Youth Food Lab North America: WFF and Penn State University join efforts to advance youth-led innovation

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Penn State University have signed a cooperation agreement which will enhance their collaboration on establishing Youth Food Lab North America at Penn State to support young innovators. The agreement was signed by FAO Chief Economist Máximo Torero Cullen and Penn State's Assistant Treasurer Kimberly J. Fisher.

The signing of the cooperation agreement followed Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences’ participation in the intergenerational side event organized by World Food Forum (WFF)’s Global Youth Action Initiative (Youth Initiative) in the framework of the 10th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum) at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York.

Launched in 2023, the WFF Youth Food Lab (YFL) empowers youth to drive progress towards ending hunger and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The collaboration between the WFF Youth Initiative and Penn State marks a key step in expanding the reach and impact of the Youth Food Lab. By hosting a YFL in North America, Penn State is helping create a dynamic space where young innovators can turn bold ideas into tangible solutions for agrifood systems transformation.  Further, by connecting the Lab to the rest of the WFF’s YFL and innovation network, young entrepreneurs from around the world will be able to leverage and benefit from the expertise and resources of Penn State.

Following the STI Forum, Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences welcomed a delegation from the WFF Youth Initiative to the University Park campus. During the visit, the group met with Troy Ott, Dean of the College, as well as professors and student thought leaders. They also toured several campus sites showcasing Penn State’s capacity to support young innovators.

Maria Spencer, Assistant Clinical Professor and the John and Patty Warehime Entrepreneur in Residence, and who has been leading the collaboration between WFF Youth Initiative and Penn State noted that in addition to YFL programming for young entrepreneurs, the University is sponsoring two new WFF Academic Delegation cohorts in collaboration with the WFF Youth Assembly. “This collaboration connects our students to a global conversation and provides engagement opportunities not only for innovators, but also for students interested in research, policy and the diffusion of innovation”, said Spencer.

The visit was followed by the official signing of the collaboration agreement between FAO and the College of Agricultural Sciences for the WFF Youth Food Lab North America at Penn State.  According to the agreement Penn State will host activities related to the Youth Food Lab initiative as part of the WFF YFL programme.

The global YFL network, now comprising five Labs across Europe, Asia and South America, engages young innovation leaders in addressing global and local challenges related to agrifood systems. Penn State’s Youth Food Lab will contribute innovation-focused programming to this network, enhancing the visibility and accessibility of YFL resources for emerging innovators around the world.

As part of the initiative, Penn State is planning to provide mentoring and entrepreneurial education to young innovators from across North America. Penn State will also engage industry partners to help identify relevant innovation challenges and to help mentor innovators.

The collaboration will also prioritize building the capacity of educators in agrifood systems through dedicated professional development initiatives. At the core of this effort will be the creation of training programmes and a digital community of practice. In this context, Penn State’s Global Teach Ag Network and FAO will work together to co-develop and implement these educator-focused initiatives.