Nestlé and UNESCO have unveiled a global initiative aimed at tapping into youth innovation to enhance climate resilience in food systems. The program, “Youth Impact: Because You Matter,” will provide grants to 100 teams of young social impact innovators to develop solutions focusing on regenerative agriculture, climate change mitigation, and packaging sustainability.
The initiative targets young people aged 18-30, empowering them to launch business ideas that make food production, processing, transportation, and consumption more sustainable while directly or indirectly helping 500,000 people. The program comes at a critical time when the agriculture and food sector faces the highest rate of skills misalignment among young workers.
Nestlé and UNESCO: Building on proven success
The global expansion builds on a successful 2023 pilot program in Latin America that engaged 20 young leaders and benefited approximately 130,000 community members. One standout project from the pilot, “Earth-IoT: Conectando el Campo,” demonstrated significant impact by using digital tools to improve agricultural practices in Mexican rural areas.
This initiative achieved impressive results:
- 50% increase in farmers’ income projections
- 40% reduction in fertilizer usage
- 30% decrease in water and energy consumption
These outcomes showcased how youth-led innovation can address sustainability challenges while improving economic outcomes for agricultural communities.
Addressing critical skills gaps
The program responds to challenging workforce trends in agriculture. Young people today often lack employer-sought skills, with the agricultural sector showing particularly high skills misalignment. Additionally, interest in farming careers has declined among youth, even as sustainable agriculture requires new capabilities to ensure food security for a growing population while reducing environmental impact.
“A highly qualified future workforce and a more resilient supply of raw materials are essential to Nestlé’s long-term success,” said Laurent Freixe, CEO of Nestlé. “We’re facing the challenge of feeding a growing population while addressing the cause and effect of climate change. These are critical challenges that require decisive actions. That’s why we are supporting young changemakers in solving them.”
Selected teams will receive not only financial grants but also tailored training and mentoring programs through a six-month capability-building process. Nestlé’s Youth Entrepreneurship Platform (YEP) will develop training content and serve as the program’s central hub.
The initiative aligns with Nestlé’s broader “Nestlé needs YOUth” initiative, which has already helped ten million young people access economic opportunities over the past decade. It reinforces the company’s commitment to supporting young people in developing future-ready skills by 2030, fostering the next generation of employees, agripreneurs, and food entrepreneurs.
Applications for the program are now open. Interested young innovators can learn more and apply through the platform: Youth Impact – Because You Matter | UNESCO x Nestlé.
