2024 engagements

In the buildup to the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) in Azerbaijan, the Youth Assembly met twice at the WFF flagship event to discuss climate action in agrifood systems with partners including the YOUNGO Food and Agriculture working group, International Association of Students in Agriculture and Related Sciences, Act4Food, YARN and the World Animal Protection. The first session served to build capacities and covered topics including the Global Goal on Adaptation and the FAST Partnership. This set the tone for the second session where participants discussed the agrifood systems dimension to the forementioned topics, discussing recommendations which ultimately fed into YOUNGO’s COP30 Global Youth Statement.

Key youth priorities that emerged from these engagements included:

• enabling full, effective and meaningful engagement of youth in shaping the Just Transition to climate-resilient agricultural communities;
• reducing political, financial, social and technological barriers to enable farmers to lead agrifood systems transformation and be represented in multilateral, national and sub-national environmental agreements;
• increasing the use of agroecological practices, including those rooted in Indigenous knowledge, to maximize co-benefits of mitigation and adaptation;
• prioritizing technological innovation, financial support and knowledge transfer to achieve climate resilience in agrifood systems;
• promoting financial packages that combine funding with technical resources such as mentorship, training and access to infrastructure to support youth-led innovation; and
• engaging with the Harmoniya Initiative to ensure alignment and continuity across COP Presidencies, emphasizing the need for farmers to be included in digital transformation to address food security challenges.

At COP29, WFF Youth Policy Board (YPB) members engaged across various thematic areas – from forestry to sustainable water management.  The YPB also made use of the platform to highlight the Global Youth Action Plan 2025–2026, with a focus on building partnerships to support the implementation phase of this two-year roadmap. The WFF Youth Initiative was also pleased to return as a Youth Co-Host of the Action on Food Hub.

Tentative 2025 engagements

For 2025, the WFF Youth Assembly will focus on shaping discussions at the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies meeting and COP30. Given that NDC 3.0 is a key priority this year at COP30, the Youth Assembly will develop guidance on the meaningful integration of youth and agrifood systems into national NDCs. This will ensure that youth-led solutions are recognized in climate policy and action.

Through engaging with YOUNGO and various partner organizations, further topics that relate to climate-resilient agrifood systems will also be discussed, with advocacy materials prepared ahead of intergovernmental processes. It is anticipated that the 2025 WFF Flagship event can also mark a significant youth positioning and strategizing moment ahead of COP30 through meetings, events and networking.