Indigenous and rural young champions lead the way

At the World Food Forum 2025, the side event “Young Forest Champions: Indigenous and Rural Youth in Action” celebrated youth leadership in forest monitoring, restoration, and sustainable food systems — culminating in the launch of the Global Youth Network for Forest Monitoring. 

Hosted by the FAO Forestry Division through the AIM4Forests programme, and organized with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration Youth Task Force, World Food Forum, International Forestry Students’ Association (IFSA), and the Mediterranean Youth Task Force, the event brought together more than a hundred young Indigenous and rural leaders from across the world —both in person and online —to share their stories, innovations, and ambitions for the planet’s forests. 

Inspiring youth leadership for forest monitoring 

Julian Fox, Team Leader for the Forest Monitoring and Data Platforms team at FAO, opened the session by celebrating the achievements of the Young Forest Champions Initiative — implemented under the AIM4Forests programme with support from the UK Government. 

“Over 1,500 young people from around the world applied to become Forest Champions” Fox shared. “From this group, 50 young leaders from Peru, Kenya, Zambia, Ghana, and Uganda were selected for their exceptional commitment to restoring forests and combining traditional knowledge with science and technology.”  He also highlighted how the Global Youth Network for Forest Monitoring will connect youth globally through mentorship, knowledge exchange, and innovation in forest data 

South–South knowledge exchange: Youth voices in action 

Moderated by Esin Batir, from the UN Decade Youth Task Force, the session’s storytelling segment showcased how the AIM4Forests Young Forest Champions are translating training into tangible impact at the local level: 

• Lizet Mejía from Peru shared how she is restoring high-mountain wetlands using ancestral Andean practices and citizen science, integrating digital mapping tools to document change. 
• Duncan Katam from Kenya described his community’s efforts to restore forests and protect the habitat of the grey vervet monkey — a sacred totem for the Nandi people — through indigenous tree nurseries that cultivate native species for planting in degraded areas. 
• Elizabeth Maanda Sianga from Zambia, known as an agrifluencer with over 250K followers online, is promoting agroforestry and collecting indigenous seeds with women-led cooperatives while mapping native tree species using FAO’s Open Foris Ground.
• Gad Okodi from Uganda works with local communities in Northern Uganda to map and monitor tree planting sites, applying FAO’s Open Foris digital solutions for data-driven conservation. 

Each Champion highlighted how the country workshops — organized in collaboration with partners such as the Kenya Forest Service, Forestry Commission of Ghana, Youth Go Green Uganda, Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts in Zambia, and the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru — have empowered them to merge traditional knowledge with new technologies for forest conservation. 

Harnessing data and collaboration for impact 

A dynamic panel, moderated by Javier García Bravo from the World Food Forum, agreed that data, technology, and traditional wisdom are powerful youth allies in restoring ecosystems and building climate resilience. 

A global forest monitoring network driving youth-led change 

Eva Ntara, facilitator of the Young Forest Champions initiative, officially launched the Global Youth Network for Forest Monitoring — a platform connecting and supporting young leaders in forest monitoring and restoration. 

Through LinkedIn and WhatsApp, members will connect, share experiences and collaborate on projects. “This network will carry forward the momentum of the Young Forest Champions,” Ntara said, “enabling youth to continue leading forest monitoring, data innovation, and restoration efforts across the globe.” 

A generation creating change 

In his closing remarks, Sabin Lamichhane, Head of Local Youth Action at the World Food Forum, praised the Young Forest Champions as “the generation that is not waiting for change, but creating it.” He encouraged collaboration through the 62 National Youth Chapters of the World Food Forum and emphasized the importance of equipping youth with funding, mentorship, technology, and access to decision-making spaces. “When youth are equipped and included, they don’t just participate — they lead. And when they lead, entire communities thrive,” he said. 

From the Amazon to the Rift Valley, young leaders are uniting knowledge and innovation to restore forests and build resilient communities. They are redefining forests as living systems vital to our planet’s future and a source of hope for generations to come.