Students debate on reducing food waste

The event took place on October 9, attracting about 150 in-person and online participants, including students from the Foreign Trade University, Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture and Forestry, representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam, Food Bank Vietnam, and youth organizations such as Empower Youth4Food and the Youth Climate Action Network.

Photo caption — Students are debating about raising awareness and fighting food waste. Photo: Embassy

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), more than 931 million tons of food are wasted each year, while one-seventh of the world’s population remains hungry. In Vietnam, food loss and waste is a serious challenge across the entire supply chain, from production, processing to household consumption, with losses in some agricultural sectors reaching 20-25%.

Reducing food waste plays a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving resources and improving food security, in line with the goal of net zero emissions by 2050.

The highlight of the event was the debate between student teams, in which they developed a campaign to raise awareness about reducing food loss and waste based on real-life situations. The jury included representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Food Bank Vietnam and the Embassy of Denmark.

As a result, the GREENIES team including Hoang Nhat Linh, Le Thi Minh Anh and Nguyen Thanh Thao (Foreign Trade University) won with convincing arguments and creative approaches.

At the event, Mr. Nicolai Prytz, Ambassador of Denmark to Vietnam emphasized: “Young people are not only tomorrow’s consumers but also the decision makers of the future. We are proud to host this debate and give Vietnamese youth the opportunity to speak. I hope the competition will inspire more dialogue with young people in the future, for a sustainable food system.”

Ms. Nguyen Giang Thu, Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) also said: “Resolving food loss and waste is one of the top priorities, directly linked to food security and sustainable development goals of Vietnam. We believe that young people will bring new, creative and practical perspectives to help build action solutions to create a more efficient and sustainable food system for Vietnam”.

Representing the participating schools, Mr. Nguyen Huyen Minh, Foreign Trade University, said that students participating in the contest is an important step forward, helping to inspire and empower young people to be creative in finding solutions to reduce food loss and waste.

Sharing the same view, Mr. Kha Chan Tuyen, Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture and Forestry, said that encouraging students to participate not only helps to form a team of young leaders capable of solving food problems but also contributes to strengthening cooperation between Vietnam and Denmark in the fields of agriculture and food.

The event is part of the Strategic Sector Cooperation (SSC) Programme on Agriculture and Food between Vietnam and Denmark - part of the Green Strategic Partnership (GSP) announced by the two Prime Ministers in November 2023. The programme aims to raise awareness and capacity to reduce food loss and waste across the entire value chain, contributing to the realization of the goal of developing a circular, low-carbon and sustainable economy.

The debate also marks an effort to engage young people in initiatives for climate and sustainable food systems. The Embassy of Denmark hopes that the event will become an annual platform to encourage innovation and concrete action by young people for the benefit of the community.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/xa-hoi/sinh-vien-tranh-bien-ve-giam-lang-phi-thuc-pham-20251009184119041.htm