Youth in Action: Global Youth Action Plan – Part I

In this episode we speak with Youth Policy Board members Nada Zamel and Raanita Krishnawoorthy about their journey, key achievements on the Global Youth Action Plan, and how young people can get involved in shaping a more sustainable food future.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:03

Hello and welcome to the World Food Forum podcast, part of Youth in Action series, where we bring youth stories and insights from young leaders driving the change in agri food systems. Today, we are kicking off the first of our fourth-part series on Global Youth Action Plan. In this episode, we will be speaking with Youth Policy Board members Nata Samel and Ranita Krishavuti, who will share what inspired them to join their experiences representing their region and the work they've been leading so far. We will also explore their key achievements, their goals for 2026, and how young people and organizations can get involved in supporting their initiatives. So stay tuned as we dive into how youth are shaping a more sustainable and inclusive food future.

SPEAKER_03 0:53

So, hello everyone and welcome to our World Food Forum podcast. I'm more than happy to have you all here. And before we start, I would like to ask you if you can shortly introduce yourself and tell us a bit more about you.

SPEAKER_01 1:06

Good morning. Thank you for having me. My name is Nada. I'm from Tunisia and I'm a regional youth policy board. This is my second mandate. I'm a feminist, a human rights activist, and advocate. And yeah, I think that's all.

SPEAKER_00 1:23

Hi, I'm Ranita Krishnamurti, and I'm uh part of the Asian Pacific uh region, leading the region. And I'm a nutritionist, my background with public health. And um uh I work in the private sector and also have some experience in the NGO and research work.

SPEAKER_04 1:41

Great. And I wanted to ask you before we start with the questions, I wanted to ask you how is your experience being part of Youth Policy Board? How you came to this idea to apply and become a member?

SPEAKER_01 1:51

Um, to be honest, I had a friend who was a member of the Youth Policy Board and she was sharing some of her experience, but at the same time, I was doing a fellowship, and by the end of the fellowship, I need to write a report, uh, like a policy paper, and I chose something about economic independence and women in rural areas, rural women. And during my the writing process, I was researching more. I also like my parents are farmers, so I I am aware of what's happening, also being a climate advocate. So it was really interesting to dig deeper in the agricultural world, and then I finished my report in December, and the call for um the call for being a youth policy board was in January. I'm like, this is a sign. Perfect timing. Exactly. So I definitely was like really interesting, interested in it, and I part of my career I wanted to go more policy because I was doing more research and advocacy, and I wanted to do more policy, and I felt that was such a good opportunity for me because as someone who advocates for rural women and want to have more policy experience, the youth assembly and youth policy board was like perfect.

SPEAKER_00 3:12

We are super happy that you found your way here. Yeah, that's so interesting, Nada. Um, well, for me, I never actually thought I'd be on this platform, but when I saw that nutrition was one of the themes that was included this year, I was really excited to apply and contribute from my country, Malaysia, because I noticed that we haven't had that uh Malaysia representing for Youth Policy Board. We had Indonesia last year, and it was nice to see that Malaysia was uh taken for the Youth Policy Board this year.

SPEAKER_04 3:43

Definitely. And uh basically talking about also maybe about collaborating with other leaders from all around the world. Now that you're here at the World Food Forum flagship event, you have opportunity to all meet in person, right? Because you're quite often having meetings online, but also collaborating with uh uh youth young scientist group and also national chapter. So now during this week, you have opportunity to meet all in person and exchange your experiences and maybe even collaborate on on some on some projects that you've been working together.

SPEAKER_01 4:15

How that feels is it uh I I think this is the best part about um the structure of the youth assembly and uh youth policy board. Uh, like we're working on our regions, we're learning, and then we have the thematic where we work as from different regions, the thematic uh areas, and I feel like we're taking the experience that we learn from the region and the voices and the issues, and we bring them to international platforms like now, together, like from different regions, to do the thematic. Like I work on the women thematic, so I bring the experiences from my region, and for example, one um one member will bring from Latin America, another member will bring the voices from Europe, and we'll work together and bring their voices on an international platform. And I think this is the best part of um being here, but also the structure of the youth policy board.

SPEAKER_00 5:13

Thanks, Nada. I think that's a very good point that you raised that we got to connect with various um representatives, especially from different teams and different regions, and uh maybe something a little bit more different. I think this platform was really great for me being a Malaysian because I got to meet the ambassador for uh Malaysia and also the Malaysian Youth Council representative, and they're really, really keen on investing in our projects for our next steps, which I'm really keen and really interested and grateful to um have uh further conversations with them because I wouldn't have achieved been able to even have that conversation with them if it was just at a local national level. But this platform actually gave me a voice, gave me a face-to-face presence and face-to-face communication which with them yesterday, and I'm um well connected with them now.

SPEAKER_04 6:04

What projects we are we can expect?

SPEAKER_00 6:06

Okay, so uh a part of our next steps for our youth policy board Asian the Pacific region, we are actually going to um conduct our first, actually, is the first globally regionally nutrition labeling literacy week. So there's no uh nutrition labeling literacy week that has ever been done, but we are actually going to be doing it for the first time in our Asian Pacific region because one in two of Malaysians are obese or overweight, and the same data is around the other countries in our region, and it is something that we really, really are passionate on uh improving, especially nutrition literacy and also improving their food choices on labels. So we're really looking forward to working with the national chapters in our region as well as um including youth voices during our whole nutrition um labeling literacy week.

SPEAKER_01 6:59

Um actually, we're working on two projects. Uh luckily we were able to get funding from three organizations. Yeah. So we already got the first funding and we implemented the training of trainers in Tunisia, and it's focusing on um training young people on certain topics that rural women need, and then funding these trainees, the trained trainees, to go implement the training in person, and they go to the women. So it's about decentralizing education, it's not only in the capital or certain places now. We go to them and we create uh environment for them where they can learn according to their timeline, to the culture too of that area. So that we implemented in Tunisia, and we're expanding it across the Nina region. Uh soon it will be Yemen, uh, Jordan, Egypt, and a second project, and this is our bigger project. We will have a regional innovation hub, and then by the end of the innovation hub and the um mentorship, we'll have like a green hackathon competition, and the winners will have like um microfunding to start their startup. Oh, great. And then we're gonna connect them to um other business incubator and accelerator to make sure that we are with them, not in every step, even after the innovation hub, to like make sure that we support them throughout the way, throughout the whole way uh to journey to make sure that um they get the support needed. Which is really important. Yeah, and also the ideas that it will create have to um solve a problem in the in the agri-food system in our region. So this is where supporting, empowering youth to create solutions, innovative solutions to agri-food system in our region.

SPEAKER_04 8:58

Exactly, that will affect affect you, your region, but also think and have a and have a global impact. But talking about all the projects you've been doing and of course uh global youth action plan that uh you launched uh last last year, and what are some of the achievements that you're most proud of?

SPEAKER_01 9:17

Um I for me I will say taking the first step in the TOT because the training of trainers, that was the first project implemented. Um, when we finish writing the global action plan, sometimes you just read it and you feel like, oh, this is too far, like this is so big, how am I going to reach this? Because we were so ambitious writing the the first draft.

SPEAKER_04 9:40

But can we can we before we even start deeper in explaining the because you already talked about some of the achievements? I think it's important to maybe further and better explain to our um audience what is actually Global Youth Action Plan.

SPEAKER_00 9:52

So it's basically a um a plan, a document for us youth to guide us youth on what we want to implant in our region. So every region is gonna have different issues. And for the Asian Pacific region, because I'm from that region, so it's very, very nutrition related as well as sustainable production related. So that is our um our, it's like a guide for us to know what is the end goal and what is the holistic picture gonna look like. Um but we're also looking forward to maybe add more in the upcoming uh global youth action plan because um we notice, you know, being on the youth policy board, maybe there are some areas we want to add in, but um, maybe after we achieve the first two actionable items.

SPEAKER_01 10:40

Thank you. And our region, the Nina region, we're focusing more on education and women, entrepreneurship, and that's why we're creating the the TOT or the Innovation Hub. So um, should I answer the Yes, yes? Okay, so yeah, the our biggest achievement was actually starting and taking the first step. That's the hardest always. Yeah, because when we finish the global action plan um of the NINA region, I look at it and I'm like, how? This is like, is it too ambitious? And like because we are like depending a little bit on funding and you know, with everything, and we're volunteers, we're not like a formal group to get funding and organization they don't know us. So to get the first funding in the bank account and seeing it and seeing we implementing, that was really I think one of the proudest moments. We started in April 2026, yeah, 2025. Oh my god. So that was the the the proudest moment, and then I feel once we took the first step and we start implementing, things were going like really in a good way because you feel like more um motivated, more encouraged, you feel like, oh, I can achieve this. No, it's it's cool, I can definitely achieve this. I did the first step, the second step will be like easy, and that's how it has been since April, and I'm really proud of the achievement that we're we're doing and the the collaboration that we got, the partnership. So, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:25

All right, thanks, Nanda. Um, as for our key achievements in the Asian Pacific region, we've not got that funding yet, but what we have been doing is trying to show the work we're doing that will aid in us um you know securing some funding in the future. But one of the major achievements I would say is regionally we came up with a capacity building workshop where we incorporated individuals, intergenerational um experts from uh academia, from uh production, from um agriculture, even from the Pacific representative. And it was nice to have a capacity building workshop where over 400 youth actually showed interest to join our session, but it was on a Saturday, and we still had over 200 youth actually being engaged throughout the session, and it was very, very uh eye-opening for us as new youth policy board members on the board. And um, our maybe other achievements on a national level, local level would be um in Pakistan. We actually uh had partnerships with Skelistan, a civil society organization, um, Ministry of Maritime Affairs, as well as Marine Conservation Pakistan, and um where we organized on-ground skills workshops for children and youth in uh Pakistan. And in Malaysia, we actually organized two local nutrition workshops for children and also rural women, and we educated over 300 of them to improve their nutrition uh knowledge as well as food choices on labeling. So it was interesting to have that experience, and we're really looking forward to have maybe funding in the future to scale it up.

SPEAKER_04 14:09

That's great. And with all the things you you achieved and that you're most proud of, what are some of the milestones you're hoping to reach by the end of 2026?

SPEAKER_01 14:18

By the end of 2026, we're hoping that um the entrepreneurs that we helped and the startups that we helped are actually starting to uh to come alive by 2026, and uh they they're launched in the uh what's called the business world. Yeah, they start to make impact, they start to um promote themselves, people hear about them. So maybe having more TOTs across the whole region. Like we have 2020, 22 countries, I think, I believe, in the Nina region. Um by the end of this year, we will have four countries, Tunisia and like other three countries. So hopefully by the end 2026, we cover all countries. And yeah, we support at least three startups. So that's what I'm envisioning, but also I'm hoping that we can reach more farmers, women, and young people, because this is for them. And you know, with in the global majority, remote villages, rural areas don't have the access to many tools like internet or like the phone. And I feel like we work, we do a lot of things online and for them, but it's not reaching them. So I hope by 2026 we find a way how we can reach more more the people that matter the most for us and for our project.

SPEAKER_00 15:41

Um, like I said, earlier we spoke to our Malaysian ambassador on a local level, national level. I I am really looking forward to implementing the uh rural program for rural women to improve their both nutrition and financial literacy, and we need funding for that. Um, and it is actually a really great platform for them based on my experience doing similar things like this. Those that are most active in this kind of workshop will have the opportunity to have a small model for them to, you know, improve their small food businesses as women. And also we're really looking forward to maybe get some of our governments from the board to be part of our um regional nutrition labeling literacy week and and get more youth to be inspired to join and also engage during the session because um that's that's also one of the ways we can you know scale it scale it up and touch youth from the multiple countries in our region.

SPEAKER_04 16:40

So, talking about 2026 and looking ahead, what kind of um of youth assembly do you envision by 2026 in terms of its influence, reach, and impact you hope it will give on uh global agri-food systems?

SPEAKER_01 16:57

Um well, I think the youth assembly is already doing a great job because this is my second year, and I'm already seeing um not improvement, but I I can see how much hard work is put in widening the reach, the impact, the diversity within the team. Um even like the YPB, the the youth policy board members, I can see like the diversity, I can see like the details and choosing the members and trying to represent as many countries as possible. Um, also including the the older the old cohort YPB as like advisory board or like um so I feel like they're already doing a great job moving to more diverse and bigger impact. Uh but I think yeah, the the one thing is we find a way to reach to uh rural uh rural youth and farmers, especially in the global majority. I feel maybe including like an advisory board of rural youth of farmers would be amazing to hear from them because as much as we do advocacy, as much as I do research and read books, I will never know their experiences because they have lived it. Exactly. So to have um a board of people with that lived experience would be like really interesting and enriching to our work.

SPEAKER_00 18:29

Thanks, Nada. I think everything that Nada said was in my mind, but um uh definitely what I envisioned for 2026, I I don't know because it's also my first term, but uh what I've been experiencing here has been really eye-opening. And having a country that has not been on this platform representing is very, very great and very, very humbling. I'm really grateful for that. And um, maybe also including other countries that are not really known in our region in future, like Vietnam or um other countries in our region. And um yeah, I think uh yeah, I'm re I it's very it's already good the job that's being done, and I I don't know what else maybe include AI, but also we really need to have more individuals from the grassroots rural, despite their language barrier, they can't speak English or they can't speak the language. Um there are so many individuals from different countries in our region that can't even speak English and speak the local language. We need to tap into that communities and find a way. And I believe being on the YPB is the best way.

SPEAKER_04 19:40

Definitely. And one last question that I have for you is uh I guess you're gonna motivate many young listeners uh through through this episode, and I'm sure that they're gonna try to get involved. So I wanted to ask you how can young people or even organizations uh connect to support initiatives like Youth Policy Board?

SPEAKER_01 20:02

Well, we have our global action plan posted online, so it would be amazing if they read it and see like um the common goals, objective, the synergy, and they can reach out to us. Uh, we would love to collaborate with organizations that share the same vision uh with young people who want to, for example, apply for the innovation hub, or maybe they support us to take the training of trainees to their countries. So uh this is for the NINA region. So the global action plan is there online on the World Food Forum website, so they can just take a look and see how they can they support. And uh we would love to for them to reach out, we would love to collaborate and explain more our vision and go through details. So please, any organizations listening, would love to work with you.

SPEAKER_00 21:00

Um we we similar to what Nada said, if you are interested to collaborating in whether from the civil society organization, private sector, public, we're really open to all. And um, not only that, if you want to just contribute in certain areas, whether it's um grant writing or um uh operations or communications or marketing or um just you know being a youth voice, please reach out to um you know us, and we are really really happy to collaborate with you, especially in our region.