Session Notes- Youth Leading COVID Responses and Track 1: Food Systems

This is the session note from the session on Day 1 (Tuesday, November 9, 2021) of the USAID YouthPower2 Symposium about Youth Leading COVID Responses and Track 1: Food Systems.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all of us, especially the lives of our world’s young people who have been disproportionately affected by disrupted schooling, vulnerability issues (health, gender-based violence), and access (connectivity, social supports). Youth have also demonstrated their creativity, strength, and leadership throughout the crisis as community activists, volunteers, and entrepreneurs across various sectors. They have adapted to the challenges in ways large and small. This session takes a deep dive into the impact of the pandemic on three key sectors: food systems, health, and education. Each breakout session is co-facilitated by youth who will share firsthand perspectives on the impact of the pandemic and how they have responded in their communities.

Track 1: Food Systems
Agricultural food systems bring together a complex array of economic, health, social, and environmental issues. As COVID-19 has demonstrated, changes or disruptions to one or more of these sectors can significantly impact our food systems. This breakout session will explore the links between our food systems and the environment and how young people, in particular, have been impacted by COVID-19, and how they are responding to these challenges. Moderator Hilda Namakula will join Speaker Juan Felipe Pinto Casetlblanco, Advisor for Environmental Procedures for Research at Pontifica Universidad Javeriana (Colombia), to explore this topic, offering insights from their work on both COVID-19 research and the environment.