World Food Forum 2026 Call for Submissions: Global Opportunity for Youth-Led Bioeconomy Projects Driving Agrifood Systems Transformation

Young innovators, entrepreneurs, organizations, and change-makers working in the bioeconomy sector now have an exciting opportunity to gain international recognition and contribute to shaping future global policies. The World Food Forum (WFF) Youth Assembly, in collaboration with the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), has officially launched a global call for submissions to identify and showcase youth-led bioeconomy projects that are transforming agrifood systems around the world.

This initiative seeks to amplify youth voices, highlight innovative solutions, and gather evidence-based insights that will contribute to future policy recommendations for governments, international organizations, and key stakeholders involved in agrifood systems transformation.

About the Opportunity

The World Food Forum is a global platform hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). It works to accelerate progress toward sustainable development by engaging youth, innovators, researchers, policymakers, investors, and communities in creating solutions for global food and agricultural challenges.

Through this call for submissions, the WFF Youth Assembly aims to identify and document successful youth-led bioeconomy initiatives that are contributing to more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive agrifood systems.

The initiative recognizes that young people are playing a critical role in developing innovative approaches to agriculture, forestry, fisheries, aquaculture, biodiversity conservation, and related sectors. By gathering information about these projects, the organizers hope to strengthen youth participation in policy discussions and create recommendations that influence decision-making at national, regional, and international levels.

Objectives of the Call

The call for submissions has several important objectives:

1. Highlight Youth Contributions

The initiative seeks to showcase the contributions of young people, especially young women, who are advancing bioeconomy solutions that support sustainable agrifood systems transformation.

2. Promote Youth-Led Innovation

The organizers want to identify and celebrate projects that create employment opportunities, strengthen local economies, improve livelihoods, and generate positive community impacts.

3. Identify Challenges and Barriers

The survey will help uncover challenges faced by young people in accessing:

• Finance and investment opportunities
• Capacity development programs
• Technical support and training
• Resources and infrastructure
• Decision-making platforms and policy spaces

Understanding these barriers will help inform future recommendations that support youth engagement in the bioeconomy sector.

What Is Bioeconomy?

Bioeconomy refers to the sustainable production, utilization, and conservation of biological resources to create products, services, and economic value while protecting the environment.

Examples include:

• Sustainable agriculture practices
• Circular economy initiatives
• Renewable biological resources
• Agricultural biotechnology
• Biodiversity conservation projects
• Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture
• Bio-based products and innovations
• Waste-to-resource solutions
• Climate-smart agricultural technologies

Projects operating in these areas are encouraged to apply.

Why This Opportunity Matters

The information collected through this global initiative will not simply remain in a report. Instead, the findings will contribute directly to the development of youth-led policy recommendations that will be presented to decision-makers at multiple levels.

These recommendations will inform discussions within FAO Technical Committees on:

• Agriculture
• Forestry
• Fisheries
• Aquaculture

The findings may also contribute to discussions at future Global Bioeconomy Summits and other international policy platforms.

This means participants have an opportunity to influence conversations that shape the future of agrifood systems worldwide.

Who Can Apply?

The call is open to:

• Young people aged 18–35
• Youth-led organizations
• Youth-led companies
• Youth collectives
• Youth initiatives
• Youth movements
• Formal and informal youth groups

Applicants from every region of the world are encouraged to participate.

Eligible Projects

Projects and initiatives must:

• Demonstrate measurable impact
• Showcase innovation
• Have potential for scalability and replication
• Focus on agrifood systems transformation
• Be led by young people or youth-led entities

Relevant sectors include:

• Agriculture
• Forestry
• Fisheries
• Aquaculture
• Biodiversity
• One Health
• Agrifood value chains
• Climate-smart agriculture
• Sustainable food systems

What Information Will Be Collected?

Participants will complete a global survey designed to gather both quantitative and qualitative information.

The survey will assess:

• Project impact
• Innovation and creativity
• Scalability potential
• Job creation outcomes
• Income generation opportunities
• Success factors
• Challenges and barriers to implementation

The information collected will help build a stronger evidence base for youth engagement in bioeconomy development.

What Happens After Submission?

Following the survey process, participants will be invited to participate in an online consultation.

During this consultation, participants will:

• Review preliminary findings
• Validate emerging insights
• Discuss priorities for action
• Help shape youth-led policy recommendations

These recommendations will then be presented by youth representatives during international forums and policy discussions involving governments, international organizations, and other stakeholders.

Language Requirements

Submissions are accepted in all official United Nations languages:

• Arabic
• Chinese
• English
• French
• Russian
• Spanish

This ensures broad global participation and inclusivity.

Benefits of Participating

Participants stand to gain several advantages, including:

• International visibility for their projects
• Recognition within global agrifood and bioeconomy networks
• Opportunity to contribute to global policy recommendations
• Engagement with international experts and stakeholders
• Participation in consultation processes
• Networking opportunities with youth leaders worldwide
• Contribution to future Global Bioeconomy Summit discussions
• Increased exposure for innovative youth-led initiatives

Application Deadline

Interested applicants must submit their projects no later than 1 July 2026.

APPLY HERE

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