Food Systems for a Sustainable Future

The fourth iteration of the AKU President's Challenge for Climate Solutions chooses a theme with relevance to everyday life: food. While we may think about food a lot – as it forms an essential part of our culture, our celebrations and traditions, and our personal choices – we rarely think about the systems and processes associated with our food, such as where it comes from and what happens with food waste. At the same time, the theme provides countless opportunities for individuals to make active and positive changes!

The theme was also chosen for its relevance and urgency – with nearly 40% of global emissions related to food systems. These include land use changes (e.g. when forests are cleared for livestock or feed), agricultural inputs such as fertilisers, transport and losses in the supply chains, processing and packaging, as well as food waste. Meanwhile, food systems are also the biggest driver of biodiversity loss and ecosystems change.

On the other hand, climate change profoundly affects food systems. These include for example water availability, heat impacts, diseases for crops and livestock, changes in soil composition, access and affordability, and more.

Food can be both very local and very global at the same time. Impacts on food production in one part of the world can send ripple effects to many others.

Furthermore, both food and climate change, as well as the interaction between them, are intricately linked to human health.

Since food is consumed several times a day, entry points to make small but significant changes are multiple. Simple actions can have consequential ripple effects, and can demonstrate to others to emphasise more conscious consumption. Better data can amplify opportunities to policy makers. More localisation and more active engagement with our food can show pathways to reduce negative  impacts of food systems. Eating more plant based diets may be the largest single climate action individuals can take.

Techniques, behaviours, and practices can transform a source to a sink: instead of releasing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, food production can capture carbon as a means to increase fertility, soil health, water availability, yields, and ultimately nutrition and food security.

Together, we can transform Food Systems for a Sustainable Future.

Stay tuned for updates and announcements on this year’s challenge!

The Waste Nothing Challenge 

​​Global theme for the President's Challenge for Climate Solutions 2022​

The theme “Waste Nothing,” has been selected to help students, residents, and interns engage with the massive issues of climate in a more manageable and pragmatic way. While the most obvious issue stemming from this theme is that of waste and pollution reduction, there are other ways to conceptualise ‘waste nothing’. Students may want to look at how waste products are created through hospital operations, the cafeterias at AKU, their own eating a​​nd cleaning habits at home and in hostels, in their communities, through economic activity in wider society, and much more. 

Moving towards the alternate conception of wasting nothing—this may trigger students’ minds towards thinking of all the valuable resources that are wasted, and which could be conserved and reused, on a regular basis in their lives—e.g., water, electricity, gas, oil, food, and so much more. 

The Challenge will consist of an annual educational and awareness campaign combined with an annual submissions-based competition. 

Participants will be provided support in the forms of an Ideation Sprint, advisory sessions with subject matter experts, field visits to AKU and external facilities of power, water, and waste management. 

This Challenge will kick off in May 2022 and will engage students through a variety of interactive events, culminating in a grand closing ceremony in November 2022.