Youth4Soil Manifesto Implementation Guide
Executive Summary
In 2025, the Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH), the Youth4Soil Network, and the UNCCD Youth Caucus initiated the development of a Youth4Soil Manifesto to promote a unified, youth-led agenda for action on soil health. It outlines eight global youth priorities to improve soil health, priority actions under each, and commitments towards a joint vision for 2050, amplifying youth voices in shaping soil-related policy, science, finance, and practice.
The eight Global Youth Priorities are:
Strengthen Soil Literacy and Practical Youth Education for Soil Health
Enable Youth-Led Soil Innovation and Data Systems
Ensure Meaningful Youth Participation in Soil Governance
Equip Youth with the Skills and Professional Pathways for Soil Health Action
Protect and Promote Indigenous and Local Knowledge and Practices as Co-Equal Evidence for Soil Health
Expand Youth Access to Finance and Investment for Soil Health
Centre Gender Equality and Inclusion of All Young People in Soil Health Action
Secure Youth Access to Land and Tenure Rights for Soil Health
This Implementation Guide is an action and advocacy tool that aims to help youth and allied actors design and implement activities that help to achieve the global youth priorities, and align and integrate youth priorities in global frameworks. The Guide builds on the co-creation process that produced the Youth4Soil Manifesto. It draws on the contributions of over 250 youth individuals and 60 youth-led organizations across regions, gathered through surveys, consultations, dialogues, and a call for stories... The Guide highlights key recommendations, enabling conditions, entry points for specific actors, and resources to support implementation of the Global Youth Priorities.
Key Messages:
Youth are actively involved in scaling soil health in all ecosystems, regions and nations on Earth, yet their participation is constrained by low access to resources, such as land and capital, and low inclusion in decision-making spaces
Youth are best placed to provide guidance on their needs, experiences, and interests so that they can meaningfully participate in soil health initiatives
There are ample examples of initiatives overcoming barriers to youth inclusion and that address the global youth priorities
Global frameworks are increasingly recognizing youth as key contributors to achieving global goals, but youth must be systematically included and prioritised in their design and implementation
