CULTIVATING CIRCULAR FUTURES: YOUTH AS AGENTS OF CHANGE

EMPOWERING YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH EDUCATION TO TACKLE FOOD LOSS AND RESHAPE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES.

- By Vimlendra Sharan

As the world marks the International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste, the paradox of billions going hungry while 1.3 billion tonnes of food are wasted annually grows more urgent. Across Sri Lanka and beyond, young people are embracing circular principles, leading innovative solutions in schools, universities, and communities.

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. 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.

When young people embrace circular principles, they can reshape communities and inspire system change

Students as Global Changemakers