Meet the 2025 Youth Food Lab teams – The power of young changemakers
The finals of the third edition of the Youth Food Lab (YFL) were held during the World Food Forum (WFF) Flagship event at the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). Here, the 10 teams from 8 different countries had a chance to pitch the projects they had been working on through the YFL lab in the previous months.
Youth Food Lab is a collaboration between Wageningen University and Research (WUR), the World Food Forum, and the International Association of Students in Agricultural and Related Sciences (IAAS). The main goals are to provide support and mentorship to young innovators to develop their projects in the transformation to a more sustainable agrifood system.
The participants made their way to the YFL through the various projects and challenges. At the WUR, the below 5 teams were selected through the Food System Innovation Challenge 2024, where youth engagement and entrepreneurship are supported.
• Ecogrub, Nepal (on picture)
• Fruitie Boost, Uganda
• Green Scholars, Ethiopia
• Success Tribe, Uganda
• AgroEssential, Brazil
The finals began with opening remarks from His Excellency Andi Amran Sulaiman, Secretary General of Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture, who reaffirmed Indonesia’s dedication to nurturing young innovators and strengthening agrifood system resilience. FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol then took the stage, applauding the collective effort and determination shown by all participants.
Between the pitches, a musical performance by Indonesian artist Delly Sape added a vibrant cultural touch to the program. The agenda also included insights from Jean Muthamia-Mwenda of SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, who highlighted how youth-driven entrepreneurship is shaping the future of agrifood systems.
The event also celebrated the contributions of the Local Youth Food Labs, each working to empower young entrepreneurs in their regions:
• YFL The Netherlands, represented by Mirjam Troost (WUR), offers support to young entrepreneurs from the Global South.
• YFL North America, represented by Maria Spencer and Jesse Torba (Penn State University), helps innovators refine their concepts and turn them into market-ready ventures.
• YFL Latin America and the Caribbean, led by FAO and Universidad Mayor de Chile, equips regional youth with entrepreneurial tools, as reflected in the experience shared by Ithan Solano Aguirre.
• YFL Nepal, led by the FAO Country Office in Nepal and the WFF Nepal Youth Chapter with King’s College, fosters the growth of youth-founded start-ups across the country.
After all the pitches, all the teams were rewarded 1100 euros through the University Fund Wageningen by Elisabeth Boelrijk to support them after the program. Additionally, the People’s Choice Award of another 1000 euros was won by one of the teams, and Maria Spencer and Jesse Torba of Penn State University granted three teams access to engineering laboratory facilities.
2025 WFF Youth Food Lab winners
People’s Choice Award – Powered by University Fund Wageningen
Sweet Root (Indonesia)
A project that transforms sweet potato waste into nutritious and innovative food products.
Youth Food Lab x The Learning Factory Award – Powered by The Learning Factory
SAMPADA (Nepal)
A team turning rice husk into Agro-Bloom, a value-added, sustainable paper alternative
Congratulations to all the 2025 Youth Food Lab teams for their creativity, impact, and dedication to building a more sustainable agrifood future.
2025 Youth Food Lab Final Event
Contact
Contact us for more information
ir. M (Mirjam) Troost
Coordinator WUR Student Challenges and Youth Food Lab
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