2023 World Food Forum in Rome, Italy (Side Events Speaker)

With our continued effort towards zero hunger and zero food waste, we were able to participate in the World Food Forum for 2 consecutive years (2022-23). In 2023, we were selected as the side events speaker group. We gave a presentation to a large group of audience regarding our achievements and proposal to the rest of the world. 

Our Participation

In continuation from the previous year’s participation, students from upper school and middle school were able to participate in the World Food Forum 2023 (October 16-20) at the Food and Agriculture Organization Headquarters of the United Nations in Rome, Italy with the theme:“Agrifood systems transformation accelerates climate action.” The Philippines Service Learning presented their initiatives on resolving food insecurity and combating food waste (“No Food Left Behind: Youth-Driven Strategies for Resolving Food Insecurity and Combating Food Waste”). 

Below are the names of students who participated in the World Food Forum as side events presenters:

Jacqueline (Joowon) Park (g11), Kayla Shin (g11), Sihyun Baek (g10), Alyssa Han (g10), Hwi-Jong Ryu (g9), and Edward Kim (g8)

Jacqueline Park (g11), one of the leaders of our club was part of the South Korean national delegation, and she worked on writing the national statement along with the fellow delegates. She also attended the discussion panel with other national delegates. 

Please read below key takeaways from the Students:

Jacqueline: It was my utmost pleasure to be able to present at such an honorable event. Not only were we able to hear from esteemed speakers from all around the world, but we had the opportunity to speak up for the values we have been advocating for. I got inspired by the countless new ideas and was motivated to take further action to combat global hunger/food waste. Next year, if we have another opportunity to participate as presenters, I hope to make more connections with global youth leaders and important figures. 

Kayla: It was an incredible privilege that we could share our vision for a world free from food insecurity and food waste in such an amazing event. After attending the forum for the second time and hearing from various leaders, organizations, and other stakeholders, I am truly inspired to take action, starting with combating the food waste challenge in my own community. I am very grateful for the opportunity that had been given to us and proud of what we have accomplished from it, and I hope we will be able to present again next year with more to say about what we have accomplished as youth. 

Alyssa: Participating and presenting at the 2023 World Food Forum was an incredible opportunity that left me feeling inspired, another different experience from last year’s WFF. This event provided platforms to interact and hear speeches from professionals and delegates in various sectors, sharing their insights and expertise in the realm of food security. Also, the importance of youth action in shaping a sustainable, better future was emphasized as well as the urgency of zero hunger (food waste). As one of the students representing South Korea and our school with traditional clothing hanboks, I was able to spread awareness about what we have done as youths, clubs, and South Korea’s initiatives. Overall, I felt deeply grateful for the chance to contribute and be part of such a significant conversation and communicate with people from all over the world. Therefore, this has brought a feeling of fulfillment and will be an unforgettable and enlightening experience. 

Sihyun: I was thrilled to have the opportunity to attend the 2023 World Food Forum as presenters to share our vision of food stability. We were able to meet many esteemed guests and youth representatives from around the world and listen to their presentations regarding global policies to tackle issues such as climate change and hunger, which helped me realize the importance of taking universal action to combat food waste. The great emphasis on youth action in particular gave me the confidence to stand up for such issues that plague the lives of our future generation. In summary, the World Food Forum gave me the opportunity to connect over shared perspectives and different initiatives, providing new insights into the world outside of my own.

Hwi-Jong: The 2023 WFF gave me some perspective into the ideas of other youth leaders and global policy makers. It was evident that all of them had will and passion for solving the global food crisis, and it was especially pleasurable seeing younger people influencing the senior generations to make a difference. Me and my colleagues also had a chance to present our own initiatives, which I took to be a grave responsibility and a reflection of our own knowledge and skills. In short, the 2023 WFF was a most significant event for me, and I will remember the experiences and the connections made in the years to come.

Edward: The 2023 World Food Forum (WFF) in one word, was “inspirational.”The WFF forum was a 5-day event in which many respected figures such as kings, presidents, prime ministers, and others, hosted at Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).However, the most important people out of all the contributors were youths—who will be the future innovative reformers, by proposing creative ideas and solutions to solve real world problems in and for the future. Personally, I was intrigued by the speeches and the contents these speeches brought to discussion—given by the so-called “youths”—as it raised a few thought provoking questions and showcased some of the delegate’s experiences.All in all, my synopsis is WFF offered me a valuable opportunity for me to meet new people through networking,while allowing us to present, and share our experiences with the world.

2022 World Food Forum in Rome, Italy

Attending WFF as one of the youngest group participants

Representatives of the Philippine Service Learning Club (PSL) attended the World Food Forum at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome, Italy from Oct 17-21, 2022. The club was invited to present their service initiative, the school meal/nutrition program which targets one of the UNSDGs of Zero Hunger. The club has also been recognized by YUNGA (Youth and United Nations Global Alliance) for their service project. 

The CI students who represented the PSL club were: Seoin Yang (gr12), Kyungwon (Kayla) Shin (gr10), Joowon (Jacqueline) Park (gr10), Sihyun Baek (gr9), Alyssa Han (gr9) and Hwi-Jong Ryu (gr8). We look forward to the continuation of PSL club's efforts in Zero Hunger and their new initiatives inspired from the forum.

Seoin and Hwi-Jong also served as official delegates of South Korea nominated by FAO Korea and the Ministry of Agriculture. They participated at the Asia Pacific discussion of completing the food system compendium. 

Here are some takeaways from the participants:

Hwi-Jong: It was a very interesting and learning experience. I learned a lot about what people around the world are doing to do their part in achieving zero hunger and what I can do as a student, too. These include putting on your plate only what you can eat and sharing my privileges with others less privileged, whether it be food, money, clothes, etc. 

Seoin: The fact that we were in the same building attending the same forum with a lot of excellencies sounded very intimidating in the beginning, especially being the youngest group to attend the forum. However, people started listening to us when we spoke up. Therefore, I have learned that I have to actively do rather than sit back in order to make a true impact. 

Kayla: It was an experience that helped me become aware of one of the most crucial global issues—food security. Facing participants from all over including high-ranking officials was daunting but I overcame my worry and was soon able to share my voice. Everyone respected what each other had to say, and it seemed that we were all united as one group to tackle the world food security crisis. 

Jacqueline: Although I was a new member of the PSL, I was both glad and honored to participate in the world food forum. During the forum, I was greatly inspired by the talks of the numerous leaders of the world on world food security and agriculture. With this inspiration, I have decided to append the topic of agribusiness to my original personal project idea. Our group members were both nervous and excited to share our work with the people from all over the world.  The trip was both enjoyable and fruitful. I learned a lot!. 

Alyssa: It was a very great opportunity to experience both fun and learning on this trip. Not only was I able to listen to amazing speakers from all over the world about the issues with food systems and how youth can take action, but also I was able to get to know more people, get inspired with new ideas, and share our own stories with PSL in South Korea. I realized that it is important to have a wider perspective instead of focusing on just one idea. I was proud of our whole group for being leaders and representatives at this World Food Forum. 

Sihyun: This experience was not only memorable but engaging as I got to explore how different people approached the issues and ideas surrounding world food security, the advancement of agricultural systems, and the impact of youth in these activities which inspired me more to take direct action. During the forum and even outside of the event, I was able to learn a lot about different cultures, meet new people, develop new skills, and make fun and exciting memories.