Rebooting the Food System: Youth Engagement for Agroecology and Due Diligence
Rebooting the Food System: Youth Engagement for Agroecology and Due Diligence
The Rebootingthe Food System project, funded by the European Union’s DEAR (Development Education and Awareness Raising) program, aims to engage and inspire young people to become active agents of meaningful change in the global food system. the project aims to promote more equitable and sustainable agricultural practices by promoting the concepts of climate justice, environmental protection and gender equality, and by stimulating conscious and responsible food consumption.
The context
The global food system is in need of change. The EU has already taken an important step with the launch of the Strategy Farm to Fork, which aims to make food systems fair, healthy and environmentally friendly. The strategy aims to transform eating habits, encouraging the transition to a sustainable and affordable consumption pattern for all. However, low participation and limited support from those who could benefit most from an ecological and social transition-that is, young EU citizens-risk slowing the process of change considerably, slowing positive impacts in terms of sustainability and social justice. Therefore, a consortium of 14 organizations in 9 member states launched the “Rebootingthe Food System” action to raise awareness and mobilize young people in the EU to become agents of change themselves
The goals
The main objective is to raise awareness among young people about the importance of responsible and sustainable food consumption. Through educational activities and awareness-raising initiatives, the project promotes conscious consumption behaviors in line with the principles of climate justice, environmental protection and gender equality. Rebooting the Food System provides tools for understanding the impact of everyday food choices, promoting cultural change toward a more equitable and sustainable society.
The activities
Interactive communication campaign for young people; Development of an awareness and communication campaign to engage young people and engage them on the key issues of agroecology. Campaign being implemented and adapted to each national context.
Creating or regenerating urban gardens; Creating or regenerating community gardens aimed at engaging citizens and raising their awareness of alternative ways of food production and distribution.
Peer to peer training; A peer-to-peer training program in which young adults exchange ideas and interests, learn about various topics, and acquire skills on methodologies.
Participation in international conferences; During a series of international events 8 young people have the opportunity to connect with their peers from other countries and exchange best practices and expertise on various issues.
Production of Global Citizenship Education materials; Production of educational materials such as consumer guides, board games, videos and informal learning materials to be disseminated and promoted nationwide.
Publish a national call for third-party entities; Publish a nationwide call for subgranting to youth associations/organizations whose work is not directly focused on agroecology and global food supply chain issues.
Produce case studies on the social and environmental impacts of EU agribusinesses; case studies serve as practical tools to better understand the challenges and opportunities in the EU agribusiness sector, promoting more responsible and sustainable practices.
Updates
Vienna, Austria, January 28-30, 2025
Last January 28-30, a representation of Mani Tese was present in Vienna to participate as a project partner in the “Reboot Capacity Meeting.” The project aims to stimulate a new protagonism of young people so that they become engines of change in the global food system: sharing more equitable and sustainable agricultural practices, raising awareness of the concepts of climate justice, environmental protection and gender equality, and promoting conscious and responsible food consumption are just some of the macro-areas of intervention of the initiative.
The “Rebooting the Food System” project is part of the broader framework of youth engagement initiatives that Mani Tese has always carried out in various fields with a cross-cutting approach, which not only has an awareness-raising function but also acts as a container for the transformative protagonism that involves every level of society.
From this assumption, which means acting as much from a local perspective as on a global horizon, Mani Tese has developed over the years an articulated and complex vision that takes into consideration not only environmental issues, but also agricultural policies, food systems and natural resource management at local, national and international levels.
The younger generation is therefore a privileged stakeholder, capable of encouraging more conscious and responsible behavior, and thus becoming part of a network of citizens and institutions working together, “from below” and “from above,” for a more equitable and sustainable global food system.
With this wealth of values and experience, Mani Tese participated in the meeting at the end of January, coordinated by CIR (Christliche Initiative Romero), project leader, and hosted in the Vienna office of Suedwind; in the numerous training and self-training sessions, interactive workshops, and many group works, one of the main purposes was to delve precisely into the topic of youth involvement through an ad hoc body created for the project: the “Youth Council” in fact brings together young activists from different countries, who, according to a participatory logic, have taken on the task of conveying their vision and leaving an imprint on the “multiplier program,” that is, precisely a multiplier of initiatives that will continue even after the project has ended, but in programmatic continuity with it.
The creation of the Youth Council is, in the project context and in general, a key resource for giving young generations a voice and strengthening their role in shaping public policy, making them active participants in promoting concrete actions and allowing the right spaces to express concerns, ideas and solutions.
This project is co-funded by the European Union. The contents of this article are the responsibility of Mani Tese ETS alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.