Youth Mission

The EIT Food Youth Mission is an umbrella project aiming at developing awareness and better attitude towards foods, sustainability and bringing the career opportunities, in the agrifood sector, closer to primary and secondary schoolchildren.

With society facing major challenges such as obesity, food waste and environment degradation, the need for the next generation to make better food choices has never been more important. Unfortunately, we are currently facing, particularly among our youth, decreasing levels of engagement and knowledge about our food. WIthout knowledge and engagement, the very needed change will not happen.

Through this programme, EIT Food is not only harvesting new insights on how to deepen learning experiences around food, its critical role for health and sustainability but also motivating the generations to come on potential career choices in the agrifood sector. We know that the age between 9 and 18 is crucial to inspire leadership, entrepreneurial mindset, and vocational possibilities.

The age between 9 and 18 is crucial to inspire leadership, entrepreneurial mindset, and vocational possibilities. This is why through the Youth Mission EIT Food will harvest news insights around food, its critical role for health and sustainability and will motivate the generations to come on potential career choices in the agrifood sector.

Our FoodEducators has achieved positive results so far. In 2022 we created and launched two teacher handbooks full of ready-to-use resources to be used in the classroom. The handbooks focus on schoolchildren aged 9-14 years old and students aged 14-18 years old, respectively. The materials include topics such as healthy eating, food science and science communication, sustainability, agrifood careers, and regenerative agriculture. The handbooks were piloted in five countries in 2022 including Cyprus, Czech Republic, Israel, Hungary, and Spain, reaching 382 teachers; and 39,354 students!

The most selected lesson plans by teachers were revolving around food and foodscape maps, food waste and food loss, understanding food labels, and agrifood careers. The lesson plans incorporate diverse learning experiences. Teachers commented that they appreciated this variety of methods and pedagogies. 93% of teachers thought their students enjoyed the classes and 80% reported that most of their class actively participated.

In 2023, EIT Food launched phase two of the FoodEducators programme. The lesson plans will be piloted in three more countries: Poland, Turkey, and the UK. The project will include the development of more educational materials, such as a resource pack for event organizers and facilitators. Our programme will also focus on researching, synthesizing, and building on already existing projects and materials and with a robust communication strategy make Food Educators known as the go-to place when it comes to food education thus guaranteeing longevity to even already closed projects.