SUMMARY REPORT: OUR FyouthTURE: Protecting Land Rights and Ensuring Food Security in Asia Post-COVID-19

Since 1981, the Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC) network has been commemorating World Food Day (WFD) on October 16th by conducting public events and producing information materials to foster public awareness and actions to address the challenge of eliminating hunger and poverty. In 2020, the network celebrated WFD amidst a global COVID-19 pandemic which now threatens the health status and food security of individuals, families and communities worldwide.

The ANGOC network organized this online conference (through Zoom) to discuss the implications of the issues and recommendations raised in the “ANGOC Statement on Protecting Land Rights and Ensuring Food Security in the Time of COVID-19,” to the work of civil society in Asia in the context of COVID-19’s “new normal” and beyond. The voices and roles of the youth, who are vital in finding solutions to the complex problems on land and agriculture in Asia, and who are key to sustaining efforts to alleviate hunger, were also highlighted in the meeting. A total of 38 representatives (13 females, 25 males) from 12 ANGOC member-organizations as well as the Chairperson of the Committee of World Food Summit (CFS) joined in this event.