, financial and institutional support are crucial to scale youth-led innovations. Policy reform, cultural change and stronger value chains remain key for long-term impact.

Looking ahead, the YPB members from NENA are committed to sustaining regional youth platforms for advocacy and knowledge sharing, promoting policy reforms on land, finance and inclusion, working with international organizations and partners to establish training hubs and digital platforms and partnering with promising youth-led initiatives.