The Australia-Pacific Youth Food Lab is a pilot programme run by the World Food Forum (WFF) Australia Youth Chapter and the WFF Fiji Chapter, in collaboration with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and regional partners. It is the local edition of the global Youth Food Lab network, adapted to Pacific and Australian food-systems challenges. Selected individuals and teams develop projects that tackle problems in agrifood systems and build sustainable, locally rooted solutions aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The 2026 pilot cohort runs virtually from 1 July to 31 August 2026. Applications for this cohort are closed; an expression-of-interest form collects contacts for future rounds.
Benefits & funding
- Expert-led virtual masterclasses (about two hours weekly)
- One-on-one mentorship (about one hour fortnightly)
- Access to funding opportunities for selected projects
- Connections to WFF, FAO and regional food-systems networks
- No participation fee
Eligibility
- Aged 18–35
- Based in Australia or a Pacific country (residency requirement)
- Applying as an individual or a team
- Working on an idea or project addressing agrifood-systems challenges
Can you apply?
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Residence required
Australia · Fiji · Papua New Guinea · Solomon Islands · Vanuatu · Samoa · Tonga · Kiribati · Tuvalu · Nauru · Palau · Marshall Islands
+ 3 more
Micronesia · Cook Islands · Niue
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Age requirement
18–35 yrs
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We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Complete the online application when a cohort is open (the 2026 pilot round is now closed).
- 2If applications are closed, submit the expression-of-interest form to be notified of the next round.
- 3Shortlisted applicants are selected to join the masterclass and mentorship cycle.
Program timeline
Pilot programme begins (virtual masterclasses and mentorship)
1 July 2026
Pilot programme ends
31 August 2026
Future rounds
dates to be announced; register interest via the EOI form