Youth from the Asia-Pacific region are gearing up to make their voices heard and inspire action at the World Food Forum 2023 convened by FAO. The World Food Forum (WFF) is a youth-led movement and network to transform our agrifood systems that is committed to the theme: “Agrifood systems transformation accelerates climate action.” The WFF flagship event will take place from 16 to 20 October at the FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy and virtually.

The Asia-Pacific region, home to 0.7 billion young people between the age of 15 and 24 who are untapped reservoir of potential to accelerate agrifood system transformation and rural development through innovation.  FAO will galvanize the participation of young people in this region at the World Food Forum to build youth networks, showcase innovative climate actions, and facilitate youth engagement with financial institutions, development partners, and government. It will also support the creation of National Chapters, a self-sustained youth platform that echoes the principles of the WFF, thus orchestrating tangible changes in local and national agrifood systems.

Who can join?

Young people, youth groups and organizations, policymakers, government officials, academia, CSOs, development partners, private sector and other stakeholders are invited to join a series of virtual events mentioned below that are hosted by the FAO Regional Office, and country and liaison offices in the Asia and the Pacific region.

Asia-Pacific Regional WFF Events

• Agriculture and the Future of the Planet: Connecting Youth to Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)

Date: Tuesday, 16 October 2023
Time: 17.00-18.00 Tokyo | 10.00-11.00 Rome
Register: WFF 2023 Flagship Event (zoom.us)

This virtual event is organized by the FAO Liaison Office in Japan together with students from the Miyazaki Prefectural Gokase Secondary School and the Miyazaki Prefectural Takachiho High School to raise awareness on GIAHS and the need to preserve these ancient systems.

• Regional satellite event – Empower youth network, enrich food baskets: nourishing a sustainable food future in Asia and the Pacific

Date: Tuesday, 17 October 2023
Time: 13.00-14.00 Bangkok | 08.00-09.00 Rome
Register: WFF 2023 Flagship Event (zoom.us)

Organized by the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, this regional forum will focus on reaffirming the pivotal role of youth and youth networks in orchestrating the tangible transformation of the local and national agrifood systems. The session will also explore the forging of meaningful collaboration between youth networks and development partners with the aim of enabling long-term viability of youth networks while maximizing their impacts.

Moderated by:
Vikrant Srivastava, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of the Nisarg Foundation and Member of WFF Youth Action Board

Panelists:
–  Ghanshyam Bhattarai, Food Innovation Lead at Sarvaguna Foods and Kitchen, Nepal
–  Thinles Norboo, Founder of Ladakh Basket, India.
–  Dayeong Choi, President of SDGs Builders / 2023 Student Body Vice President, George Mason University, Republic of Korea

• Guardians of food security: youth

Date: Wednesday, 18 October 2023
Time: 14.00-16.00 Republic of Korea | 07:00-09:00 Rome
Register: WFF 2023 Flagship Event (zoom.us)

This session will recognize outstanding local youth initiatives from the Republic of Korea (ROK) that are helping to mobilize youth action for enhancing food security. Organized by the FAO Partnership and Liaison Office in ROK and the WFF National Chapter, the regional forum event will showcase youth changemakers who will present their pioneering work, receive expert feedback and explore cooperation opportunities. The session will conclude with the launching of the WFF National Chapter in ROK.

• Crops, Culture and Youth: A Path to Sustainable Development

Date: Wednesday, 18 October 2023
Time: 12:00-13:30 Rome
Register: WFF 2023 Flagship Event (zoom.us)

Organized by FAO Nepal this hybrid event taking place at FAO headquarters in Rome will raise awareness about neglected and underutilized crops and highlight the active engagement of youth in promotion of these crops globally.

• Green low-carbon agriculture hackathon

Date: Thursday, 19 October 2023
Time: 13:00-15.00 CST | 07:00-09:00 Rome
Register: WFF 2023 Flagship Event (zoom.us)

The 2023 youth hackathon is devoted to inspiring young people to contribute their wisdom to improve global food security by adopting innovative and inclusive methods. Organized by FAO China, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Young Professionals for Agriculture Development, this regional forum event will ignite the creativity and dynamism of young people in low-carbon agriculture and explore cutting-edge technologies and business models that support low-carbon agricultural development.

Exhibitions

• Exhibition on “Best of Bhutan in One Basket: A Gift from the Himalayas” showcasing unique mountain products organized by Bhutanese youth in collaboration with Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and FAO Bhutan.
• “Save the pigs! Play the educational game to prevent African swine fever!” a simulation game designed by SDGs Builders and G-nonymous of Gorge Mason University, Republic of Korea with support from FAO to raise awareness about African Swine Fever (ASF) and emphasize the importance of biosecurity.
•  Exhibition on Nepal’s Indigenous Crops and Traditional Food Culture, hosted by FAO Nepal.

This article is originally published in the FAO website.