SLU news

Strong representation in Global Youth Institute

Published: 14 October 2020
Rebecka Törnfeldt SLU YI

Global Youth Institute is an event with the aim to engage high school students in food security issues. This year, Rebecka Törnfeldt from Lundellska skolan in Uppsala had the honour of representing SLU Youth Institute (SLU YI) and Sweden in the grand finale of the Global Youth Institute.

To participate, the students write a Global Challenge report on a specific food related challenge and present solutions to it during round table discussions with other students and experts. There are several Youth Institutes in the world and SLU Youth Institute is the first one in Sweden.

The winner from each Youth Institute gets to participate in the Global Youth Institute; a three day event with agricultural and food security discussions and workshops with other students as well as Nobel Prize and World Food Prize laureates. The event finale is the World Food Prize ceremony. The event normally takes place in Des Moines, Iowa, USA, but considering the circumstances surrounding the pandemic, this year it will be held online.

Rebecka Törnfeldt, winner in the SLU Yotuh Institute pilot, is participating this year for Sweden and SLU. We asked Rebecka how she felt about getting to participate in this year’s Global Youth Institute.

“Extremely fun but also a little nerve-racking. I am looking forward to it very much and will do my very best. I think that it will be a great experience however it goes. “

Rebecka presented her Global Challenge report about sustainable agriculture in Costa Rica in an online roundtable discussion with other students and a few experts - including this year’s World Food Prize winner Dr Rattan Lal!

In the beginning of October, the first official round of SLU Youth Institute began. Students will do research and write about specific food security issues according to the framework set by the World Food Prize Foundation.  Events will be held continually throughout the year to engage students and have discussions about food security and sustainability. In March and April next year, finales will be held on both campus Ultuna and campus Alnarp with presentations of the reports along with other students and experts from SLU.

 


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