A multi-stakeholder partnership, FAST aims to accelerate agriculture and food systems transformation by 2030 for people, climate, and nature. FAST held its inception meeting on 10th December, 2023 in Expo City Dubai during COP28, where YPARD Director Genna Tesdall represented youth voices.
December 12, 2023, Berlin, Germany: On COP28’s Food, Agriculture and Water Day, the FAST Partnership was officially launched in the Presidency Roundtable, Al Saih room at Expo City Dubai. This partnership is the culmination of the FAST Initiative which was launched at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The Presidency of COP27 tasked the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to operationalize the FAST Initiative into the FAST Partnership and host the Task Force acting as a Secretariat. The goal of the FAST Partnership is to improve the quality and quantity of climate finance to agrifood systems, and it will operate through three pillars: Access to finance, Knowledge and capacity, and Policy support and dialogue, with a view to foster sustainable agricultural transformation.The inception meeting held at COP28 saw interventions from Ministers and high-level representatives of Countries and Organizations supporting the work of the FAST Partnership. Genna Tesdall delivered her intervention on youth inclusion in agriculture and food systems transformation on behalf of the global network Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD), which has over 33000 members and also takes part in the Food and Agriculture Working Group of the UNFCCC youth constituency YOUNGO.
During her intervention, Genna emphasized the importance of involving youth in partnerships like FAST. She stated that 16% of the global population is made up of youth, even by conservative definitions of the term, and that the majority of youth in developing countries are already involved in agriculture. She concluded by affirming youth support in intergenerational cooperation and action.
Genna Tesdall delivering her intervention at the FAST Partnership inception meeting.
“It is our express honor to take part in the FAST Partnership board. The inclusion of youth in the FAST Partnership Board shows visionary leadership on the parts of the FAST Partnership, the FAST Initiative, FAO, and the Egyptian and UAE Presidencies. We commit to engage the creativity, energy and indeed the present and future of young food systems professionals to implement climate mitigation and adaptation.”
-Genna Tesdall, Director, YPARD
To learn more about the FAST Partnership, please visit the FAST Partnership webpage.