Securing the future of food and agriculture through agroecology principles
YARN is a network of youth and youth-led civil society groups, farmers, scientists, and activists from the Global South. Our collective focus is on harnessing the principles of agroecology and best practices to champion the right to healthy food, restore soil health, and align agrifood systems with the landscape restoration, biodiversity conservation, and climate adaptation agenda, and the global sustainable development goals. Its members engage with a spectrum of critical food-related issues, spanning nutrition, inequality and social justice, environmental justice, resilience, and livelihoods, aligned with global agreements and processes. YARN has a network of over 20 youth groups across 18 countries, mostly in Africa and the Asia-Pacific.
Our vision is a world with an agrifood systems based on agroecology, food sovereignty, and sustainable land use that bolsters social and environmental justice.
We are set out to mobilize actions and policy reform that are need-based and home-grown, to the trio challenges of climate change, food insecurity, and rural poverty. Our coalition provides a platform for individuals and youth-led civil society groups to co-create efforts that prioritizes agroecology and regenerative best practices for food systems transformation and community resilience.
To ensure that food and farming systems is sustainably aligned with the landscape restoration, biodiversity conservation, and adaptation agenda, while ensuring wholesome food production and alleviating rural poverty, aligned with sustainable development goals 1, 2, 13, and 15.
Our Services
We are an organization dedicated to addressing the pressing issues of hunger, rural poverty, and the climate crisis by working at the intersection of agriculture, climate change, nature, and agrobiodiversity.
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We believe that education and capacity building can influence the willingness of people to become agents of change. YARN facilitates the transfer of knowledge and best practices on regenerative agriculture to local farmers.
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We are providing a platform that brings together farmers, city representatives, food researchers, and seed organizations to strengthen trust and reawaken the culture of working together and building lasting relationships.
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We showcase stories of young people that are working to ensure food sovereignty and ecological restoration across Africa to show that the engagement of young people in the changemaking space can meaningfully be beyond activism.
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In our committed effort to enhance the adoption of sustainable farming practices among farmers, we provide support and organize incentive -based programmes for local farmers.
Strengthening youth engagement and social inclusion perspective in Africa’s and Global food security and sovereignty aligns with the principle of “Leaving No One Behind”. Today, young people are increasingly concerned with climate change, environmental degradation, food insecurity, and social inequalities. Many are already taking action in their communities through initiatives promoting sustainable farming, environmental stewardship, and community empowerment. However, there is a need to organize, mobilize, and amplify the voices and actions of young people working towards agroecology. The Youth in Agroecology and Restoration Network (YARN) is building a movement of young leaders committed to advancing agroecology as a solution to the global trio challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity, while alleviating rural poverty in the same process.
Youth Network shaped by the collective voices of frontline communities: A well-established global network of youth committed to agroecology, facilitating knowledge sharing, collaboration, and mutual support.
Increased Awareness and Advocacy Impact: Increased recognition of the importance of agroecology in addressing global challenges and greater youth participation in policy discussions related to food systems, climate change, and sustainability.
Capacity Development: A new generation of empowered youth with practical skills and knowledge to implement agroecology in their communities and advocate for sustainable food systems at various levels.
Sustainable Impact: Youth-led initiatives that demonstrate the potential of agroecology in building resilient, sustainable, and equitable food systems, and the invaluable role of young people in leading the way to ensuring sustainable progress on food sovereignty and securing the future of food.
Our success speaks to how we use this Network as an opportunity to form and strengthen relationships, make visible the voices of smallholder farmers, particularly youth and women farmers, and amplify diversity of authentic narratives on food-climate-nature to inform need-based policies and interventions in national, regional, and global processes.
Our Process
Organise in-person and online workshops on agroecological practices, leadership, advocacy, and policy engagement for smallholders. This includes training on organic farming, seed harvesting and conservation, soil health and water management, agroforestry, and sustainable food systems.
Support youth-led initiatives on the ground, such as community gardens, urban agriculture projects, and sustainable farming cooperatives. These projects will serve as demonstration and model farms for learning and others.
Engage in local and global advocacy campaigns to promote the integration of agroecology into national policies, climate action plans, and international agreements like the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Provide training, tools, and resources to equip young leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to implement and scale agroecological practices in their communities.
Facilitate a multi-stakeholder and intergenerational dialogue platform on how social inclusion perspectives are prioritized in land, soil, and water management strategies and discuss challenges faced.
Photo Speaks
We Cultivate Food Sovereignty
Real stories from youth transforming food systems.
I am inspired by the organization’s commitment to promoting sustainable farming practices and fostering collaboration among stakeholders. Their initiatives and projects have created a platform for sharing knowledge, innovations, and success stories, driving positive change in the realm of food sovereignty
Food activist
Thanks to the organization’s advocacy efforts, our voices as indigenous community members are being heard. They have raised awareness about the importance of food sovereignty and the conservation of indigenous seeds. Together, we are working towards policy reforms that protect our rights and empower our communities
Indigenous Community Member
The organization’s support and collaboration have been invaluable in revitalizing our local farming practices and preserving our indigenous seed heritage. Through their guidance and resources, we have regained control over our food system and strengthened our community’s resilience
Local Farmer
The organization’s support and collaboration have been invaluable in revitalizing our local farming practices and preserving our indigenous seed heritage. Through their guidance and resources, we have regained control over our food system and strengthened our community’s resilience
Local Farmer
Authors: Opeyemi Elujulo and Tennyson Williams https://businessday.ng/pro/article/nigerias-path-to-food-sovereignty-lies-in-agroecology-and-family-farms Nigeria’s food future is at a pivotal moment. In a significant development, the
As small-scale food producers, we have long understood the deep connection between food systems and biodiversity. But a disturbing cycle
His Excellency, President Bola H. Tinubu The undersigned organisations are writing on behalf of the millions of Nigerian smallholders, environmental
