Youth for Just Food Systems

01/06/2026

No animal liberation without gender liberation.

Our fight for just food systems is also a fight against domination, violence, and exclusion in all forms. Pride is resistance, and liberation must be for everyone.

27/05/2026

🌱 Call for Advisory Committee Members

Youth for Just Food Systems is inviting partners, experts, educators, advocates, and institutional allies to help activate the Polytechnic University of the Philippines Action Plan for a Plant-Forward University.

Join us in shaping a healthier, more accessible, and more sustainable campus food future.

Sign up here: bit.ly/YJFSAdvisoryMember

22/05/2026

𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬, 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚!🌱

Another meaningful partnership has been officially inked!

We formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Youth for Just Food Systems on May 15, 2026, to strengthen initiatives toward building sustainable food systems for a healthier and greener future.

This collaboration aims to advance educational support, collaborative research, policy advocacy, and community-centered programs that promote mental and physical well-being, environmental awareness, and sustainable food practices within the University community.

Anchored on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, this partnership further reinforces PUP’s commitment to fostering a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient future for every Iskolar ng Bayan. ✨

Read the full story of the event here: https://www.pup.edu.ph/news/?go=zgzykJMCFo0%3d

15/05/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 15, 2026

𝗣𝗨𝗣 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗸 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝟯-𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗠𝗢𝗨 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁-𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲

𝗦𝗧𝗔. 𝗠𝗘𝗦𝗔, 𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗟𝗔 — Yesterday, May 14, 2026, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) entered into a transformative partnership with Youth For Just Food Systems, officially signing a 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 (𝗠𝗢𝗨) to launch a comprehensive three-year partnership campaign plan. This landmark agreement marks the beginning of a radical shift toward a 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁-𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆, positioning PUP as a pioneer in the movement for a food system that is just, equitable, and sustainable.

The partnership is not merely a policy change but a commitment to redefining the relationship between the academic community and the nourishment that sustains it. The three-year campaign focuses on the food future—an intentional move toward plant-based nutrition that addresses the urgent demands of the climate crisis, health, equity, and animal welfare and rights.

This is the beginning of a just choice of food for the future, representatives stated during the signing ceremony. We are laying the foundation 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲. This vision begins within the halls of PUP but is designed to ripple outward—to our external branches, to the wider Philippine community, and beyond our borders.

The MOU outlines a strategic roadmap to integrate plant-forward options into campus life, promote food sovereignty, and educate the next generation of leaders on the interconnectedness of what we eat and the world we inhabit. By championing a system that prioritizes the environment, animals, people, and the planet itself, PUP and Youth For Just Food Systems aim to prove that a sustainable food future is not a distant dream, but a choice we make today.

The spirit of this initiative is encapsulated in the university’s enduring commitment to the people: 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝗮 𝘀𝗮’𝘆𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝘀𝗮 𝗕𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗻

This campaign extends that promise to the very soil that sustains us, ensuring that our progress is grounded in justice. As the movement grows, it carries a simple yet profound mandate: 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝗮 𝘀𝗮 𝗹𝘂𝗽𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗴—𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝘀𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝗵𝗮𝘁 (From the soil to the table—for all).

𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱: The Plant-Based Festival
As the first major milestone of this three-year journey, the university is proud to announce the upcoming Plant-Based Festival, scheduled for July 16–17, 2026.

This festival will serve as a vibrant intersection of "artivism," education, and community building. It will feature farmer produce, plant-based food fairs, workshops on sustainable living, and spaces for students and advocates to discuss the future of food justice in the Philippines. The event is a call to action for students, faculty, and the public to experience firsthand the richness and necessity of a plant-forward lifestyle.

PUP invites all stakeholders to join in this journey toward a more compassionate and resilient food system. The signing of this MOU is only the first step; the path forward is one we walk together, ensuring that the future of food is one that nourishes the body, the soul, and the nation.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀
— PUP is the country's first polytechnic university, dedicated to providing accessible, high-quality education and fostering a spirit of service to the Filipino people.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀
— Youth For Just Food Systems is a youth-led non-government organization advocating for sustainable, plant-based, and equitable food systems through grassroots organizing, education, and policy advocacy.

08/05/2026

Calling all student councils, student organizations, academic organizations, student publications, university-wide organizations, advocacy formations, and students across PUP.

Join us for the “Democratize Food Futures in PUP: Student and Youth Multi-Stakeholder Convening on the PUP Food System” this May 16, 2026 with availability options at the Study Corner Co-working Space near PUP College of Communications.

The convening seeks to collectively discuss and co-create pathways toward food justice, democratic food governance, plant-based futures, just transition, public health, and animal liberation.

Register here: bit.ly/FoodFuturesPUP

Thank you for your interest in participating in the “Democratize Food Futures in PUP: Student and Youth Multi-Stakeholder Convening on the PUP Food System” on May 16, 2026 (Morning: 8 AM - 12 NN or Afternoon: 1 PM – 5 PM) at the Study Corner near PUP College of Communications. This convening s...

06/05/2026

We joined the launch of the Localised Roadmap: Just Transition to Equitable, Humane, and Sustainable Food Systems in the Philippines as contributors.

For us, this roadmap matters because it recognizes that the current food system is built on intertwined forms of exploitation—of farmers, workers, communities, ecosystems, and farmed animals. Industrial food production continues to treat animals as commodities for extraction while keeping many producers trapped in vulnerable and unsustainable systems.

The roadmap also comes at a critical time. As the global energy crisis drives rising fuel and input costs, industrial agriculture becomes even more unstable and expensive. Food systems that depend heavily on fossil fuels, imported feeds, chemical inputs, and intensive animal production continue to deepen insecurity for both people and animals. This is why transitioning toward localized, plant-forward, agroecological, and humane food systems is not just a climate issue—it is a justice issue.

This builds on the work we started through the Just Food Systems Youth Agenda (2025–2028), the first youth-led effort to localize just transition within food systems in the Philippines. Through the Agenda, we continue pushing for the phaseout of industrial animal agriculture alongside just-transition measures that protect livelihoods while advancing animal welfare and liberation.

We also echo our support for:

📍 HB 7696 – strengthening animal welfare enforcement and accountability mechanisms
📍 HB 7697 – advancing plant-based health and sustainability programs

We believe food systems transformation must include farmed animals within conversations on justice, policy, and governance—not as afterthoughts, but as beings directly impacted by systems of production and consumption. Beyond launching roadmaps and filing bills, we call for real implementation, stronger accountability, and meaningful inclusion of young people in food security councils, task forces, agencies, and decision-making spaces.

No just transition without justice for farmers, workers, farmed animals, communities, and the climate!

02/05/2026

On Labor Day, along with all the calls of workers, we echo the call for just food systems for everyone most especially for farmed animals. 𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭: 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬.

The current reality of our food system has long been one of killing workers, farmers, and animals. Under the administration of Marcos Jr., this system has been further exacerbated—prioritizing elite and corporate interests while turning a blind eye to the conditions of workers’ survival and the welfare of both farmers and animals.

Across food systems, soaring food prices, rising fuel costs, and declining purchasing power, and the continued neglect of those who produce, distribute, and manage food are not new—they are long-standing conditions that continue to intensify and impact everyone. Our mobilisation during May Day is an act of dissent against a system that extracts from the many to benefit the few.

We continue to affirm that agricultural workers are workers—farmers, fisherfolks, food handlers, market vendors, and transport workers—whose labor feeds the nation, yet remains undervalued, underpaid, and unprotected.

We also uplift the often-invisible labor of waste workers—both informal and formal—who manage food and non-food waste: sanitation workers, garbage collectors, waste pickers, and recyclers who sustain urban and rural systems alike. They are essential to public health and environmental stability, yet continue to face precarity, stigma, and exclusion from social protections.

At the same time, we confront a deeper structural injustice embedded within food systems: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐬. Treated as commodities within industrial production systems, their lives are confined, controlled, and extracted for profit. A just food system requires a transition toward animal liberation and production systems grounded in care, ecological balance, and non-extractive relationships.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞.

We hold those in power accountable:

The state, for failing to guarantee living wages, regulate prices, and protect workers across the food system.

Agri-corporations and large-scale industry actors, for consolidating control over production, displacing smallholders, and extracting value from both human and non-human labor.

Landlords and entrenched landholding systems, for perpetuating inequitable access to land and resources.

Global systems of empire and militarization, including the ongoing war in West Asia, which exacerbate fuel crises, disrupt food systems, and deepen global inequality—costs that are ultimately borne by workers in countries like the Philippines.

𝐖𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐒𝐘𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐁𝐔𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑, 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐂𝐄𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍-𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆.

Our calls are clear:

𝐒𝐚𝐡𝐨𝐝, 𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐚𝐬! 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐲𝐨, 𝐢𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐚! Raise wages to living standards and control the spiraling cost of food, fuel, and basic goods.

𝐈𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐢𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐚𝐰! Tanggalin ang Excise Tax at VAT sa langis at batayang bilihin. End policies that burden workers while protecting corporate profit.

𝐁𝐮𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐧! Redistribute wealth to fund public services, social protection, and a just transition in agriculture and food systems.

𝐖𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐤𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐤𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐲𝐨𝐧! Guarantee secure and dignified work, and uphold the right to unionize across all sectors—including agriculture and waste.

𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤! 𝐈𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐲 𝐧𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚 𝐬𝐚 𝐥𝐮𝐩𝐚! Return land to farmers and communities, dismantle unjust landholding systems, and ensure equitable access to land and resources.

𝐌𝐠𝐚 𝐤𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐩, 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧! Hold systems of corruption accountable for diverting resources away from workers and communities.

𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐰! Liberate animals by transitioning to agroecological, plant-based food systems.

𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐒, 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐋𝐈𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄—𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐙𝐄, 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐒𝐓, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐋𝐈𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐍𝐎𝐖.

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.