2025 was a defining year for YPARD and the wider development sector. Against a backdrop of funding cuts, humanitarian crises, and growing environmental challenges, the network continued to demonstrate the critical role of youth in shaping resilient and sustainable agrifood systems.
Throughout the year, YPARD deepened its engagement in global advocacy and policy spaces, particularly in the lead-up to UNFCCC COP30, through contributions to the YOUNGO Youth Statement, the YPARD COP30 Position Paper, and capacity-building initiatives such as the Changemakers for Agrifood Action webinar series and the Climate Action and Negotiation School in Latin America and the Caribbean. At the same time, YPARD continued to strengthen youth inclusion in food systems transformation through major initiatives such as the GEF-8 Food Systems IP Global Youth Strategy, the CEA-FIRST Gender and Youth Strategy, the WYNA Programme, and the Menu for Change Challenge. These initiatives reinforced the importance of meaningful youth participation, gender-responsive approaches, and locally driven innovation in shaping sustainable food systems.
The report also highlights the growing impact of YPARD’s country chapters and regional networks, which organized YPARD Cafés, training programmes, farm visits, and youth-led dialogues in more than 15 countries. From agroecology fellowships in Africa and entrepreneurship incubation in Europe to regional youth mobilization in Latin America, young people across the network continued to lead transformative action from the ground up. Together, these stories demonstrate the collective strength, creativity, and determination of YPARD’s global community and reaffirm the network’s commitment to empowering young professionals as drivers of inclusive and sustainable agrifood systems transformation.
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