The UN Food Systems Youth Leadership Programme is implemented by the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub and FAO Regional Offices, with support from Germany’s BMZ. Its second cohort runs from 2026 through 2028 and develops emerging leaders working in policy, science, entrepreneurship, advocacy, and community action.
Participants build systems-thinking and leadership skills through peer learning, mentoring, expert collaboration, and practical engagement in food-systems processes. The programme page says second-cohort applications are now under review.
Benefits & funding
- Systems-thinking and leadership development.
- Access to peers, experts, UN partners, mentoring, and collaborative learning.
- Practical tools for increasing impact and engagement in global food-systems processes.
- The official 2026 call does not state a participation fee, stipend, travel allowance, or accommodation coverage.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be 18–35 years old.
- Applicants must be nationals of a World Bank low- or middle-income economy.
- English proficiency is required.
- Applicants must demonstrate experience in food systems, sustainable development, climate action, or a related field.
- Applicants must have led or contributed to an initiative in a community, organization, institution, or sector.
- Applicants must commit to full participation through 2028.
- Applications from young farmers, entrepreneurs, policy advocates, researchers, science communicators, Indigenous and local-community representatives, and civil-society leaders are particularly encouraged; this is a preference, not a separate eligibility gate.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Eligible nationalities
Afghanistan · Albania · Algeria · Angola · Argentina · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Bangladesh · Belarus · Belize · Benin · Bhutan
+ 119 more
Bolivia · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Botswana · Brazil · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cabo Verde · Cambodia · Cameroon · Central African Republic · Chad · China · Colombia · Comoros · Congo, Dem. Rep. · Congo, Rep. · Côte d'Ivoire · Cuba · Djibouti · Dominica · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · Egypt · El Salvador · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Fiji · Gabon · Gambia · Georgia · Ghana · Grenada · Guatemala · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Haiti · Honduras · India · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Jamaica · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kenya · Kiribati · Korea, Dem. People's Rep. · Kosovo · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Malaysia · Maldives · Mali · Marshall Islands · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mexico · Micronesia · Moldova · Mongolia · Montenegro · Morocco · Mozambique · Myanmar · Namibia · Nepal · Nicaragua · Niger · Nigeria · North Macedonia · Pakistan · Palestine · Papua New Guinea · Paraguay · Peru · Philippines · Rwanda · Samoa · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Serbia · Sierra Leone · Solomon Islands · Somalia · South Africa · South Sudan · Sri Lanka · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines · Sudan · Suriname · Syria · Tajikistan · Tanzania · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Togo · Tonga · Tunisia · Türkiye · Turkmenistan · Tuvalu · Uganda · Ukraine · Uzbekistan · Vanuatu · Venezuela · Vietnam · Yemen · Zambia · Zimbabwe
Age requirement
18–35 yrs
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Application process
- 1Review the official programme page and the second-cohort call.
- 2Complete the linked online application form before the deadline.
- 3Await the Hub’s application review and later announcements.
Program timeline
Second-cohort call announced.
Jun 15, 2026
Application deadline.
Jul 13, 2026
Second-cohort programme period; detailed activity dates are not published on the current official pages.
2026–2028
After the deadline
Applications under review; decision dates are not published.