Kick-Off Meeting of the
Empower Youth4Food Community
Nuffic Southeast Asia organised the first Empower Youth4Food Community briefing for the Vietnam Chapter, to introduce the objectives and mission of the Empower Youth4Food initiative and to motivate participants to become ambassadors for sustainable food practices in their communities and beyond.
Ambassadors and Volunteers!
The EY4F Community is a platform where like-minded individuals, referred to as Ambassadors and Volunteers, come together with a shared passion for advancing the EY4F campaign. Ambassadors and Volunteers are envisioned to be enthusiastic young individuals committed to advocating for sustainable food practices and making a tangible difference in their communities.
Ambassadors are selected through a process led by Nuffic Southeast Asia and commit to running the campaign for at least one year, while volunteers are open to anyone interested in engaging and contributing to the campaign's success. Depending on the frequency and quality of their engagement, volunteers may be considered for appointment as ambassadors in the future.
What did they say?
The event kicked off with a friendly introduction session aimed at building connections and a common purpose among attendees. Participants included students from bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D. programs, as well as young professionals and entrepreneurs, some of whom are alumni of Dutch Higher Education Institutions. They came from diverse academic backgrounds, ranging from agriculture to economics, public policy, environment, and international relations.
During the event, volunteer Bao Anh Ngo Ngoc (Susan) shared her insights on the importance of involving more young people in farming to address global food security concerns. She emphasized how advancements in technology and commercialization have made farming less attractive to youth and stressed the need for sustainable agriculture practices led by young people.
The discussion then turned to why the EY4F Campaign focuses on Vietnam. Volunteer Quoc Nguyen highlighted the country's growing community of researchers, scholars, and institutions dedicated to food innovation and agriculture, suggesting significant potential for transformative change within the food system.
Despite the potential, young individuals pursuing careers in agriculture face criticism from peers and loved ones. Susan and EY4F Ambassador Yen Chao shared their personal experiences of overcoming skepticism and finding support within their communities for their agricultural pursuits.
The Empower Youth4Food campaign aims to increase youth involvement in agriculture by highlighting its potential for personal and professional growth, as well as its environmental benefits.
What was initially intended as a briefing to clarify objectives and roles evolved into a space for sharing personal challenges and innovative ideas. From these shared experiences emerged a profound understanding of the opportunities within agricultural studies and career paths for young individuals. As one participant aptly put it, "In the soil of our challenges grows the seeds of opportunity."
About Empower Youth4Food (EY4F) Community
The Empower Youth4Food (EY4F) Community is a collaborative initiative aimed at engaging and empowering young leaders to drive positive change in food sustainability. Led by Nuffic Southeast Asia and supported by funding from The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and co Funded by the European Union (EU), as well as partnerships with various institutions/organizations, the EY4F Community provides a platform for Ambassadors and Volunteers to advocate for sustainable food practices and work towards building a more resilient food system.
Click the button below if you would like to sign up as an ambassador or volunteer!