YM14 - Driving Change Across Asia and the Pacific: Youth transforming agrifood systems.

The FAO event YM14 - Driving Change Across Asia and the Pacific: Youth transforming agrifood systems takes place on October 15, 2026, at 09:00 (Rome time) at the Sheikh Zayed Centre, and is broadcast online via the FAO Webcast and UN Web TV.

Key Focus Areas in Asia and the Pacific (APAC)

World Food Forum (WFF) Priorities: The WFF Global Youth Action Plan (GYAP) 2025–2026 for APAC targets nutrition literacy, food labelling awareness, climate-smart agriculture, and sustainable production.

Country-Specific Youth Initiatives:

Malaysia: Addressing low nutrition literacy, high processed food intake, and low fruit/vegetable consumption among youth through Nutrition Month and Healthier Choice logos (highlighted by Megan Chong Hueh Zan).
Samoa: Combating dietary shifts toward processed foods and rising obesity by promoting climate-resilient crops and ancestral farming (highlighted by Fiame Leo).
Philippines: Advocating for clear front-of-pack warning labels (campaign led by Faith Laperal).
Bangladesh, Japan, and China: Focusing on rural labeling awareness, community technology integration, and clearer product information (Farzana, Fawaz Bagoudou, and Kelly).

Broader Regional Challenges & Support: Around 1.3 billion young people live globally, with nearly half engaged in agrifood systems, though 1 in 5 youth are not in employment, education, or training (NEET), and youth food insecurity has risen to 24%.

Initiatives like the FAO Hand-in-Hand Initiative, the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) program, and 15 World Food Forum national chapters work to expand youth access to finance, skills, digital technology, and land.

Watch the YM14 - Driving Change Across Asia and the Pacific: Youth transforming agrifood systems!

Agencies, Funds & Programmes