The Power of Youth In Shaping Sustainable Food Systems

Young people have a clear agenda for shaping a healthier, more equitable and sustainable food system and are taking action, despite being excluded in most decision-making arenas. Youth should not be defined solely by their age. As the next generation, they represent a key demographic: not only as people with specific nutritional needs, but also as energetic, passionate changemakers driving transformation across diverse sectors of the food system, including employment and consumption.

Young people already possess the agency to drive effective, collaborative efforts to transform food systems — and this potential can be increased with the right support and platforms that enable collaboration between different groups and generations. There are a growing number of examples of youth-focused initiatives that demonstrate the importance of collaboration to achieve meaningful food system transformation.