This is one of three sessions today in which you will have the opportunity to hear directly from young people around the world about the challenges they face in regards to toxic contamination, climate change, access to land and the lack of ineffective leadership. In this session, we will hear from young people from France, Canada, Haiti, Pakistan and the US who are motivated to transform the food system for all those who will bear the effects of unfair decisions being made by adults today. The participation of young and willing-to-be farmers is particularly welcomed.

Young farmers will be the food providers and ecosystems’ carer in the years to come. They will be the ones bearing the effects of decisions made by adults today, though their voice is still under-represented in policy-making spaces, labour unions, organisations and social movements. The current digitalisation of our food systems, led by corporate interests, is often justified to make farming attractive again in the eyes of young people as we face a gradual loss of family farmers around the globe and rural areas are being abandoned. 

But is this what young farmers need and want? In this fully youth-focused and youth-led session, we will hear four young family farmers talking about their struggles, wishes and ideas for a just transformation of our food systems. Access to land, knowledge and political leadership will be some of the issues addressed. This participation of young and willing-to-be farmers is particularly welcomed as there will be time to open the floor for a collective debate.