We are pleased to announce the World Food Forum’s Side Event 2025 “Empowering Youth Through Agroecology: Building Climate Resilience and Participatory Systems”, hosted by the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens (BKMC), Agroecology Coalition, and YPARD, will take place on 16 October 2025, from 15.30 – 16.30 CEST at the Philippines Room, FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy. 

The event aims to amplify youth voices and showcase how agroecology can drive inclusive, rights-based, and climate-resilient food systems. Through dialogue between agroecology experts, policymakers, and youth activists and farmers, our objective is to unpack the power of agroecology in lifting up smallholder farming communities and young people, through showcasing youth-led agroecology initiatives as tangible best practices.

This event will mark the launch of the BKMC’s 2025 Youth AgriChampion Demand Paper, titled “Youth-Powered Agroecology: Building Climate Resilience for Smallholder Farmers”. Young smallholder farmers, agripreneurs, and activists across Africa developed agroecologically rooted demands directed at policymakers to position youth-led agroecology at the forefront of climate discussions. This Demand Paper incorporates grassroots voices of young leaders and pushes for an inclusive, rights-based food system.