WTO Hackathon Highlights Youth Ideas On Food Trade

While symbolic, the WTO’s youth hackathon reflects growing calls for creative approaches to food trade and security, with potential implications for reducing losses, expanding biofuel markets, and stabilizing grain flows.

hachaton16925_lg.jpg

WTO hackathon showcases youth proposals on trade and food security. (2025)

World Trade Organization

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (RFD-TV)— The World Trade Organization (WTO) spotlighted student-driven solutions to global food insecurity during its recent hackathon, drawing entries from more than ten countries.

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala opened the event by stressing that “trade and food security are inseparable,” calling the competition a sign of what young people expect from the organization.

The top prize went to Global Grains, a team from the European University Institute and Graduate Institute in Geneva, for proposing a “Harvest-to-Market Facilitation Pathway” to reduce post-harvest losses in Africa through better storage and trade channels.

Singapore’s Spice Pacific team earned second place with a plan to convert food lost in trade into sustainable biofuels, while China’s Agro-Strategos took third for recommendations to strengthen WTO rules during food trade disruptions.

WTO ambassadors from five nations served as jury members, underscoring the global scope of the contest. CropLife International provided the monetary awards.

Related Stories
Kevin Charleston of Specialty Risk Insurance discusses the importance of grain bin safety and joint efforts with Nationwide to provide farmers and first responders with access to critical, life-saving rescue tubes.
Dr. Kelly Bruns from the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture discusses how the college prepares students for careers in agriculture.
Producers across the country spent the week balancing spring planning with tight margins and uneven moisture outlooks. Input purchasing stayed cautious, while marketing and cash-flow decisions remained front and center for many operations.
Corey Owens of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Association shares updates about this year’s event and its continued impact on youth, agriculture, and the San Angelo community.
Success requires more than talent — on this week’s FFA Today, agriculture students show us the hard work, dedication, and teamwork required to gain important skills outside of the classroom through the National FFA Organization.
Federal assistance has helped, but the most recent row-crop losses remain on producers’ balance sheets.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Farm bill negotiations remain unsettled, leaving producers waiting for updated federal support programs.
Domestic textile demand plays a shrinking role in supporting U.S. cotton prices.
Strong cattle markets are masking ongoing financial stress across crop agriculture.
Record ethanol demand continues supporting corn markets and rural economies.
Geopolitical risk is rapidly increasing fertilizer price volatility before planting.
China may no longer serve as a consistent anchor market for U.S. cotton exports. Lewis Williamson of HTS Commodities joined us to discuss the factors influencing planting decisions, river conditions, and what producers are considering as they finalize acreage plans for the season.