WFF National Youth Chapters from Colombia, Nepal and Peru contribute to ICARRD+20 discussions on agrarian reform and youth participation

From 24 to 28 February 2026, members of the World Food Forum (WFF) National Youth Chapters from Colombia, Nepal and Peru participated in the second International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ICARRD+20), held in Cartagena, Colombia.

The conference brought together governments, civil society and youth representatives to assess progress and set priorities on agrarian reform and rural development, addressing long-standing structural challenges related to land, governance and agrifood systems, while exploring pathways for more inclusive and sustainable rural development. Throughout the week, youth representatives engaged in multiple spaces across the conference, contributing perspectives on youth leadership, agrarian reform and inclusive rural development within broader discussions on land governance and rural transformation.

A central moment of engagement was the panel “Sowing the seeds of the future: Rural youth transforming agrifood systems”, held on 25 February, where WFF Youth Chapter members served as panellists alongside high-level speakers including H. E. Martha Viviana Carvajalino Villegas, Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development of Colombia and President of ICARRD+20 and Agustín Zimmermann, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Representative in Colombia.

Organized by the FAO Country Office in Colombia in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Colombia, the session brought together youth leaders, policymakers and practitioners, reinforcing a key message: rural youth are not peripheral actors in agrifood systems, but central to their transformation.

WFF Youth Chapter members shared the challenges they face. Erika Perea from the WFF Colombia Youth Chapter highlighted food sovereignty as a pathway to territorial development and peace, calling for participation mechanisms that ensure youth have real influence in decision-making processes. Josué Ángel Gutiérrez Cuéllar from the WFF Peru Youth Chapter emphasized the importance of strengthening youth-led innovation through initiatives such as the Youth Food Lab, including the one recently launched in Peru, while stressing that the key challenge lies in implementing existing policies rather than creating new ones. Pragya Devkota from the WFF Nepal Youth Chapter underscored the need to connect traditional knowledge with modern tools and address the structural lack of opportunities that continues to drive rural youth migration.

Beyond the panel, WFF Youth Chapter members also contributed to key moments of the conference, including a youth-led side event on governance and a youth dialogue that focused on strengthening youth participation in global policy processes. These engagements brought together youth networks to exchange experiences, discuss governance challenges and contribute to joint outcomes, including a statement calling for stronger and more meaningful youth participation in agrarian reform processes. They also helped strengthen collaboration across youth networks and identify shared priorities.

Following the conference, the WFF Youth Chapters reflected on how ICARRD+20 could inform their work at the national level. The WFF Colombia Youth Chapter emphasized the value of the conference as a space to connect with other Chapters and learn from their experiences, helping to shape its priorities and approach. The WFF Nepal Youth Chapter emphasized land governance as a critical issue, noting that access to land remains largely structured in ways that limit youth access to opportunities, while reinforcing the need to strengthen youth awareness of how land systems shape broader agrifood challenges. The WFF Peru Youth Chapter, pointed to discussions on governance, education and youth-led innovation, while highlighting shared challenges such as barriers to meaningful participation and the need to create conditions for rural youth to remain and thrive in their communities.

ICARRD+20 provided a key moment for the WFF Youth Chapters to strengthen connections, engage with national stakeholders and position themselves within broader agrarian reform discussions. By building on these exchanges, the Chapters are now better placed to carry forward the momentum of the conference, translating global discussions on land governance, youth participation and agrarian reform into concrete action at national level, and continuing to strengthen their role as platforms connecting global agendas with national action and advancing youth participation in agrifood systems.