Food systems form complex webs of food production, supply, and value chain activities that play an integral part for food security and livelihoods of people across the globe. In this, youth are a key stakeholder group who rely upon the sustainability and stability of food systems for their health, wellbeing, nutrition, development, and livelihoods while also having the potential to engage and facilitate food system transformation. Youth equally have the power to change consumption and production patterns in a positive or negative direction. Therefore, youth engagement to find a way forward to build resilient food systems is paramount to ensure the health and well-being of the planet and of generations to come.

SLYCAN Trust has organized a series of youth-focused independent national and provincial dialogues as part of the United Nations Food Systems Summit process in parallel to the member state dialogues conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture. The event series targeted youth between 18-35 years from all nine provinces, aiming to bring forth their ideas in line with the Summit’s five action tracks and collect their input on the role of youth in sustainable and resilient food systems.

Guided by five Action Tracks and four “levers of change,” the United Nations Food Systems Summit is aimed at transforming the way the world produces and consumes food as a part of the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The five action tracks include: ensuring access to safe and nutritious food for all; shifting to sustainable consumption patterns; boosting nature-positive production; advancing equitable livelihoods; and building resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks, and stresses.

This event is organized with the aim of launching the integrated report which shares the information gathered through the series of youth dialogues as well as highlighting key aspects and findings related to youth engagement in climate action, food systems, and resilience-building. It targets an audience of key government entities and officials, other organizations working on food systems and youth in the country, universities and research institutions, the private sector, and other relevant stakeholders in the Sri Lankan food systems space.