Youth for Just Food Systems

23/04/2026

𝐀 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭.
Statement of Youth for Just Food Systems on the Toboso Massacre, Negros Occidental

Youth for Just Food Systems expresses its strongest condemnation of the killings of peasant advocates, organizers, and civilians in Toboso, Negros Occidental. 𝐖𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞-𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐖𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐬𝐚 𝐀𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐨, 𝐌𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐊𝐞𝐢𝐥 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐲𝐨, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐥 𝐖𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐥, 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬. Their commitment to agrarian justice, community research, and organizing reflects the very essence of collective struggle for a just food system.

We stand in solidarity with the calls of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas and Tanggol Magsasaka in rejecting the dangerous and misleading narratives that label the victims as combatants. These claims—already contested by multiple groups—serve to obscure the realities on the ground and justify violence against civilians. Reports surrounding the operations of the 79th Infantry Battalion raise serious concerns regarding violations of International Humanitarian Law, particularly in a context where civilians, youth leaders, and community researchers were among those killed.

This incident is not isolated. It reflects a broader pattern of militarization and repression in rural communities—especially in agrarian contexts where land, labor, and livelihoods are continuously contested. A food system built on exploitation, landlessness, and violence cannot be reformed without confronting the structures that sustain it.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬.

We recognize that the struggle for food justice is inseparable from the struggle against systemic violence. When peasant leaders, youth advocates, and researchers are targeted, it is not only a human rights issue—it is a direct attack on the possibility of building equitable, sustainable, and people-centered food systems.

We therefore call for:

• An independent, transparent, and urgent investigation into the Toboso killings, with full accountability for perpetrators;
• The immediate protection of peasant communities, organizers, and researchers on the ground;
• The withdrawal of militarized operations that endanger civilian populations;
• Stronger safeguards for human rights defenders working within food systems and agrarian contexts.

Youth for Just Food Systems stands with the families of the victims, with peasant communities in Negros, and with all those continuing the struggle for justice. We remain committed to advancing just food systems grounded not only in sustainability—but in dignity, rights, and collective liberation.

26/02/2026

Help us put FARMED ANIMALS in the ASEAN Youth Pledge.
ASEAN is shaping its Youth Pledge on sustainable food systems, climate action, and healthy diets.

But farmed animals remain largely invisible in regional policy conversations.

If you’re 18–35 and based in an ASEAN Member State, you can help change that.

We’re calling on young people across Southeast Asia to ensure animal welfare, just transitions, and climate-resilient protein systems are part of the regional agenda.

Take the survey and be part of the shift.

Share your perspective: bit.ly/ASEANRegionalYouthSurvey26

15/02/2026

𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗣𝗨𝗣𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀! 📢
Ready to transform our food systems? The 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀, in partnership with 𝗣𝗨𝗣, is looking for passionate change-makers for 𝗚𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗔𝗔𝗡: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁-𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗨𝗣 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗹𝗮!

This isn't just a festival—it's a movement for climate action, animal justice, public health, and just food systems. We need 𝗬𝗢𝗨 to help us build a more just and sustainable future.

📍 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: PUP Main Campus
📅 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻: April 21 – 23, 2026

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂?
✅ Official Volunteer Shirt & ID
✅ Certificate of Participation
✅ Lunch & Snacks
✅ Hands-on experience in large-scale advocacy management

⏳ 𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘: Feb 18 (Hurry! Applications are only open for 4 days!)
🔗 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: bit.ly/VolunteerGULAYAAN

10/02/2026

01/01/2026

Our 2025 Impact Report is out.

🌱 USBONG: From Seeds to Systems is our first Impact Report—documenting how youth organised for just food systems and farmed animals despite scarcity, resistance, and exhaustion.

This is not a victory lap.�
It’s a record of care, refusal, and collective work.

📄 Read the report: https://bit.ly/YJFSImpactReport2025

24/12/2025

𝐀 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭, 𝐀 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝

This holiday season, we choose more than rest—we choose resistance. While the world celebrates, injustice in our food systems does not pause. Hunger persists. Exploitation continues. Harm to animals, people, and ecosystems remains systemic.

Resistance is an act of care. It is choosing food that honors life, organizing in our communities, and refusing to accept suffering as inevitable.

As the year turns, let us move beyond celebration alone. Reflect on what we consume. Speak where silence is expected. Organize where power is concentrated. Stand in solidarity where harm is most felt.

Join us: bit.ly/4ofvLTN

10/12/2025

Youth for Just Food Systems participated in AlterCOP30 Philippines and saw both its promise and its limits. While it aims to localize global climate conversations, a truly local COP must go beyond dialogue—it must center frontline communities, confront structural injustices, and recognize food systems as a core climate battleground.

As youth working on just food systems, we continue to call for climate spaces that reflect lived realities, uplift community-led solutions, and commit to meaningful and justice-driven action.

Join us: bit.ly/4ofvLTN
Join us: bit.ly/4ofvLTN
Join us: bit.ly/4ofvLTN

09/12/2025

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞? At the National Convening on Just Transition in Philippine Food Systems, we joined farmers, fisherfolk, advocates, and civil society groups in examining the crises intensified by industrial animal agriculture. From land grabbing to climate impacts, from exploitation to biodiversity loss, one truth is clear: 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬—𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞.

Here are the 𝟓 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 we are bringing back as Youth for Just Food Systems:

1. Industrial animal agriculture drives interconnected harms to people, animals, and ecosystems.
2. Just Transition must be treated as a principle, a process, and a practice.
3. Governance gaps, harmful subsidies, and entrenched dietary norms remain major blockers.
4. Farmers and fisherfolk face escalating crises with insufficient state support.
5. Dialogue, agroecology, and cross-sector partnership are essential for moving forward.

As one of the youth sectors present at the convening, we brought forward the 2025–2028 Just Food Systems Youth Agenda, the first youth-led national roadmap for food systems transformation. Our call is unwavering:

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐤, 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞—𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭.

Access and read the Youth Agenda here: bit.ly/ReqJFSAgenda

08/12/2025

Sa dalawang araw namin sa Gulay Pa More Sorsogon, hindi lang kami natuto—nakaalala kami.

�Naaalala naming bawat plant-based na putahe ay isang mapa ng kalinga at paglaban, humahabi ng mga kwento ng magsasaka, artisan, at komunidad na patuloy nagbubuhay ng kultura. Nasilayan namin na ang pamana ng ating gulay ay hindi lamang pagkain—isa itong puwersa ng pagpapalaya para sa lupa, para sa tao, at para sa lahat ng hayop.

Ipinakita sa amin ng Sorsogon na ang pagkilala sa lupa ay pagkilala rin sa sarili, at na ang anumang landas tungo sa katarungan ay nagsisimula sa pagbabalik ng lupa, kapangyarihan, at dignidad sa mga magsasaka at mga komunidad na matagal nang nag-aalaga nito. Sapagkat walang kalayaan ng hayop kung walang hustisya sa lupa, at walang hustisya sa lupa kung hindi natin pinapahalagahan ang mga kulturang pagkain na nagpanatili sa atin sa paglipas ng maraming henerasyon.

Dito naging malinaw: Ang agroecology ang ating tugon—at ang pagpapalaya ng hayop ang kinabukasang pinipili natin.

Sign up here: bit.ly/4ofvLTN
Sign up here: bit.ly/4ofvLTN
Sign up here: bit.ly/4ofvLTN

29/11/2025