Youth Food Lab Global
Success Tribe
Empower young entrepreneurs in the Global South to build resilient food systems
Young people in the Global South are already facing the daily consequences of climate change, food insecurity and limited economic opportunities. Contribute to Youth Food Lab Global and support these young changemakers to turn locally rooted ideas into viable entrepreneurial solutions, strengthening food systems and livelihoods where impact is most urgently needed.
Youth Food Lab Global is powered by Wageningen University & Research, one of the world’s leading institutions in food and agricultural systems. Through mentoring, seed funding, training and access to global networks, Youth Food Lab Global helps young entrepreneurs develop the confidence and entrepreneurial mindset to move from idea to implementation, and to repeat that success over time.
Food Systems Innovation Challenge
Youth Food Lab Global builds on the Food Systems Innovation Challenge, a six-month programme that reaches hundreds of students each year. The most promising teams continue into the Youth Food Lab incubation programme, established in 2023 by Wageningen University & Research and partners World Food Forum and IAAS, where they receive longer-term support to refine, scale and sustain their initiatives.
Collaboration and local embedding
By working through partner universities in the Global South, Youth Food Lab Global embeds challenge-based education locally and strengthens institutional capacity. This partnership approach ensures that entrepreneurial skills, networks and learning remain in place long after individual projects have ended.
This is what your contribution to Youth Food Lab Global means
Your contribution helps Youth Food Lab Global to:
- provide seed funding for early-stage youth ventures
- support mentoring, training and pitch preparation
- strengthen partner universities through a train-the-trainers model
- enable promising teams to scale their solutions beyond pilot level
Wageningen University & Research covers core staffing and coordination, ensuring that donations flow directly to young entrepreneurs and their projects.
Jason Leysner
One of Youth Food Lab Global’ flagship initiatives is Waste2Wonders received international recognition when the King and Queen of the Netherlands visited the team.
Example of impact: Waste2Wonders (Suriname)
One of Youth Food Lab Global’ flagship initiatives is Waste2Wonders, a student-led project from Suriname that turns rice husks and coconut waste into biodegradable planting trays. Developed by students from the Anton de Kom University of Suriname, the project received international recognition when the King and Queen of the Netherlands visited the team and discussed the solution’s potential for scaling. Waste2Wonders is now preparing to pitch at the World Food Forum in Rome, while working to move from manual to mechanised production.
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Discover more
Food Systems Innovation Challenge 2026
The Food Systems Innovation Challenge strives to cultivate youth engagement and entrepreneurship by actively involving young individuals in national efforts concerning socially and environmentally sustainable food systems.
Wageningen Ambassadors
Youth Food Lab Global is supported by the Wageningen Ambassadors. The Wageningen Ambassadors are prominent alumni of Wageningen University & Research (WUR). They are all leaders in business, government and nonprofit sectors and are sympathetic towards WUR. With the deployment of their network, experience and financial resources, they aim to build a bridge between WUR and society.
University Fund Wageningen
Creating a difference together with donors and partners for students, researchers and young entrepreneurs at WUR.