WFF Youth Initiative at N4G Summit: Promoting Indigenous agrifood systems for climate action

On 26 March 2025, the non-governmental organizations Global Citizen, Act4Food and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), in collaboration with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, hosted the event “Traditional Roots of Resilience” as part of the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit in Paris. The event highlighted the importance of traditional knowledge and cultural practices in building resilient agrifood systems. Representing the World Food Forum (WFF)’s Young Scientists Group (YSG), Ana Luiza Domingos contributed valuable youth perspectives and insights, underscoring the critical role of young scientists in shaping sustainable nutrition strategies.

This interactive event highlighted the contributions of youth to Indigenous and traditional agrifood systems, showcasing how young leaders are driving positive change in nutrition. Discussions centered on the vital role of youth in enhancing the adaptive capacity of communities through approaches that are just, sustainable and culturally respectful, reinforcing the importance of intergenerational knowledge and youth-led innovation in transforming agrifood systems. Additionally, strategies to keep nutrition and agriculture funding on the global agenda were also highlighted, with a focus on Indigenous and traditional agrifood systems.

The session opened with an address by Nikola Ivezaj of Global Citizen, who underscored the critical importance of investing in nutrition as a foundation for resilient communities. The vibrant discussions that followed featured a blend of expert insights and youth-led dialogues, aimed at inspiring concrete action and amplifying the role of young people in shaping sustainable, nutrition-focused agrifood systems.

The first segment included an insightful presentation by Dan Saladino, journalist and author of Eating to Extinction, who spoke on the critical value of Indigenous knowledge and the importance of preserving agrobiodiversity as a cornerstone of resilient agrifood systems.

This was followed by a high-level panel discussion featuring Luiz de Andrade Filho, Head of the Climate & Environment Department at the Embassy of Brazil and representative of the COP30 Presidency; Nancy Aburto, Deputy Director of the Food and Nutrition Division at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); and Chef Christian Abégan, champion of the Chef’s Manifesto, a chef-led initiative advancing sustainable food systems. The panel underscored the need for collective action, holistic approaches, and improved financing and evidence-based monitoring to effectively scale Indigenous and traditional agrifood systems.

The conversation then transitioned into a youth-led panel and workshop curated by Jeffrey Opoku from Act4Food, featuring Karen Salazar, Gbemisola Victoria Akinloye, and Ana Luiza Domingos, WFF YSG. The discussion emphasized the importance of including youth in dialogues on Indigenous agrifood systems, climate change and nutrition. Panelists addressed the impacts of climate change, food insecurity and rising food prices on young people’s diets, while also highlighting regional success stories involving the integration of Indigenous food practices. Ana Luiza particularly stressed the need for diverse and inclusive youth representation in shaping agrifood systems solutions.

The event concluded by reaffirming that biodiversity, resilience, cultural identity, nutrition, food security and health lie at the heart of Indigenous and traditional agrifood systems. Participants collectively called for bold, actionable commitments from all stakeholders and emphasized the urgency of scaling and financing Indigenous agrifood systems as a key pathway toward a just, inclusive and sustainable future—building momentum in the lead-up to COP30.