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It has been wonderful to see so many at Food Tank events recently, in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Rome. As Food Tankers gather to discuss some of the most pressing issues in our food and agriculture systems, I am always excited to meet with young people.
Youth advocates are the future, literally—they are brave, undaunted, and clear-eyed young folks pushing for the change they know is possible. I’ve talked before about finding mentors who are younger than us, who can inspire and invigorate us.
During a discussion at COP27, the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Egypt last year, youth leaders told us that policymakers need to involve young people in serious discussions “if we’re truly going to save the world.”
“I want the world leaders to treat the climate crisis as a crisis,” said Vanessa Nakate, a climate activist from Uganda and Founder of the Rise up Climate Movement.
She’s right—the stakes couldn’t be higher.
July was the hottest month on record globally, ever. Temperatures went past the previous hottest month, July 2019, by 0.33°C. From severe, daylong floods in China’s breadbasket to tragic wildfires in Hawaii made worse by hurricane winds, natural disasters are becoming stronger and more devastating.
And around the globe, young people are worried about the world they’ll inherit. For a study in Lancet Planet Health, researchers surveyed 10,000 people between the ages of 16-25 in 10 countries. They found that nearly six in 10 young people are very or extremely worried about climate change, and 84 percent are at least moderately worried.
We need to recognize that, as a growing demographic, young people’s energy is more critical than ever. Worldwide, 1.2 billion people are aged 15 to 24. In sub-Saharan Africa, one of the youngest demographic regions of the world, 70 percent of people are under 30.
Youth advocates aren’t just part of the solution—they are the solution.
Youth are leading movements: As the co-founder of the Re-Earth Initiative and a member of the Otomi-Toltec Indigenous Community, Xiye Bastida helps highlight the intersectionality of the climate crisis. Bisrat Fikadu, a climate justice advocate, is helping galvanize a movement of young leaders in Ethiopia.
Youth are making sustainability a reality: With the Cacao Project, farmer and chef Louise Emmanuelle Mabulo is helping farmers in the Philippines produce cacao more responsibly. As the West Asia Regional Director for Youth4Nature, Rayan Kassem is prioritizing biodiversity.
Youth are already thinking about the next generation: Across Africa and in her native Uganda, Vanessa Nakate is amplifying the activists’ voices and helping schools prioritize eco-friendly approaches. Ollie Perrault founded Youth Climate Action Now, in Massachusetts. And Ayisha Siddiqa, a Pakistani-American advocate, co-founded Fossil Free University, a 12-week training course for climate justice advocates.
These are just a few of the many amazing young folks whose work I deeply respect. It’s not enough to just talk about the “youth voice” abstractly—we need to give them space, resources, and access to succeed.
“What I want from more leaders…is for them to really include youth as stakeholders, not just as tokens,” Xiye Bastida says.
All of us need to be better advocates for youth—the future depends on it.
Let’s brainstorm ways to elevate young people in our own communities. Email me at [email protected] to share ideas and stories of youth advocates paving the way to a more climate-friendly future.
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Photo courtesy of li-an-lim, Unsplash
