Food Systems Hero: Youth Innovation Challenge on the Transformation of Local Fresh Markets

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When was the last time you wandered in a local fresh market? Ever wonder what it takes to transform fresh markets to a place of joy, inclusivity, and environmentally friendly?

In Southern Thailand, UNDP recently launched a social innovation challenge on “Food System Heroes 2021” where the unique Youth Co:Lab learning journey has been taken locally in collaboration with Narathiwat City Municipality, Pattani City Municipality, Yala City Municipality, and Digital for Peace Foundation.  This program, as part of a larger portfolio of interventions focused on transforming the local food systems, aims to empower youth to become local agents of change and exploring youth citizen-government collaborations in the southern border provinces.

This year, solutions were co-created around the theme: “Youth innovations for an inclusive transformation of fresh markets in the new normal era”. The 3 best ideas were selected to be tested and led by youth in collaboration with the respective municipalities – Big congratulations to #GoldenBrain from Naratiwat, #Teenagers from Pattani, and #Deadline from Yala.

So far in this journey, it took a permission to innovate from municipalities who are willing to collaborate with youth, an empowerment of youth to step up, learn, and be changemakers, scanning for grassroots innovation to really dig underneath the iceberg of a complex ecosystem like fresh markets, and several local experts from private and government agencies.

Stay tuned for this localized journey driven by multi-sector collaboration in the south!

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