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“Youth and women are not only beneficiaries of transformation, they are the engines of change,” QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), said today in remarks at the first-ever meeting of the World Food Forum Africa.

FAO announced three initiatives to help enterprising youth in the field of One Health, and outlined the three pillars undergirding the integrated approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems.

Inspired by the World Food Forum (WFF) and complemented by an Exhibition Pavilion, the Interactive Zone for Transformative Solutions brought together contributions from more than 15 institutions and donors, creating a space to showcase innovation, knowledge and cooperation in support of the regional dialogue on agrifood systems.

This year's Forum included the celebration of a historic World Food Day marking FAO’s 80th anniversary and brought together global leaders, policymakers, youth, Indigenous Peoples, scientists, farmers, investors, and innovators around a shared goal: transforming agrifood systems for a sustainable, hunger-free world.

The 2025 WFF flagship event opened with a vibrant celebration of culture, dialogue and youth empowerment. In his opening remarks, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu reflected on the Organization’s legacy and enduring belief that “food is life, food is culture, and food is a basic human right.”

The Global Youth Forum Opening set the tone for a week of youth-driven innovation, creativity and action under the theme “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future”.

The Global Youth Forum Opening set the tone for a week of youth-driven innovation, creativity and action under the theme “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future”.

In one of his first engagements at the UN Ocean Conference, which marks an important platform for FAO’s technical work in fisheries and aquaculture, QU Dongyu, Director-General of FAO was speaking at an event marking FAO’s 80th anniversary, titled “From Legacy to leadership: Youth-led Solutions for Ocean Sustainability.”

As young people growingly shy away from the fields and opt for more lucrative urban jobs, a farmers’ regeneration programme called the Cool Agripreneur Programme, was launched in 2024 by the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs and the National Scout of Indonesia with technical support from FAO.

The Regional Technical Platform for Family Farming began the third Cycle of Technical Exchanges to discuss the strategic role of rural youth in the transformation of agrifood systems.