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
Farm CPA Paul Neiffer explains the updates to crop insurance subsidies, additional benefits for new farmers, and eligibility considerations for those entering the program.
Dr. Jeffrey Gold discuss nutrition challenges in rural communities, barriers to healthy food access, and ways to improve dietary outcomes this week on Rural Health Matters.
APHIS Veterinary Medical Officer Dr. Chelsey Shiveley discusses USDA’s biosecurity resources available to poultry producers ahead of spring migration, increasing the risk of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) threatens commercial flocks.
This year at CattleCon 2026, RFD Network’s Kirbe Schnoor caught up with Donna Emick from Pneu-Dart to get her perspective on why education, safety, and accountability matter in the field.
Nebraska’s largest wildfire on-record has burned 650,000 acres, with three other major fires also burning across the state, destroying pastureland and threatening cattle.
Land values remain key to borrowing strength.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

China’s pullback is hitting core U.S. commodities hard, reshaping export expectations for soybeans, cotton, grains, and livestock.
Slower grain movement may pressure basis, but falling diesel prices could help offset transportation costs.
Plans are underway for the 27th annual Great Eastern Iowa Tractorcade, a June event celebrating farm heritage, tractor history, and rural traditions. Event manager Matt Kenney joins us to highlight the importance of commemorating farm heritage.
Farm Legal Expert Roger McEowen with the Washburn School of Law joins us to share more about the North Dakota court decision and the its larger impact on agriculture.
Fertilizer markets face uncertainty after President Trump raised the possibility of tariffs on Canadian imports, with analysts warning of supply and pricing risks. Josh Linville with StoneX provides a fertilizer industry outlook.
Regional differences indicate that family ownership is universal, but farm structure and commodity mix determine the extent to which these operations drive agricultural output.