Youth Policy Pathways for Land and Food: Advancing Action on Land Degradation Neutrality
The Twenty-Third Session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC23) marks a critical moment for assessing collective progress toward Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) and advancing sustainable land management (SLM) as a driver of climate resilience, biodiversity protection, and food security.
Globally, nearly one-third of the Earth’s land is degraded, threatening the livelihoods of more than 3 billion people. Land degradation, compounded by drought and unsustainable agricultural practices, undermines food production, nutrition, and rural stability particularly in regions with a young and growing population.
In this context, youth engagement is not a peripheral concern but a core requirement for achieving the Convention’s objectives. Young people are at the forefront of land restoration, agroecology, and community-led innovation. However, their perspectives often remain underrepresented in formal policymaking, financing mechanisms, and implementation structures under the UNCCD.
This side event seeks to address that gap by connecting youth networks, policymakers, and technical experts to discuss and co-develop practical, actionable pathways for embedding youth leadership into land and food systems policy processes. It will explore how youth-led innovations, data, and local action can inform national LDN reporting, strengthen policy coherence, and contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Objectives:
Examine the interconnections between LDN, food systems transformation, and meaningful youth inclusion under the UNCCD framework.
Showcase youth-led initiatives and partnerships advancing land restoration, drought resilience, sustainable agrifood systems, and community-based monitoring that contribute to national LDN targets.
Facilitate structured dialogue between youth networks, governments, and international agencies to identify actionable mechanisms for youth participation in the LDN target setting process, implementation, reporting, and monitoring.
Speakers:
Moderator: Tiffany Marcelle, Youth Policy Board member, WFF Global Youth Action Initiative
Barron Joseph Orr, Chief Scientist, UNCCD
Daniela Solis, Coordinator, Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH), Youth4Soil Initiative
Mahathi Aguvaveedi, Focal Point, Food Security and Agriculture, UNCCD Youth Caucus
Angie Michelle, Child Fund Alliance
Alla Ljungman, Environmental Specialist, GEF
Tatenda Lemann, Executive Team, WOCAT
Nora Berrahmouni, Deputy Director, Land and Water Division, FAO