Next generation sequencing for food safety: Youth voices shaping the future through a global FAO workshop

Instead of a traditional workshop, imagine a room full of early career scientists, regulators and innovators working side by side to solve a real food safety challenge using whole genome sequencing (WGS). In June 2025, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) brought together young professionals from around the world in Rome for a youth focused global event on next generation sequencing. The insights, ideas and practical solutions that emerged are captured in the workshop report, "Next generation sequencing for food safety innovation."

The report retraces the trajectory of 21 young participants and 8 facilitators, coming together from 13 different countries to explore practical applications of WGS in food safety. Through a real-world scenario-based pitch activity and interactive training sessions, the group strengthened their foundational WGS and bioinformatics knowledge and built strong momentum for broader global implementation for food safety management.

The publication also introduces the Next Generation (Sequencing) Informal Group (NGIG), an initiative unanimously supported during the workshop to establish a dynamic and youth-driven online network. The NGIG continues to welcome more members interested in joining this international community. To join, simply complete the form here: https://forms.office.com/e/0RXcazknWA.

More than a summary of proceedings, the publication reflects the interactive spirit of the event, highlighting key takeaways, shared perspectives, and long-term benefits. As readers move through the report, they experience how participants engaged with multisectoral dimensions of WGS for food safety and the recognition of their own role in advancing WGS and bioinformatics-driven food safety system transformation.

"It will be the younger generations who stand on the front line to shape the future of food safety management, which is why these discussions are important now. This workshop has shown how international collaboration can be cost‑effective and beneficial for scientists and regulators, and how each participant can advocate for the use of WGS to make the food safety world more efficient, data-driven and more explainable," said Masami Takeuchi, FAO Food Safety Officer.

FAO acknowledges the generous support of the Future Ready Food Safety Hub (FRESH) for the workshop activities and publication. By highlighting the impact of each session and discussion beyond a factual narrative, the report underscores how investment in education, communication and intergenerational dialogue can help shape the next generation of competent professionals, fully harnessing omics technologies in food safety.

Download the report: https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cd7969en

For more information:

• FAO food safety and quality: WGS and food safety, https://www.fao.org/food-safety/scientific-advice/biotechnology--gmo-and-gm-foods/whole-genome-sequencing-and-food-safety-1
• FAO. 2016. Applications of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) in food safety management. https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/i5619e
• FAO. 2016. Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) for food safety. https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/i5790e