The climate clock is ticking. The time for youth leadership is now.
We’re at a decisive moment in the life of our planet. Every year, rising heatwaves, floods, and food shortages tell the same story: climate change is accelerating. And so are the solutions — however, in order for them to be implemented, we need to ensure that the right voices are in the room, including the many young people who are playing a crucial role in shaping a more sustainable, plant-forward future. Too often, their vital perspectives are missing from global decision-making spaces.
This is why the ProVeg Youth Board – a group of 20 passionate young advocates from around the world – is stepping up. From Cameroon to India, Brazil to Italy, we are working across borders and backgrounds to help transform the food systems at the heart of the climate crisis.
Why is changing our food systems so important?
Food systems are responsible for over a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. They drive deforestation, water scarcity, and biodiversity loss. But at the same time, they also hold the keys to some of the fastest and most affordable climate wins.
At ProVeg, we know that young people have a unique stake in the climate crisis, and so we’re gearing up to attend two crucial international events to shape youth positions and influence climate negotiations: the World Food Forum, which takes place in Rome in October, and COP30, the UN Climate Conference, in Belém, Brazil, which kicks off in November and is set to be the most important COP in terms of food-system change.
These are the key spaces in which the futures of our food systems and climates will be defined. But for young people – especially those from underrepresented regions – getting to these events is a challenge.
So, as a way to ensure that our Youth Board members – all from different regions and backgrounds – are present and prepared, we’ve launched a crowdfunding campaign.
With your support, we will:
- Attend youth consultations at the World Food Forum
- Share youth-led visions and key demands for plant-rich food systems
- Engage with policymakers and speak at side events at COP30
- Follow food-related climate negotiations and bring insights back to our communities
- Build connections with other youth movements and shape global advocacy strategies
- Help to build a future in which our food systems respect planetary boundaries, ensure social justice, and are no longer dependent on the exploitation of animals.
The value of attendance is measured in impact
Being a part of these conversations is about making sure decisions that decisions about our future aren’t made without us. It’s about turning a climate problem into a climate solution.
Can you help us get there? Donate now!
Your contribution, no matter the size, will directly support the attendance of young people at the World Food Forum and COP30. In doing so, you are investing in equitable climate action and making sure the next generation doesn’t just inherit the planet, but helps protect it.
Thank you for being part of this movement – and for believing in the power of youth-led change.
Njoke, Stella, Shreya, Vlad
Youth Board,
ProVeg International
