People don't resist change -- they resist loss. And right now, we are facing devastating losses. With the avalanche of global aid cuts, experts estimate that 2.3 million children in low- and middle-income countries will lose support to treat acute malnutrition. This means over 350,000 extra preventable child deaths yearly.
Climate change is accelerating. Rapid environmental shifts are robbing millions of smallholder farmers of their ability to grow nutritious food. Meanwhile, conflict and war continue to displace communities and deepen hunger. The Global Report on Food Crises shows that more than 295 million people faced acute hunger last year, the sixth consecutive annual increase.
In the face of multiple overlapping crises, losing access to real food cannot be an option. Since 2021, global leaders have responded to the UN Secretary-General's urgent call: transform our food systems to secure the future of real food. While "food systems" may sound abstract, their consequences are real and tangible. They show up in the rising cost of groceries, the dignity of farm work, the fight for food justice and growing demand for climate accountability. Food systems connect nutrition, sustainability, livelihoods and equity.
Thailand is playing a key role in this transformation. As host of the Preparatory Youth Conference for the upcoming UN Food Systems Summit +4 in May, Bangkok welcomed over 100 young leaders committed to reshaping how we grow, distribute, consume and dispose of food. These delegates -- most of whom came from developing countries -- shared strategies to support their national governments in implementing meaningful food systems reform.
With its ability to bring people together, the UN remains a critical space where declining trends can be reversed into collective progress. But to spark transformation, leadership is essential. And that leadership must include the next generation.
Young people are not waiting their turn -- they are stepping up now. They are demanding a seat at the decision-making table, especially on food policy. They understand that intergenerational change doesn't happen through viral social media posts or one-off events. It takes investment of time, money, training and trust. It means equipping young professionals with the political education and organising skills needed to influence and lead.
In an age dominated by ultra-processed foods and profit-driven agribusiness, youth are resisting systems that harm people and the planet. They know health doesn't come wrapped in plastic. They advocate for diets that prevent disease, farming that heals the Earth and policies that put people before profit. They are also challenging the gender norms that keep young women trapped in informal, undervalued roles across the food chain -- from harvesting to selling. Young leaders are thus reclaiming the meaning of real food: fresh, local, seasonal and grown with care. They are not only calling for change -- they are growing it, cooking it, and organising for it. Through agroecology, regenerative agriculture and localised economies, they are building food systems that restore ecosystems and communities.
Yet passion alone is not enough. Youth-led initiatives remain underfunded and under-supported. Youth unemployment globally still hovers at about 12.6% (2024), and many young changemakers face insecure work and limited opportunities for influence. To be effective, public policies must not be crafted behind closed doors or imposed top-down. They must be co-created with those who live the consequences of inaction -- and who are choosing, every day, to act anyway.
Activism. Politics. Systems leadership. These are not optional -- they are essential to change the status quo and build fair, resilient food systems. The Youth Preparatory Conference, organised by the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub with support from FAO, was more than a symbolic gathering. Its outcomes will feed into the upcoming UN Food Systems Summit +4 and inform global talks at COP30 in Brazil.
We call on governments, institutions and donors to fund youth-led innovation. Include youth in decision-making bodies. Create platforms not just for participation -- but for leadership.
To secure the future of food, leaders must serve people before profits. Bangkok showed us that young people are already doing the work -- from influencing policy to launching climate-smart farming projects and reinventing urban agriculture. They are proving that leadership is not about age -- it's about action.
Dr Stefanos Fotiou is Director of the United Nations Food Systems Coordination Hub, which is hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Dr Nicole de Paula is the Science for Food Systems Technical Officer at the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub and author of the book 'Breaking the Silos for Planetary Health: A Roadmap for a Resilient Post-Pandemic World'.