When we think of the education we have received from schools so far, how did we learn to cherish food? Is it our parents or teachers who repeatedly remind us? Or we learned it from some boring talks? Are there any interesting methods to let citizens understand the severity of and solutions to food waste? Chung Chi student Ms. Chan Hok Yee (IBBA/ 3), the Third Prize winner of the S.H. Sung Creativity Award, created the proposal of “Making Wise Food Choices” to deliver the core message of food security. She has designed a card game with situation cards to let students and families know how different stakeholders reduce food loss through various choices.

Q: Why did you choose food security as the proposal topic?

I think this topic is very important as developing a stable food chain can substantially relieve global undernutrition and mortality due to food insecurity. One of the sustainable goals made by the United Nations is to reduce the food loss rate significantly by 2030. Hong Kong is an international metropolis and should keep abreast with global trends. According to the data from the Environmental Protection Department, food waste has occupied 30% of municipal solid waste (MSW), constituting the largest MSW category. Although different parties have proposed solutions to reduce solid waste, for example, transforming food waste into fertilisers for reclamation so as to build landfills, the best method for enhancing food security may be arousing citizens’ awareness of environmental protection through education. Feeling that some recent talks and advertisements regarding this subject appear to be rather conventional, I think making learning fun is the key to education. As I want to be a teacher in the future, I hope that I can teach students the concepts of food waste and how to reduce food loss in an interesting way.

Ms. Chan thinks that arousing citizens’ awareness of environmental protection and food security can be fostered through education, which can in turn enhance food security.

Q: How did you get inspired regarding the game ideas?

When I was a secondary student, I played the game “Stock Masters” designed by the Investor and Financial Education Council. Through cosplay by different stakeholders, I learned how to value my assets and make decisions in various situations. It makes me understand the investment risks and the importance of diversification. This game inspires me to create various situation cards and use them to raise the excitement and sophistication of my game. Apart from that, I have made reference to the features of different characters, and let players know how stakeholders can reduce food loss and the immense power of wholehearted collaboration.

Ms. Chan has designed a card game with situation cards to let students and families know how different stakeholders reduce food loss through various choices.

Q: How can your card game educate the public to cherish food?

The knock-on effect of the game can let players know that even a small amount of waste can have a detrimental impact on the whole food chain. In addition to the winning rules, players can understand how to avoid food hoarding in order to reduce food waste. What’s more, when people play the game as a team, it can remind them that if all parties in the community cooperate, we can ultimately reach a win-win situation. Just like what we are facing in the real world, all of us can make contributions to maintain a sustainable society for a better future.