The 2026 World Food Forum (WFF) opened on Monday at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), bringing together government leaders, researchers, scientists, investors, farmers, fishers, Indigenous Peoples and young people from every region to advance solutions for transforming agrifood systems. Held under the theme “Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow,” the Forum highlights how science, technology, innovation and traditional knowledge can help address increasingly complex global challenges.
Now in its sixth year, FAO’s flagship event has grown into one of the largest global gatherings dedicated to agrifood systems transformation, fostering dialogue, collaboration and the exchange of ideas to accelerate progress towards more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems.
Organized around three pillars – the Global Youth Action Initiative, the Science and Innovation Forum, and the Hand-in-Hand Initiative Investment Forum – the WFF runs from 8 to 16 October and features high-level dialogues, consultations, innovation laboratories, pitch events, matchmaking sessions, exhibitions and cultural programmes showcasing how people around the world are shaping a more sustainable food future.
The WFF 2026’s Grand Opening
In his opening remarks, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu highlighted the significance of this year’s theme: “The actions we take today – the new technologies we deploy, the traditional and indigenous wisdom we leverage, the young people we empower – will determine whether tomorrow’s agrifood systems can truly nourish a growing and changing world.”
The Director-General noted that innovation and accelerated action are more important than ever as climate extremes become more frequent and severe, biodiversity declines, water resources come under increasing pressure and many rural economies face falling agricultural productivity and limited opportunities for young people.
“We have to do more and better at scale,” Qu said. “We need innovation in technology and business models, in how we think, in how we design, and work together. This is exactly what the World Food Forum was built to do.”
The opening ceremony also featured keynote addresses, delivered in person and via video message, by several Heads of State and Government: King Letsie III of Lesotho; João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of Angola; Luis Rodolfo Abinader Corona, President of the Dominican Republic; Keiko Sofía Fujimori Higuchi, President of Peru; Delcy Eloína Rodriguez Gómez, Acting President of Venezuela; Miguel Díaz-Canel, President of Cuba; Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Türkiye; María José Pinto, Vice President of Ecuador; Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy; and Micheál Martin, Prime Minister of Ireland.
Opening Ceremony of the 2026 Global Youth Forum
Earlier in the day, FAO launched the 2026 Global Youth Forum, which brings together young people from around the world to advance action towards more sustainable, inclusive and resilient agrifood systems.
At the opening ceremony, the Director-General highlighted the growing reach of FAO’s youth engagement initiatives. The FAO Office of Youth and Women presented results from the National Youth Chapters and other youth-led activities taking place across countries. The event marked the launch of 35 new National Youth Chapters, with FAO Assistant Directors-General and Regional Representatives presenting certificates to participating countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, and the Near East and North Africa.
During the event, Felipe Paullier, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, announced a new partnership between the Youth Committee and the UN Youth Office aimed at strengthening collaboration. Remarks were also delivered by María José Pinto, Vice President of Ecuador, and Zita Oligui Nguema, First Lady of Gabon.
The programme also featured a performance of the 2026 Youth Forum anthem by Kedward Avilés, a songwriter from Puerto Rico, panel discussions with young leaders, and a cultural segment featuring reflections by Erika Lau, a British-Malaysian photographer and filmmaker.
Highlights of WFF 2026
WFF 2026, held from 8 to 16 October, features a series of events designed to advance innovation for a better food future.
FAO’s Global Exhibition: From Seeds to Foods, held at Rome’s historic Circus Maximus from 8 to 12 October, explores how biodiversity for food and agriculture, together with seeds conserved and exchanged across generations, contributes to the food found on our tables today.
The Science and Innovation Forum will bring together researchers, innovators and young entrepreneurs to showcase how artificial intelligence, digital tools and frontier science are accelerating solutions to agrifood challenges.
The Hand-in-Hand Initiative Investment Forum will connect governments, investors and development partners around investment opportunities designed to accelerate agrifood systems transformation.
The Rome Water Dialogue will focus on one of the most pressing global challenges: ensuring the sustainable management, sharing and protection of water resources for food, people and the planet.
And at the Global Hub on Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems, participants will engage with the knowledge, practices and traditions that Indigenous Peoples have preserved and developed across generations.
Friday will also mark World Food Day 2026, highlighting that the goal of ending hunger remains achievable. Although the world has access to many of the tools, technologies, innovations and forms of knowledge required to improve food security, an estimated 673 million people still experience hunger and 2.6 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet.
