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
American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) economist Danny Munch explains how the Emergency Livestock Relief Program application process differs from other USDA aid programs.
RFD-TV Markets Expert Tony St. James breaks down the state of agribusiness and harvest progress across the U.S. for the week of Monday, September 15, 2025.
The Nashville Ag Club meets monthly to discuss current issues and hear from inspiring agriculture-related speakers.
The Arkansas Farm Bureau takes us there for a tour of the facility that will expand livestock education in a key agricultural region.
The 2022 Census of Agriculture revealed a more than 30% decrease in U.S. dairy farms since 2017. The shrinking industry is now uniting to advocate for itself while also adopting technology to reduce operational strain.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was once again on the national stage, front and center this week before the House Agriculture Committee.
Experts estimate the flooding from Hurricane Helene caused more than $1.3 billion in damage to Tennessee agriculture.
As the Trump Administration seeks out new global trade partnerships, Congress is considering more support for farmers, which comes as the Federal Reserve warns that farmers need a safety net.