From Empowering Youth to Innovative Food Systems

“You can't build peace on empty stomachs.” Lord John Boyd Orr, the first Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) urged the world to respond to the catastrophic food shortage in the post-World War II. It highlights the truth that food security is essential to human well-being, social stability, and peace.

Today, technological development and globalization have transformed how food is produced, distributed, and consumed. Although access to food has increased in many parts of the world, hunger and unequal access to nutritious diets remain persistent global challenges. In 2025, approximately 645 million people faced hunger, while an estimated 2.69 billion people could not afford a healthy diet. This systemic failure of the food system is not simply about producing enough food. It requires ensuring that everyone can access sufficient, diverse, and safe food through sustainable and resilient food systems.

Climate change results in droughts, floods, and other extreme weather events that threaten agricultural production and undermine the livelihoods of communities that depend on natural resources. In particular, in Southern Brazil, droughts disrupt the production of rice, maize, and soybeans, leading to significant economic losses. Therefore, transforming how food is produced, distributed, and consumed is essential to building a more sustainable future.

To promote a sustainable food system, World Food Day, annually on October 16, calls for collective action to address hunger and transform global food systems.  It aims to ensure access to sufficient, diverse, safe, and nutritious food while safeguarding the planet for future generations. This year’s theme, “Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow.”, emphasizes the importance of innovation, partnerships, and inclusive approaches. Beyond technological breakthroughs, innovation involves applying local knowledge, rethinking existing practices, and developing solutions that respond to the needs of different communities.

Young people have an important role to play in this transformation. As future leaders and innovators, they can question existing practices, explore the challenges within their communities, and propose creative approaches to making food systems more sustainable and inclusive. In Mauritius, the World Food Forum's Mauritius Youth Chapter was launched to advance youth-led action for sustainable agrifood systems, including strengthening resilience in the context of climate change and the blue economy. 

Youth-driven innovation often begins from the classroom. IVECA provides students with opportunities to explore sustainability challenges with global peers from different cultural backgrounds. Last spring semester, using a STEAM-based approach, high school students and youth mentors investigated local food systems, examined the journey food takes from production to consumption, and analyzed challenges across the food supply chain. By comparing experiences and exchanging ideas with international partners, IVECA students developed a broader understanding of how local food challenges connect to global sustainability issues. Through collaboration with global peers, students designed innovative and contextualized solutions that can contribute to healthier and more sustainable food systems.

By connecting students with global efforts to build sustainable food systems, IVECA reaffirms its commitment to empowering young people as innovators and action-makers for a more sustainable future. By empowering youth to innovate today, we can help build food systems that nourish both people and the planet tomorrow.

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