This year the theme of International Youth Day 2021 is “Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation of Human and Planetary Health”, intending to highlight that the success of such a global effort will not be achieved without the meaningful participation of young people.
On that day, August 12, the India Food Systems Summit staked its support of the Act4Food Act4Change campaign, a global campaign that brings together young people from around the world to focus on their actions and the actions of the government and businesses as a contribution to system change.
The summit has provided a platform for youth leaders to address India’s leading policymakers and business leaders about creating sustainable food systems by 2030. This dialogue creates a space for open, inclusive, and solution-focused conversations with young people at the centre to foster learnings to ensure good food for all. Youth leaders prompted business and policy stakeholders to take actions to mitigate climate change, manage food waste and create youth inclusive policies.
Speaking at the launch, Priya Prakash, Founder & CEO, HealthSetGo said, “I am passionate about the youth being given a seat at the table in decisions pertaining to our future. This is the decade of youth bringing about changes and I believe that we have the responsibility to understand and possibly help fix the problems we see around us. Our objective is to suggest innovative ways that governments and businesses can include young people in future policy and process creation to shape sustainable food systems. I would urge young people to join us in further advocating for a sustainable future.”
Apart from the online pledge, Prakash and her organisation have gotten the youth involved, as student advocates for their own academics institutions. And boy, did the youth respond. Fatima Sameen, a class 11 student of Hamdard Public School, notes “The world is suffering from a global pandemic, but what struck me most was the inaccessibility to food that some people faced. And it made me realise people anywhere should be able to afford basic nutrition, and I decided that I need to help educate people on the issues that govern food supply and security. Fortunately we got to be part of this initiative.”
“A friend of mine has a social media handle who also bakes, and this Saturday (today) we are planning to go out with some pastries and all, because kids love sweet things, and then use that as a way to attract the youth in and also treat them about nutrition,” beams Fatima. Kaushiki Shukla, a class 8 student from Uttam Girls’ School is just as determined. “We are awakened citizens of the 21st century, and I found out one of the ways I could help was through following a plant based diet. That is something I can do at a student level.”
Shukla continues, “As one of the student advocates, my colleagues and I, through grades 6-12, held a webinar and decided to shift towards a plant-based diet. We are young and if we start from now, it’ll be easier as we grow older. That’s the message we also want to deliver to other young people: we can manage it together.”
“I have always been skinny and bullied for it. It wasn’t because I didn’t have the resources for food, it’s just that I did not know what is proper nutrition and that’s the message I hope to spread,” says Aamna S Qazi, another grade 11 student from Hamdard School.
The basic message
This is the decade of youth bringing about changes and I believe that we have the responsibility to understand and possibly help fix the problems we see. Our objective is to suggest innovative ways that governments and businesses can include young people in future policy and process creation to shape sustainable food.