Cultivating Circular Futures: Youth as Agents of Change

On September 29, the world marks the International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste, highlighting one of humanity’s pressing paradoxes. As the global population nears 8.5 billion by 2030, we still waste 1.3 billion tonnes of food annually - enough to feed three billion people. Sri Lanka is no exception. This crisis calls for urgent action, and increasingly, young people are emerging as catalysts for change.

- BY VIMLENDRA SHARAN, FAO Representative for Sri Lanka and the Maldives

Food waste

The traditional “take-make-use-discard” model has proved unsustainable. A shift toward circular approaches - refuse, regenerate, reuse, and redesign - is gaining global momentum. At the heart of this transformation lies a simple truth: when young people embrace circular principles, they can reshape communities and inspire wider system change.

Across the world, schools and universities are showing how education can drive sustainability. In Denmark, the Green School Flag program involves over 1,400 schools in projects that have measurably cut waste. Brazil’s Sustainable Schools Program establishes schools as central hubs for sustainability and to support local economies. In Asia-Pacific, Japan’s education system embeds Mottainai - a philosophy of respect for resources into its curriculum. Singapore’s Food Waste Prevention Programme combines lessons with practical campaigns, with over 80% of participating households reporting reduced waste. Universities like Arizona State, Stanford, and Wageningen have created “living labs,” where students design and test circular solutions, some achieving near zero-waste campuses.