Their leadership will play a key role in shaping global food systems policies and youth participation in achieving the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 2, which focuses on eradicating hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture.
In this capacity, Genna and Opeyemi will be responsible for guiding the SDG2 work plan within the UN MGCY’s Areas of Work Frameworks, which encompass Policy and Advocacy, Capacity Building, Knowledge, and Action. They will act as primary liaisons between the UN MGCY, youth organizations, and other stakeholders, working closely with relevant UN bodies to ensure that youth perspectives are fully integrated into food-related policy processes. Additionally, they will lead the preparation of formal inputs such as statements, papers, and reports, ensuring that youth voices are heard in key food systems and UN processes.
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Genna Tesdall is the Director of YPARD, and an agriculture systems thinker taking on projects to sustain the environment and people, striving to be a servant-leader in order to foster equality between generations (and all delimiters of privilege). With her fellow YPARDians, she has pushed forward YPARD engagement in the UNFCCC processes and secured observer status to the UNCCD. Before joining YPARD, she was the federal agricultural policy officer at the German Rural Youth Association (Bund der Deutschen Landjugend) (2020). As a Fulbright Researcher at the Humboldt University of Berlin (2018-19), her research focused on the involvement of German rural youth in agricultural policy. As the former president (2013-14) of the International Association of Agriculture and Related Sciences Students (IAAS), she started her first engagements with agricultural policy, rekindling the organization's partnership with FAO, applying for observer status to the UNFCCC, and began IAAS engagement at the Committee on World Food Security (CFS). She has also interned and worked as a consultant at the CGIAR International Potato Center (CIP) in Lima, Peru. She is a graduate of the global-oriented Iowa State (2015) and Penn State Universities (2018) with a M.Sc. in Plant Pathology and International Agriculture and Development.
With over 8 years of experience in community mobilizing, stakeholder engagement, diplomacy and governance, Opeyemi Elujulo has worked at the intersection of food systems, climate change, poverty alleviation, and biodiversity conservation across Africa and beyond, cutting across national and international NGOs and private consultancy. Currently, he leads a network (Youth in Agroecology and Restoration Network) of youth-led agrifood systems initiatives across Africa, working with smallholder farmers, cities, and policymakers, to align food security attempts with the landscape restoration, biodiversity conservation, rural poverty alleviation, and climate change adaptation and mitigation agendas at the national and international levels. He has consulted for UN FAO – World Food Forum as an independent policy expert, the Center for Biological Diversity, and World Animal Protection, among others, in matters relating to agrifood systems transformation and grassroot realities in Africa and beyond. Opeyemi holds a postgraduate diploma degree in Soil Management and Land-Use Planning from the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta Nigeria, a Master degree in Environmental Control and Management (with a major in Climate Change and Sustainability), and a B.Sc. degree in Zoology (with a major in conservation biology) from Obafemi Awolowo University. He is also the Co-Executive Director of Care About Climate Inc. USA where he works with his team to catalyze a global movement of young people that are empowered for thoughtful leadership and meaningful engagement in the international climate policy spaces.
The selection of Genna Tesdall and Opeyemi Elujulo as SDG2 Global Focal Points underscores the growing recognition of youth as essential players in the global effort to create resilient, sustainable food systems. Their work will be crucial in advancing the UN’s 2030 Agenda and ensuring a future where no one goes hungry. We congratulate them on their new roles and look forward to the positive impact they will make in this position.
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The UN Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY) is an official space within the United Nations system, designed to ensure that the voices and contributions of young people are included in global decision-making processes. Since its establishment in 1992, UN MGCY has served as a platform for youth to engage with various UN entities, influencing policies related to sustainable development, human rights, climate change, and more.
The Youth in Agroecology and Restoration Network (YARN) is a global network that focuses on promoting agroecology and restoration efforts among young people. YARN works to empower youth to lead the transition towards sustainable agricultural practices that restore ecosystems, support biodiversity, and improve food security.
