Youth Assembly consultation: Driving global collaboration on bioeconomy

On 30 July, the World Food Forum (WFF)’s Youth Assembly hosted a Thematic Youth Assembly consultation on bioeconomy. The virtual consultation brought together over 140 young leaders, students, professionals and community advocates from across the globe to exchange perspectives and shape the ideation of a Global Multistakeholder Bioeconomy Partnership. The consultation was organized with the technical guidance from the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Lev Neretin, Senior Natural Resources Officer at FAO, opened the session with an overview of the proposed Global Multistakeholder Bioeconomy Partnership and ongoing regional consultations conducted to collect inputs from relevant stakeholders. He introduced the concept of bioeconomy, outlined FAO’s related work and highlighted recent global developments in the field. Neretin emphasized the critical role of youth engagement and called on participants to actively contribute to shaping inclusive and sustainable pathways for bioeconomy.

Participants discussed gaps and opportunities in bioeconomy governance, policies and practices that the partnership should prioritize. They explored the support and resources needed to empower youth, the factors encouraging their active membership and the potential of the WFF Youth Assembly in maximizing youth impact.

The consultation outcomes reflected a call for greater awareness and education on bioeconomy, more inclusive governance structures, targeted skills training and improved access to resources and funding for youth-led initiatives. Participants also highlighted the importance of valuing Indigenous knowledge and ensuring meaningful representation of marginalized groups. Region-specific perspectives underscored the diverse challenges and opportunities, reinforcing the need for a truly global, collaborative approach.

The insights from this consultation will guide the development of collaboration pathways for diverse stakeholders in bioeconomy, as well as shape a youth statement to be presented at the 2025 WFF flagship event, where youth recommendations will be shared with a broad audience of stakeholders, policymakers and youth representatives.