What we learned from NERC: making youth engagement meaningful

The future of agrifood systems in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) will be shaped by both the policies adopted today and the young people who will farm the land, launch agrifood enterprises, generate new knowledge, manage natural resources and help guide decision-making in the years ahead.

This is particularly relevant in NENA, where nearly 60 percent of the population is under the age of 25. Across the region, young people already contribute to agrifood systems as farmers and pastoralists, researchers and students, entrepreneurs and community leaders. At the same time, many continue to face barriers to employment, finance, land, technical opportunities and meaningful participation in decision-making.

Young people already have a role in the future of agrifood systems. The question is how regional processes can create more opportunities for them to shape that future.

Building leadership and opportunities

Young people need more than a seat in the room, they need opportunities to develop the skills, networks and experience that allow them to lead. The Youth Action Leadership for Agrifood Awareness and Systems Transformation initiative (YALA FAST) is one example. More than 60 young leaders have participated in the programme, with its first cohort bringing together 50 young professionals from 18 NENA countries in Rabat. The programme combines leadership training with systems thinking, foresight and field learning.

The second edition, held in Abu Dhabi in October 2026, added expert dialogues, field visits and policy game labs, giving participants an opportunity to practise the negotiation and decision-making skills used in regional fora.

Transforming agrifood systems requires people who can work across sectors, understand different perspectives and turn ideas into action. Creating opportunities for young professionals to build these skills is therefore part of preparing the next generation of agrifood systems leaders.

However, leadership is closely linked to opportunity and access to decent employment, entrepreneurship and finance remains a major challenge for many young people, particularly those living in rural areas. Supporting young people to build viable livelihoods in agriculture and related sectors is both about creating jobs and ensuring that rural areas remain places where young people can see a future for themselves.

Shifting from participation to policy advocacy

Young people also need opportunities to influence policies that shape those futures. At the Near East Regional Conference (NERC), a statement from a youth representative brought a young person’s perspective directly into the regional discussion. This was a strong example of youth engagement in Regional Conferences going beyond inviting young people to attend, showing that their experiences and recommendations can form part of the conversation about regional priorities.

The same principle was demonstrated through the NENA Youth Network for Sustainable Forestry and Rangeland Management. Established in 2025, the Network connects young people working, studying or contributing to forestry, rangelands, sustainable land management and ecosystem restoration. In the lead-up to the 27th Session of the Near East Forestry and Range Commission (NEFRC 27), members participated in webinars, bilateral discussions and thematic working groups to exchange experiences and develop recommendations. These discussions culminated in the first NEFRC Youth Day, which brought together over 150 young people from over 20 NENA countries virtually.

For the first time in the Commission’s history, consolidated youth recommendations were presented directly to its plenary. The experience showed what can happen when young people’s involvement does not end with consultation but extends into developing the recommendations that reach a formal regional process.

Recognizing young people as knowledge holders

Policy advocacy is not the only way in which young people contribute. They also generate research, develop practical solutions and bring new perspectives to some of the region’s most pressing challenges.

In May 2025, the Youth Action in Forest Health competition, organized by the Near East Forest Invasive Species Network (NENFHIS) and the Forest Invasive Species Network for Africa (FISNA), brought together over 110 participants from Africa, the Near East and beyond to showcase research by emerging scientists working on forest health.

The finalists presented work on invasive species, forest diseases, pest surveillance, climate change and social equity. The competition provided a space for young researchers to share their findings, exchange ideas and connect their work with wider efforts to protect forest health.

This reflects something young people have told us repeatedly: they do not want to be seen only as recipients of information or support. They are generating knowledge, testing solutions and bringing expertise that can contribute to regional challenges.

In August 2026, more than 90 young researchers, students, entrepreneurs, pastoralists, community leaders and practitioners from the NENA region and the Mediterranean joined an International Youth Day webinar to share experiences and practical solutions related to climate change, land degradation, biodiversity loss and water scarcity.

The lesson is broader than forestry and rangelands. Across agrifood systems, creating channels for young people to exchange knowledge and connect their work with policy and technical processes can help bring new ideas into regional discussions.

Keeping the conversation going

The 2026 regional youth consultation organized by the World Food Forum (WFF) Youth Assembly, the Office of Youth and Women (OYW) and the FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa reached more than 1 370 young people from 15 countries, in Arabic, English and French. Farmers, entrepreneurs, students, researchers, pastoralists, migrants, refugees and displaced youth shared their priorities, including access to technical knowledge and mentorship, green jobs and entrepreneurship, opportunities to contribute to research, locally led action, and a stronger role in governance and decision-making.

However, consultation is only step one. Meaningful engagement also means creating opportunities for young people to carry their ideas forward and see how their contributions inform action.

The WFF provides several mechanisms for this. Its Youth Policy Board, renewed annually, steers the WFF Youth Assembly and develops its policy recommendations. National Youth Chapters, led by young people in their own countries, turn these recommendations into local action and bring national priorities into regional and global discussions. The FAO Regional Youth & Women Cooperatives Forum provides another platform for young cooperators and women leaders to exchange experiences, showcase innovations and shape solutions for more inclusive and sustainable agrifood systems across NENA.

As the next Regional Conference cycle takes shape, these networks and experiences provide a foundation for deeper engagement. The opportunity now is to connect youth leadership, employment, entrepreneurship, knowledge and policy advocacy, so that young people are not only preparing for the future of agrifood systems, but helping shape it today.