Consultative dialogue of youth in Europe and Central Asia

10:00 – 12:00 CEST

As part of the preparatory process for the Regional Conference for Europe (ERC35) and aligned with the FAO Strategic Framework 2022–2031, the regional Consultative dialogue of youth in Europe and Central Asia aims to ensure that the voices, priorities, and lived experiences of young people in the region are meaningfully reflected in FAO’s regional priorities for the 2026–2027 biennium.

Across Europe and Central Asia, young people are key actors in transforming agrifood systems, particularly as farmers, workers, and entrepreneurs, yet many faces structural barriers to access to land, finance, technology, climate resilience, and meaningful participation in policymaking. At the same time, young consumers are increasingly affected by rising food prices, unequal access to healthy diets, and growing nutrition insecurity. These challenges are further compounded by widening urban–rural disparities, environmental degradation, and ongoing geopolitical instability.

Building on FAO’s four betters (better production, better nutrition, better environment, better life) and informed by regional priorities and UNFSS commitments, this dialogue specifically aims at providing space to:

• Identify subregional challenges and opportunities faced by youth in agrifood systems, with attention to smallholders, rural youth, women, and other marginalized groups.
• Co-design 3–5 actionable technical and policy recommendations aligned with FAO priorities for 2026–2027.
• Systematize youth-led solutions, innovations, and practices across agriculture, food systems, and natural resource management.
• Ensure youth priorities are integrated into the Europe and Central Asia Youth Inputs to the 2026 Regional Conference.
• Ensure alignment of youth consultations with FAO’s Theory of Change on inclusive rural transformation by generating youth-informed, evidence-based inputs that contribute to resilient and sustainable agrifood production and inclusive rural livelihoods and governance, in line with the four betters and the leaving no one behind commitments.