World Food Forum Youth Policy Board 2026–2027

The WFF Youth Assembly is a year-round, open and inclusive platform led by the WFF Youth Policy Board(YPB). It brings together young individuals, organizations and constituencies to co-create policy priorities, exchange knowledge and develop joint recommendations and solutions. Through regional policy dialogues and global thematic consultations, the Youth Assembly fosters collective youth action on agrifood systems, sustainability and the broader objectives of the SDGs. 

In 2025, the fifth YPB cohort brings together 34 changemakers from around the world, each contributing expertise and experience in regional and thematic areas to strengthen youth participation in decision-making spaces.

The YPB’s mandate includes:

• Guiding the Youth Assembly and its processes;

• Organizing and leading consultations to capture youth perspectives;

• Drafting policy papers, recommendations and calls to action;

• Representing youth at international policy forums and conferences;

• Engaging stakeholders to advance inclusivity and collaboration.

Structure and duties 

The YPB members serve for a one-year term, participating in both regional and thematic work, with each member having a primary area of responsibility. For the 2026–2027 term, YPB members will carry out the following responsibilities at the regional level: 

• Lead and facilitate regional consultations and engagements with diverse stakeholders – including FAO Regional Offices, Youth Assembly Partner Organizations, members of the WFF Young Scientists Group (YSG), members of WFF National Youth Chapters and the Youth Assembly Consultative Group; Synthesize regional youth voices and perspectives into regional compendia/ youth statements to be presented at intergovernmental processes and conferences;
• Represent the YPB in relevant intergovernmental processes and conferences to advocate for the incorporation of youth perspectives;
• Lead the implementation and reporting of the Global Youth Action Plan (GYAP) within each region, in partnership with relevant stakeholders;
• and Summarize outcomes and progress from 2026 in an outcome document.

Scope of work 

YPB members contribute to three primary areas: 

1.Regional work: The YPB members will implement the GYAP, carrying out two actionable items for each region throughout 2026. They will also lead consultative processes by developing surveys and hosting consultations to identify key youth priorities. These efforts will contribute to the development of the 2026 Regional Youth Priorities document, which will outline actionable recommendations to be presented at intergovernmental processes. 

2.Thematic Work: The YPB members will focus on key agrifood governance themes with each member leading activities in their area of expertise. They will conduct surveys and consultations to gather youth perspectives and will develop position papers and outcome statements that advocate for stronger youth inclusion in FAO and other intergovernmental platforms. 

3.Youth engagement: YPB members will support wider WFF Youth Initiative activities to enhance meaningful youth participation and engagement globally, ensuring youth voices drive lasting agrifood systems transformation.

Eligibility criteria 

To be considered for the YPB, applicants must meet the following criteria: 

• Have graduated from high school and either have completed or be enrolled in a bachelor ’ s degree programme at the time of application;
• Be between 18 and 35 years as of 30 April 2026;
• Be national of an FAO Member State; Demonstrate proficiency in spoken and written English at C1 level (fluency in other FAO official languages is an advantage);
• Be available to participate in at least one weekly YPB meeting (duration of 1 hour) between 09:00 –18:00 CEST/ CET;
• Have demonstrated experience or interest in agrifood systems, policy advocacy or youth empowerment;
• Be able to dedicate approximately 25 hours per month to the role: 20 hours will be dedicated to their core area of responsibility (regional/ thematic) ; 5 hours will be dedicated for the other area.
• Demonstrate the ability to work effectively in an international, multicultural environment and possess strong intercultural communication skills;
• Not be immediate family members (spouses, parents, children, siblings or their respective spouses) of WFF or FAO employees;
• Not be employed by the WFF or FAO;
• Not be current or former members of the WFF’s YSG or YPB;
• and Demonstrate commitment to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion in all activities.

Selection process 

The selection process consists of four rounds: 

• Round 1: The WFF Secretariat will review applications and score candidates based on eligibility and experience.
• Round 2: A committee composed of youth organization representatives will further assess applications and create a shortlist. Candidates advancing to this stage will be asked to submit a CV, a letter of recommendation and a two-minute video explaining how they would contribute to the YPB and the Youth Assembly.
• Round 3: The outgoing YPB cohort will evaluate shortlisted candidates against key criteria, including knowledge of agrifood systems, leadership skills and policy expertise.
• Round 4: Top candidates will be invited to interviews, with final selections based on interview performance and overall ranking.

The final list of selected youth leaders will be announced by 30 April 2026.

Visit the official WFF Youth Policy Board page for detailed information.