The session brings together expert insights on enabling conditions, policy ecosystems, financing, and equity required to scale youth-led climate and food system innovations, highlighting “returns on resilience” and showcasing youth-driven success stories from African food systems.

Event objectives

Highlight how youth are blending traditional and Indigenous knowledge with cutting-edge science and technology — from IoT-enabled irrigation and AI forecasting to sustainable land and water management — to drive just and sustainable food systems.

Discuss strategies to integrate youth-driven solutions into national and international climate and development policies, ensuring that innovation leads to tangible outcomes for food security, adaptation, and community resilience.

Showcase youth-led solutions along the agri-food value chain, strengthen local economies, and foster green and inclusive jobs.

Key outcomes

Emphasise the integration of youth-led innovation into climate finance and food systems transformation.

Strengthened networks among youth organisations, investors, and technical partners.

Visibility for youth champions leading transformation at local, national, and continental levels.

A shared Call to Action to fund and scale youth-led agri-food innovations.

Launch of the Agri-Hack Toolkit, a practical guide to designing and implementing youth-led hackathons and innovation challenges for climate-smart agri-food systems.

Promotion of the “Returns of Resilience” Report.