Engaging Young Minds in Shaping the Future of Agrifood Systems: The Junior Innovation Policy Labs in Action

On March 26th, 2025, the Office of Innovation hosted a dynamic session of the Junior Innovation Policy Labs at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy. The event, organized by Nevena Alexandrova-Stefanova, leader of the Policies and Capacities for Innovation Unit, with her colleagues Zofia Mroczek, Manuela Bucciarelli and Yuxin Hong as facilitators, provided a platform for young minds to dive into the world of agrifood systems, policy, and innovation. 

The event brought together enthusiastic Erasmus students who participated in interactive basecamps and roleplays, addressing real-world issues in policy, science, and technology.  

The Junior Innovation Policy Lab aimed to empower participants to develop innovative, evidence-based solutions for global agrifood systems’challenges. In particular, the students took on roles in a simulated policy environment, where they collaboratively developed future-oriented, evidence-based policy actions. 

Key highlights from the session included: 

• Guest from the Future: Participants had the unique opportunity to interact with a "guest from the year 2045" who provided insights into the realities of the future. Using this knowledge, students crafted policy actions to tackle future challenges in agrifood systems, such as the role of cell-based meat, agrobiodiversity, water scarsity and the integration of AI in agrifood systems. 
• Ministerial Council: Students assumed roles as ministers of various sectors—strategic planning, economy, environment, agriculture, and technology. Together, they used the PESTLE+E framework to draft policy actions on critical issues like desalination, agroecology, alternative proteins, and AI in agriculture, ensuring each action was future-informed and aligned with societal values. 

The Junior Innovation Policy Lab provided a fantastic opportunity for the next generation of innovators to actively engage in shaping the future. The event highlighted how collaboration and forward-thinking policy can drive sustainable solutions to the challenges of agrifood systems and water security. 

In the days following the event, students put their learning into action with further activities, including by producing a collaborative video project that explored key themes from the lab.  

The project also features interviews with market vendors and consumers, touching on topics such as AI in agriculture, cell-based meat, agroecology, intergenerational relationship and water scarcity. The videos are a testament to the creativity and insights sparked during the Junior Innovation Policy Labs and underline the urgency of policies for regulation and an enabling environment. For example, in the words of the students, “there should be protection of local businesses and cooperatives.” 

FAO’s Office of Innovation continues to foster creativity and collaboration in policy development, bringing together diverse perspectives to address the world’s most pressing issues.

Find out more about FAO's Innovation Policy Labs here.