Implementation of the GYAP

The World Food Forum (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 gaps, serving as an adaptable blueprint that amplifies youth voices and drives change at local, regional and global levels. The GYAP is implemented across all six regions of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Below are the latest milestones achieved under its regional priorities.

Africa

ToT: SACA project 2025 empowers youth in sustainable agriculture for climate adaptation

The Sustainable Agriculture for Climate Adaptation project (Feb–July 2025) was led by WFF Youth Policy Board members in Africa with the Eco Science Generation Initiative, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the International Secretariat for Water and the One Million Youth Actions Challenge (1MYAC). Piloted in Nigeria, it trained 350 youth and 50 teachers in climate education and sustainable agriculture, produced a practical handbook for young farmers and created peer-learning activities. Two school greenhouses were built as hands-on training hubs that will continue to support local food security. The project also pushed for stronger youth-focused agricultural programmes. Its next phase aims to expand to more schools, strengthen young farmer networks and deepen advocacy rooted in both modern skills and local agricultural knowledge.

Dialogue #1: AgriVoice Series: Pathways for youth inclusion in agrifood governance

On 11 September 2025, youth leaders and agrifood experts convened to advance African youth inclusion in agrifood governance. Speakers emphasized the need for meaningful youth ownership in decision-making, greater visibility of young agripreneurs, attention to mental health and stronger policy literacy and engagement at national and regional levels. Experiences from climate resilience initiatives and rural entrepreneurship highlighted both opportunities and structural barriers facing young people across the continent.

The dialogue brought together more than 400 participants and was complemented with a parallel call for input that generated nearly 700 recommendations. These contributions laid the groundwork for the next Agrivoice session and the development of a youth-driven press release on African youth participation in agrifood governance.

Europe and Central Asia

Capacity-building sessions on food loss

From September to November 2025, the WFF Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Agrifood Stakeholder Network delivered a three-part capacity-building series on food loss. The series brought together youth leaders and researchers from across the region to move from understanding food loss to designing youth-led solutions. The first module, “Understanding food loss in practice”, held on 29 September 2025 in observance of the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, focused on policy, research and private-sector perspectives. Tanja Dräger from Agora Agriculture highlighted European Union policy progress and emerging measurement tools, while Parviz Aliyev from the Azerbaijan Agricultural Economics Research Center discussed challenges related to storage, processing and pricing. Participants identified barriers including infrastructure gaps, aesthetic standards, supply chain coordination and climate impacts, and proposed solutions such as improved storage, digital monitoring, youth awareness campaigns and stronger support for smallholders.

The second module, “Innovative youth-led interventions”, took place on 20 October 2025, and showcased practical solutions led by young researchers and practitioners. Speakers included Lynda McDonald, a farm resilience researcher; Grace Louise Tulysewski of the University of Adelaide; Pierpaolo Broghelli of LUISS University; Zarangezkhon Makhmudova, a youth farmer from Tajikistan; and Raymond Yan of Penn State University, who highlighted approaches combining technology, ancestral knowledge and cross-regional collaboration. These exchanges contributed to the development of the ECA Youth Innovation Toolkit on Food Loss.

The final module, “From loss to action,” held on 10 November 2025, shifted the focus to implementation. Youth participants co-designed practical mini-projects to address local food loss challenges and explore policy engagement pathways. Hans Hoogeveen, the former Independent Chairperson of the FAO Council, emphasized youth as active change agents, while Héctor Barco Cobalea from the FOLOU project highlighted the importance of harmonized measurement and governance. The series concluded with a certification announcement, marking a milestone in the regional implementation of the GYAP and demonstrating how youth-led collaboration can translate knowledge into action.

North America

Youth tackle food waste (Part 3): Solutions for food recycling

On 10 November, youth leaders and experts gathered for the third Food Waste Panel session, focusing on food recycling and the growing role of composting in sustainable waste management. Lauren Clic from Let’s Go Compost highlighted composting’s impact on methane reduction and soil restoration, while Katya Forsyth from the Association of Compost Producers stressed its value for rebuilding soils across sectors. Youth leadership featured prominently, with Shrusti Amula from Rise N Shine Foundation showcasing school-based composting initiatives and Professor Edward Jaenicke from Penn State University outlining household waste trends and gaps in local recycling infrastructure. The session encouraged youth to scale school composting, support food-rescue efforts and partner with local businesses, using tools like ReFed’s data platforms and food-donation apps.