YALAFAST is designed as an applied, immersive leadership experience that brings together participants from government, private sector, academia, and civil society into a single, shared working environment. Rather than separating learning by discipline or sector, the programme deliberately integrates these perspectives, requiring participants to engage collectively on agrifood system challenges that cut across institutional and thematic boundaries. This cross-sector composition is paired with a multi-format structure, combining leadership labs, expert dialogues, field visits to farms and agribusinesses, and innovation-based exercises, so that participants move continuously between discussion, observation, and application within a compressed and intensive setting.

What distinguishes YALAFAST further is the way it organizes this experience around interconnected problem areas rather than isolated topics. Participants work simultaneously across themes such as technology, policy, water, energy, and sustainability, reflecting the way agrifood systems function in practice, where challenges and solutions are inherently linked. The inclusion of collaborative formats such as group challenges and policy game labs reinforces this approach, requiring participants to translate discussions into concrete, cross-sectoral outputs within a limited timeframe. This combination of integrated thematic exposure, task-based collaboration, and immersion within a single structured experience is what positions YALAFAST as a distinct model for leadership development in agrifood systems transformation.

The inaugural edition of YALAFAST brought together 50 young professionals from 18 countries across the NENA region, representing government, private sector, academia, and civil society, as part of a leadership initiative developed by the FAO under its Regional Leadership Development Academy. Designed as a multilayered leadership journey focused on agrifood systems transformation, the programme culminated in a four-day intensive and immersive experience held in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco, where participants engaged in interactive workshops, leadership labs, expert dialogues, field visits, and collaborative problem-solving activities, including a regional hackathon. The first cohort emphasized cross-sector collaboration and co-creation, resulting not only in practical, system-oriented solutions but also in the formation of an active regional network of young leaders, with a second cohort planned for October 2026.