The CAFF Youth Challenge 2026 is now open for applications. This initiative aims to empower youth to revive, promote, and innovate forgotten foods—transforming traditional knowledge into sustainable solutions for the future. By supporting youth-led ideas, the challenge contributes to preserving cultural heritage, enhancing biodiversity, and strengthening local food systems.

Applications are open to young people from Africa and the Caribbean until 30 April 2026. Proposed projects must be implemented within a university campus or in a semi urban communty.

We are looking for passionate individuals aged 18 to 30 with bold, innovative ideas that highlight indigenous and underutilized foods in their communities. Selected participants will receive mentorship, capacity building and a grant  for their projects. If you are ready to make an impact and join a growing network of food changemakers, we encourage you to submit your application at:
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The Food Bridge recently presented the final report of the second phase of its citizen science research project, Vyakulani Africa II, to the Impetus Accelerator. This milestone marks an important step in advancing community-led approaches to preserving and transmitting African culinary heritage within diaspora communities in Europe.

Vyakulani Africa II is a women-led initiative that introduced a more focused, action-oriented, and solution-driven approach to safeguarding African food traditions. Building on the first phase of the Vyakulani Africa project, the second phase moved beyond documentation to co-creating practical and transferable solutions that address intergenerational and cross-cultural gaps in culinary knowledge within migrant communities.

From Documentation to Co-Creation

One of the project’s key innovations was the training of older African women; the traditional custodians of culinary knowledge, to translate oral, practice-based recipes into user-friendly and teachable formats. African culinary knowledge is often passed down through observation, storytelling and hands-on practice rather than written recipes. Although this approach preserves authenticity and cultural context, it can be difficult for younger generations especially those growing up in Europe or non-African learners who are more accustomed to structured, step-by-step recipes.

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