Meet the Youth Policy Board Selection Committee

In February 2023, the World Food Forum (WFF) launched a call for new members to join the WFF Youth Policy Board (YPB), where a total of 940 applications were received from around the world. The YPB, previously known as the Focal Points Group, acts as a “by youth and for youth” body that guides the strategic direction of the WFF Youth Action track.

Building on the outputs of the years before, on behalf of the WFF, the YPB will be tasked with supporting the drafting and promotion of various youth policy positions on food and agriculture topics, coordinating international and regional activities to further empower and build capacity for young people in this space, as well as leading this year’s Youth Action Assembly during the 2023 WFF flagship event, held from 16-20 October, at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy.

To ensure that the YPB is by youth, for youth, the WFF reached out to its partners to nominate representatives that helped select the next generation of youth policy leaders.

The WFF would like to extend its gratitude to the 17 members of the voluntary Tier 1 Selection Committee that helped shortlist applications for the YPB.

Selection Committee

1. Xavier Michel, FAO & WFF Liaison Officer for IAAS
   
2. Elson Mungani, Generation Connect Youth Envoy
   
3. Camila Baello, Generation Connect Youth Envoy  
   
4. Ann Maina, WFF YPB Alumni
   
5. Ahimbisibwe Michael, Board Chair Real Food Systems
   
6. Maria Delgado, External Relations, IAAS Americas
   
7. Christopher Sawyer Bateman, National Director of IAAS USA
   
8. Chrispin Sanga, WFF Tanzania Chapter Co-lead
   
9. Jason Cohen, Co-Founder, KIDsforSDGs
   
10. Mohamed Amine Berriche, Generation Connect Youth Envoy
    
11. Vanessa Garcia Polanco, Policy Campaigns Co-Director, National Young Farmers Coalition
    
12. Jackson Buzingo, CSO's Senior Representative, GACSA Strategic Committee
    
13. Mahnoor Akbar, Diplomatic Liaison Officer, Headway Institute of Strategic Alliance.
    
14. Kinza Tahir, Member - Advisory Council Headway Institute of Strategic Alliance
    
15. Nathan Bain, Head of Innovation, KIDS4SDGs
    
16. Noman Asghar, Creative Director to Headway Institute of Strategic Alliance
    
17. Rizka Afif, Head of the WFF Sub-Commission, IFSA

The second Youth Policy Board cohort was officially announced on 27 April through a side event  at the 172nd Session of the FAO Council, in support of the ECOSOC Youth Forum.