The SDGs were agreed upon by world leaders at the highest level. But they need to be delivered by ordinary citizens. And when it comes to shaping a better future, who better to ask than the next generation of young leaders? Since 2013, the biennial Youth Ag-Summit has gathered together young agricultural champions (aged 18-25) from all four corners of the globe to tackle the challenge of feeding a hungry planet. The 2017 edition was the biggest (with 100 young delegates from 49 countries) and the boldest yet. The premise? 100 heads are better than one. Delegates were tasked with developing concrete projects designed to beat food insecurity - projects which are now being rolled out on the ground. The Summit has gone from milestone moment, to a movement with unstoppable momentum.

Between the selection of the delegates (May) and their arrival in Brussels (October 2017) we focused on amplifying their voices as representatives of a wider youth advocacy movement. This began with a series of “meet the delegates” blog posts, shared widely on owned and partner social media channels. Delegates were also provided with guidance on how to make the most of their own networks, and amplify their advocacy and the messages of the Summit even further. We worked with colleagues in the delegates’ 49 different home countries to drive global pre-event coverage, as well as reaching out to Belgian and EU-based media. Ultimately, media representatives from 10 countries and 16 different outlets attended the Summit itself. The Summit was also promoted across social media, targeting those in the online ‘agvocate’ space to engage with the next crop of young leaders.

Communications outcomes: 400 pieces of coverage in 36 countries and 5 continents with a total potential audience of over 60 million, and 27,000 social media engagements including from the European Parliament and Commission. #youthagsummit was trending in Belgium for two days without paid promotion. Project outcomes: three ideas were selected for funding; first place went to AGRIKUA’s proposal for a platform to upskill Kenya’s female farmers. This team will present progress at European Development Days and attend the UN CFS. Other delegates have been raising awareness of food security issues in fora organized by institutions such as the UNFCCC (COP23), the UK Parliament, and the World Farmers Organization. These activities from part of the Youth Ag-Summit Legacy programme which works to support and grow our global community of agvocates. A recent global media audit found that the Youth Ag-Summit has made a net positive contribution towards overall organizational brand reputation.