Ahead of the European Youth Event in Strasbourg on 13-14 June 2025, a biennial event hosted by the European Parliament, we interviewed Youth Activist Giacomo Marsoner, who will be attending the #EYE2025 with a focus on food security.
The following interview explores topics such as the importance of agrifood sustainability and the involvement of young people in decision-making processes.
Giacomo Marsoner, a young activist and student of International Relations at Sapienza University, as well as Environmental and Economic Sustainability Policy at SIOI, has distinguished himself in the Italian activism scene for his drive and commitment, which led him to become the co-founder of the Italian Chapter of the World Food Forum (FAO).
Giacomo will participate in the European Youth Event in Strasbourg on 13 June 2025 where he will address food security using his knowledge of the agrifood sector. The objective will be to raise awareness, involve young people and promote new initiatives and partnerships, acting as a starting point for future activities.
Why activism? Why this field in particular? What inspired you to do what you do?
What mainly inspired me was the need to bridge the gap between young people and the world of institutions and decision-making, both nationally and internationally.
A key milestone in explaining my path was my first participation in the World Food Forum in 2023 at FAO headquarters. There, we had the opportunity to discuss, learn, and propose solutions for transforming agrifood systems and achieving sustainability for a more eco-sustainable future. It was this event that deeply inspired us.
It made us realise the potential that we, as young people, have along with all the activities and initiatives we could lead.
From that day on, we initiated a cycle of conferences on sustainability and food security at Sapienza University, and this evolved with the creation of the national Chapter of the World Food Forum, aiming to raise greater awareness of these deeply interconnected issues. This is the goal we set ourselves in the Chapter.
Food security, as well as sustainability in general, are among the major challenges of our generation, and discussing them without young people at the table is a missed opportunity.
Is there any event or workshop that you think has been particularly important in the context of your work and for your purpose?
The two that are closest to my heart are, firstly, the workshop organised at FAO last October, as it was the first major official appearance of the WFF Italy Chapter at FAO, and an occasion where many young people got to know us and what we do. We talked about food waste, which is one of the main topics when discussing agrifood systems in the Italian context. We were able to include new young people, formalise new partnerships and and kick off this journey.
The other is definitely the General Assembly of the Chapter, which was an important exercise in democracy and inclusion, which is very necessary nowadays. The Assembly was held in the presence of FAO, and gave all members the opportunity to propose amendments to the movement’s Charter, to vote for their representatives and to express their ideas for the future of the organisation, thus creating a solid foundation.
How do you think the distance between young people and institutions can be bridged?
I took a lot from what is the “modus operandi” of the World Food Forum, which is to create a space for us young people, where we are the protagonists, where we are not simply actors, passive participants, so as to promote trust and transparency. We need a space where we can actively present our ideas, in every workshop, in every event.
This will also be the case at the European Youth Event: it is very important to involve us young people, to make us feel an active part of the process and not mere spectators. From this exchange of ideas, from this listening, many initiatives and ideas can be born, this is how it was for me and this is how it was for many others. We’re proud that bringing this mindset into the Italian Chapter is bearing fruit and that everyone feels involved in the project.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
It’s not easy to answer, but I would like to do something that has a positive impact in the field and for its people. I don’t know yet whether it would be in some international organisation or at the Italian institutional level, but I would like to do something that has a real impact.
Why should a young person be interested in these issues?
We are in a rather peculiar historical moment where there is a risk of becoming discouraged; my invitation is instead to take an active part in everything that we do not like and that we would like to change. It is essential to subvert this general nihilism and bring your ideas to express your potential as a promoter of the change we would like to see. In practical terms, my advice is to join existing organisations, youth associations or join forces and create new ones. Let go of competitiveness, mistrust and work on trust and cooperation.