Who we are

We, the Young Organics Global Network are a group of young, innovative leaders from across the world who are passionate about living a life that embodies holistic Principles of Organic Agriculture of Health, Ecology, Fairness, and Care.

We are an international platform that empowers youth to come together and actively engage in addressing contemporary issues that impact the world.

We pride ourselves on being the voice of the young people and represent their multi-faceted interests in the policy and decision-making processes.

We stand on the shoulders of giants and deeply honor the path-breaking work of our organic pioneers. We intend to follow in their footsteps to uphold these Principles as we forge ahead under spirit of innovation, collaboration, and fraternity to ensure a food-secure future for all.

Background of YOGN

Young Organics 1.0 – How it all started…

Young Organics Global Network has been inspired by the effort of passionate young people in 2011, Young Organics.

Young Organics started in 2011 from the need of young actors in the organic and fair trade movement of getting together and sharing their experiences. In February 2011, at Biofach, a group of over 100 young entrepreneurs gather at a workshop where they discussed their visions on how to join forces to build a sustainable future for all and generations to come.

From this workshop, a smaller group of passionate people decided to meet again and start building a network where young voices would be heard and ideas would be shared. Twenty participants from Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Italy and Turkey, living and working in Germany, Holland and Switzerland attended the meeting. As a fist action, the group decided to start an urban farm and get their hands in the soil. That it’s how Young Organics NGO (e.V.) was born.

Over the course of three years, Young Organics organised a number of events and gatherings. The group recognized the importance of learning from the ones that came before them, the pioneers, that it is why they started to create spaces where young people could meet and discuss with some of the pioneers of the organic and the fair trade movement. Young Organics also organised several events at different Biofach Congresses, at the World Organic Congress in Korea and Turkey, and at a special UN event in Bonn, where Climate Change and a Sustainable Future were the core of the discussions.

With time the group couldn’t continue active but a seed was planted. Now we see that seed sprouting and Young Organics Global Network taking the lead and working for the empowerment of youth and the construction of a healthier, fairer, and more organic future!

For more information, please visit https://youngorganics.wordpress.com/

The Asian Organic Youth Forum

In April 2016, IFOAM Asia organized the first Organic Foundation Course (OFC) for local government officers and its members. The OFC was funded under the ALGOA (Asian Local Governments for Organic Agriculture) project under the sole sponsorship of Goesan County, South Korea.

Later in Oct 2016, the first graduates of the OFC went on to form the historic Asian Organic Youth Forum, a most unique organization of its kind in the world and through its establishment, the Asian Organic Youth Forum has attracted substantial funding from various local governments in Asia for their annual training and conferences. The Asian Organic Youth Forum alumni has grown to over three hundred members from all over Asia.

The success of the Asian Organic Youth Forum attracted the attention of many other young and innovative leaders from other parts of the world and in 2020, the minds behind Young Organics established in Europe and the Asian Organic Youth Forum decided that it was time for the youth to connect the boundaries in the name of Organic Agriculture. Discussions started for the formation of a global network – Young Organics Global Network (YOGN).

YOGN will be officially launched in October 2020 under the generous sponsorship of Goesan County, South Korea.