There are concerns that global climate change and population growth will affect food sustainability in the future. How can food sustainability be addressed?
In order to find the answer, the Food and Our Sustainability program was conducted from February 7 to 15 this year, based at Meiji University ASEAN Center. Twenty-two students from three universities, Meiji, Rikkyo, and Srinakharinwirot University in Thailand, participated in the program.
One of the features of this program is the dialogue with experts and on-site experience.
The program began with a dialogue with researchers, the United Nations and global NPOs. The dialogue was an opportunity to recognize, once again, the growing threat to food stability as global warming intensifies.
Subsequently, the group visited farms in the vicinity of Bangkok, where practitioners are working on various projects related to the agricultural cycle. Through the practitioners’ lectures on innovative initiatives and the on-site training, they apparently learned about circular agriculture and made a lot of discoveries.
“Through the five senses, I learned that insects, which I don't usually pay attention to, have a great deal to do with growing food.”
“I was genuinely moved to see that adults are making efforts to realize a sustainable society with us. And I realized that I am responsible for the efforts, too”.
“I was surprised to see that the practitioners are actually realizing things they hoped to do. Instead of giving up because it was difficult financially and environmentally, they tried to find ways to make things better. Learning from their mental strength, the mindset, and their effort, I hope I can apply them to myself in my own way.”
The students shared ideas about the things that can be started easily to achieve food sustainability, such as eliminating food loss and choosing chemical-free products, trying farming as a hobby, and sharing what they have learned with people around them.
And another feature of the program is learning with peers from different backgrounds. The participants seemed to learn a lot.
“I learned the importance of looking at things from various angles.”
“It may sound like an exaggeration, but I feel that the kindness of Thai and Japanese friends have changed my values of life.”
“I felt the kindness of Thai students time and time again. Learning from the Thai students, I determined to act voluntarily when I see someone who is in trouble or who is likely to get into trouble.”
In addition, the participants seemed to be able to understand sustainability from various perspectives through the program and to find clues that could enrich the future.
“I discovered that sustainability in life and society means living honestly with what we enjoy.”
“I gained a new perspective, Japan from the viewpoint of Thailand. I realized that Japan has potential to develop further. For that further development, I felt that we need to recognize Japan's strengths, find ways to enhance them, and take action.”
“I can say confidently that this experience and encounter will be a lifetime treasure for me. I thought that I should learn more about food and agricultural sustainability.”
※The sentence inside speech marks are comments from the participating students.
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Japanese version≫
