On 31 August and 1 September 2022, IFOAM Organics Europe, FiBL and Bio Suisse hosted the 1st edition of the Organics Europe Youth Event (OEYE). The event aimed to create a platform for young agents interested and active in the organic sector to network, discuss and develop knowledge and awareness on organic amongst youth.

Organic and youth met at the OEYE

Young farmers, entrepreneurs, start-ups, students, and interested actors from the value chain gathered at the Research Institute of FiBL‘s headquarters in Frick, Switzerland, on the occasion of the first OEYE. The two days in which the event took place was composed of inspiring speakers and empowering interactions. These interactions provided a platform to discuss and learn about the potential and challenges of organic production and its role as a sustainable food system.

The first day welcomed the participants and offered the first moderated panel discussion that revolved around the role of market actors, politics and youth. The expert panellists from the European organic sector (Landwirtschaft mit Zukunft, Bioland, FNAB, Coop, Kündig Group) discussed transformation steps for sustainable food systems and the role of organic and youth within this development. The session was followed by another one, ‘Creating ideas for the future food system’, that focused on developing solutions and discussing our contributions to tackling the problems associated with food systems.