In an exciting and packed week, our ProVeg International team – including Youth Board members Stella Correa and Vlad Mijatovic, and our United Nations (UN) Policy Officer, Bianca Galatanu – attended the 2025 World Food Forum (WFF) Flagship Event in Rome, Italy.
Following Monday’s official opening in the plenary hall of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s headquarters, we launched into full gear, collaborating with key partners to elevate youth voices in policy spaces.
NDCs 3.0, climate ambition and youth inclusion
On Tuesday, we co-organized a central event with the WFF Youth Assembly, YOUNGO Food and Agriculture, the International Association of Students in Agricultural and Related Sciences, and the Non-Aligned Movement Youth Organization. The session marked the culmination of an organizational collaboration that examined how to better include youth experience and needs into national climate targets. One of the primary focus points was the integration of agrifood systems into high-level climate discussions such as NDC 3.0 and the run-up to COP30. ProVeg facilitated a breakout room to explore how to improve young people’s access to finance – a crucial step for future innovation.
Preparations for COP30
Later in the week, Youth Board member Stella brought her expertise to the YOUNGO consultation for the Global Youth Statement, where she facilitated a discussion on Just Transition, ensuring equity remains at the heart of our climate advocacy.
As the renowned Brazilian activist Chico Mendes, “Ecology without class struggle is just gardening” (“Ecologia sem luta de classes é jardinagem”). His words remind us that ecological transformation must go hand in hand with social justice. Including young voices in this process is key – not only because we are the leaders of tomorrow, but because we are actively shaping the world in the present.
The Global Youth Statement represents the main positioning of the Children and Youth Constituency under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and is the result of year-round consultations and meetings with youth from all over the world. We’ve been deeply grateful for the opportunity to share our thoughts and ideas.
Building youth capacities for transforming the agrifood system
Another of the week’s highlights was our capacity-building session, hosted by ProVeg at John Cabot University. Centered around the question: ‘How can young people shape the future of climate action for agrifood systems?’, the workshop brought together more than 30 students from Rome-based universities in a lively and thought-provoking workshop.
Organized as part of the road to COP30, the session explored the power of plant-based food systems to drive climate impact, and gave the participants a hands-on opportunity to experience international negotiations in action.
The workshop featured insights from Edoardo Corriere, Global Program Coordinator at Young Professionals for Agricultural Development, who highlighted the essential role of non-governmental organizations in transforming agrifood systems and ensuring young people are part of the solution.
Axel Eriksson, a member of the UN Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change, spoke about youth advocacy in climate policy and how young leaders are bringing ambition and accountability across all levels of the conversation.
Stella, Vlad and Bianca then connected the dots between agrifood systems and climate, explaining how shifting towards plant-based diets can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, restore ecosystems and improve food security. “As we understand the importance of youth leadership in climate ambition, and the connection between agrifood systems and climate change, it becomes clear that shifting towards plant-based diets is not just a personal choice but a global climate solution. A solution that can reduce emissions, restore ecosystems, and strengthen food security” said Bianca.
Reflecting on the workshop, participants shared powerful insights: “Creativity, compassion and persistence make a difference”; “Change starts locally and grows from there”; and “change starts locally with small, intentional choices that can ripple into global impact”.
The highlight of the event was the hands-on experience. Students took part in a mock climate negotiation, acting as country delegates preparing for COP30. Participants focused on strategies to reduce methane emissions from agriculture – a major contributor to climate change. Through negotiation rounds, country statements and group deliberations, students honed their skills in compromise and strategic thinking under real-world pressure.
“The experience strengthened my understanding of climate policy and showed how youth can drive real transformation in our food systems,” commented a student after the session.
The event left participants inspired to carry forward what they learnt: that sustainable, equitable food systems start with informed and empowered youth.
Wrapping up the week
We wrapped up the week by featuring on the Partners Podcast on Friday, discussing our strong partnership with the Youth Assembly and how the Youth Board played a central role in planning these impactful sessions.
“Being part of this event reminded me that youth leadership isn’t just about having a seat at the table – it’s about reshaping the table itself,” said Stella. “Every conversation, every shared idea, and every small action taken this week reflected the collective strength and creativity of a generation ready to transform our food systems from the ground up.”
We are incredibly excited by the quantity and quality of the youth engagement and activism at the flagship event, and by the powerful connections we forged throughout the week. While much remains to be done, the first steps are clearly in place, and it is the youth who are leading the way.
