YASD ED Highlights Youth-Led Innovations at the We the 99 People’s Summit

We are pleased to announce that our Executive Director  Edward Chidombe Msiska , participated in the We the 99 People’s Summit in Johannesburg as one of the main speakers, representing young people and showcasing youth-led innovations in food systems transformation.

Speaking under the theme “Cultivating Futures: Food Sovereignty, Innovation and Economic Self-determination,” he highlighted how agroecological practices such as crystallized human-urine fertilizer, natural pesticide production, and other sustainable farming methods are strengthening food security, improving livelihoods, and building community resilience.

During his presentation, he also shared key insights from the LOGIC Project and the Greening the Future Project, demonstrating how these initiatives are shaping the future of food sovereignty and empowering grassroots communities to lead meaningful change.

He further applauded the National Youth Innovation Fund, led by the National Youth Council of Malawi, for its crucial role in supporting young innovators by simplifying access to funding and unlocking youth potential. He emphasized that this model offers valuable lessons that could be adopted across SADC member states.

As an organisation, we remain committed to empowering grassroots communities and championing youth-led innovation to accelerate sustainable development and strengthen food sovereignty across the region.