A year-long capacity-building programme equipping youth advocates
with the knowledge, tools, and networks to shape food systems and
climate policy, from on-ground action to COP31 and beyond.
Bringing together experts from leading research institutions,
UN agencies, think tanks, and farmer organizations, alongside
young practitioners on the ground, to shape the road to COP31.
Tap a point to jump straight to that session.
Today
Jul 14Welcome
Jul 16S1 · Media Literacy
Jul 27S2 · Food Systems
Aug 27S3 · Playing Offense
Sep 8S4 · COP31 Priorities
Sep 22S5 · Means of Implementation
Oct 7S6 · Ag. Negotiations
Oct 21S7 · Voices from the Field
Dec 14S8 · Pathways to COP32
About the Academy
What the Academy Offers
YOUNGO Food & Agriculture members are at the forefront of
advocating for sustainable food systems. The Academy equips
members with the skills, leadership, and networks to engage
meaningfully in global discussions.
Structured Learning
Virtual sessions covering food systems, climate action, and
international policy, each tied to YOUNGO's advocacy work.
Recognition & Certification
Complete 75% of sessions and demonstrate engagement to
receive a certificate.
Knowledge Repository
Recordings, materials, and key takeaways stored for
asynchronous learning and reuse.
Policy Jams & Debriefs
Interactive, solution-oriented workshops: think of it as a
hackathon for policymaking.
Partnerships & Collaboration
Every session is co-developed with partner organisations
across the youth climate and food systems ecosystem.
Multilingual Access
Every session is dubbed on YouTube in French, Spanish,
Arabic, and Portuguese for our non-English-speaking members.
2026 Programme
The Full Programme
Expert-led conversations spanning research institutions, UN
agencies, think tanks, farmer organizations, and young
practitioners, running monthly from July to December, paused
in November while YOUNGO is at COP31.
Every session recording is posted to our
YouTube channel,
dubbed in French, Spanish, Arabic, and Portuguese.
00Upcoming
Welcome Session: Academy on Climate Action in Food Systems
Sebastian Burgos Guerrero, FAO Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB)
The Academy's inauguration session, orienting participants to the
year ahead and grounding the programme in frontline storytelling
from food, climate, and nature.
What you'll learn
The structure, community, and goals of the 2026 Academy
Climate action in food systems through the lens of SIDS and the Global South
Frontline stories that set the tone for the year ahead
Tue, 14 July 2026 · 4 PM UTC / 7 PM EAT / 6 PM CEST
01Upcoming
Media Literacy: Leveraging Advocacy Through the Media in the Lead-up to COP31
Daphne Ewing-Chow, Senior Contributor, Forbes
An award-winning Caribbean environmental journalist shares
practical media literacy skills: pitching stories, engaging
journalists, and crafting messages that amplify youth and
farmer voices ahead of COP31.
What you'll learn
How storytelling and journalism serve as tools of food systems advocacy
Practical skills for pitching stories and engaging journalists
Media opportunities and challenges facing SIDS and Global South voices
Thu, 16 July 2026 · 3 PM UTC / 6 PM EAT / 5 PM CEST
02Upcoming
Food Systems: From Hunger and Crisis to Prosperity and Resilience
Edward Davey, World Resources Institute (WRI)
Examines the narratives shaping food production, consumption,
and sustainability policy, and explores what new framings are
needed to catalyse transformative change in times of crisis.
What you'll learn
How prevailing narratives shape food systems policy and investment
Emerging alternative narratives centred on equity, ecology and resilience
The role of youth voices in reframing food systems stories
Mon, 27 July 2026 · 2 PM UTC / 5 PM EAT / 4 PM CEST
03Upcoming
Playing Offense: Food Systems in the Multilateral Space
An entrepreneur's lens on positioning youth as active
architects of the multilateral food systems space, from
UNFCCC negotiations to the Committee on World Food Security.
What you'll learn
The multilateral food systems landscape and where youth leverage exists
How climate risk, AI and geopolitics are creating new openings
Practical frameworks for building credibility without waiting for a seat at the table
Thu, 27 Aug 2026 · 7 PM UTC / 10 PM EAT / 9 PM CEST · 75 min
04Upcoming
Understanding COP31 Presidency Priorities on Agriculture and Food Security
Dr. Umay G. Özkan, Türkiye Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry; Joseph Vile, Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Explores food security as a COP31 Presidency priority through
three lenses: the climate-food-water nexus, youth inclusion,
and women farmers and frontline actors.
What you'll learn
Food security as a COP31 Presidency priority
The climate-food-water nexus, youth inclusion, and women farmers' leadership
Concrete entry points for youth engagement around COP31
Tue, 8 Sept 2026 · 7 PM UTC / 10 PM EAT / 9 PM CEST · 90 min
05Upcoming
Means of Implementation in Agrifood Systems Through a Youth Lens
Dr. Leigh Ann Winowiecki, Landscape Alliance; Knollis Mokake, Global Landscapes Forum
Unpacks finance, technology transfer, and capacity-building
barriers young people face in agrifood systems, tied to
YOUNGO's Global Youth Survey on Means of Implementation.
What you'll learn
What Means of Implementation covers: finance, tech transfer, capacity building
Early findings from YOUNGO's Global Youth Survey on MoI
Entry points for youth in MoI-related UNFCCC processes (SSJW, SB64)
Tue, 22 Sept 2026 · 3 PM UTC / 6 PM EAT / 5 PM CEST
06Upcoming
Future of the Agricultural Negotiations in the UNFCCC: Challenges and Opportunities
Martina Fleckenstein, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF); Chiara Villani, Alliance of Biodiversity International and CIAT
Takes stock of the Koronivia legacy and the Sharm el-Sheikh
Joint Work on agriculture and food security, and looks ahead
to negotiating priorities for COP31.
What you'll learn
The state of play in UNFCCC agricultural negotiations
What the Sharm el-Sheikh work programme means in practice
Negotiating priorities for youth and civil society heading into COP31
Wed, 7 Oct 2026 · 10 AM UTC / 1 PM EAT / 12 PM CEST
07Upcoming
Voices from the Field: Connecting Youth and Farmers
Esther Penunia, Asian Farmers' Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA)
A structured dialogue between YOUNGO members and youth
farmers, producing a "Farmer Priorities for Climate Action"
advocacy list to inform YOUNGO's work at COP31.
What you'll learn
Firsthand accounts of climate adaptation from youth farmers
Key demands and policy recommendations from farmers' experiences
How to help shape the "Farmer Priorities for Climate Action" list
Wed, 21 Oct 2026 · 12:30 PM UTC / 3:30 PM EAT / 2:30 PM CEST · 90 min
08Upcoming
Pathways to COP32: Africa and Food Systems in Focus
The Academy's closing session begins charting the path to
COP32 in Ethiopia, elevating African youth voices and food
systems priorities on the global stage.
What you'll learn
What a COP32 in Ethiopia means for African food systems
African youth voices and locally-led food system initiatives
Priority issues and advocacy strategies for the COP32 cycle
Mon, 14 Dec 2026 · 3 PM UTC / 6 PM EAT / 4 PM CET
Beyond the Sessions
Where This Work Leads
The Academy builds the skills. Our members carry them into
policy workshops, negotiating rooms, and global forums.
Co-Developing Policy AsksInforming Policymakers in UNFCCC NegotiationsMainstreaming Youth Action Across Different PlatformsIntergenerational Dialogues with Parties and Institutions
Get Involved
Ready to Dive In?
Three simple ways to plug into YOUNGO Food & Agriculture
