Reed Cleland
Food production is a basic component of society. It is unthinkable that some nations continue to struggle with feeding themselves. From Africa to Asia to Latin America, governments have made every effort to sustain their agricultural production. Although some find success, other nations have yet to solve continuing agricultural issues.
Maybe our youth can help.
The World Food Prize Foundation has taken a step in this direction. This group has been raising awareness about global agricultural issues since 1994. They established the World Food Prize Youth Institute as a national contest for youth interested in studying global agricultural affairs. Students from twenty-nine states have the opportunity to submit an essay detailing a specific crisis that affects a third-world nation’s agricultural production, as well as a possible solution to avoid that particular crisis. There are hundreds of topics for students to choose from, a reflection of the global need for solutions.
Emma Murphy, a rising Homer High School senior, learned about the contest through her English teacher, Mrs. Lori Andersen. Emma was not only raised on a farm, but she also served as Homer High School’s Future Farmers of America (FFA) president. Encouraged and supported by several teachers (Mrs. Lori Andersen, Mr. Michael Massenzio, and Mrs. Marcie Mann), Emma selected the Sudan Water crisis from the list of possible topics. She argued that solar energy would be able to power the water filtration systems. In addition to her written essay, she presented a three-minute speech at Cornell University, the host of the New York Youth Institute. Several presiding judges were given two minutes for questions and answers.
Following a successful presentation, Emma and four other New York students were selected to attend the culminating Global Youth Institute conference in October 2016. Accompanied by her teacher mentor, Mrs. Andersen, Emma will travel to Iowa and attend the three-day conference as one of four-hundred high-school students from across the United States. She will have the opportunity to meet with Nobel Prize winners, Heads of State, ambassadors, USDA representatives, as well as doctors, researchers, and charity leaders. Every student in attendance shares an interest in agricultural issues; it is an opportunity for them to learn how to make a global difference.
Homer is very proud of Emma’s ability to think on globally. When asked about her experience, Emma expressed a desire that “people become involved with organizations like this, even if they aren’t involved in agriculture. The political unrest and lack of government regulations has really affected countries in Africa and Asia and Central America [...] There are tons of ways to get involved, and the World Food Prize is a great way to start.”
Homer wishes Emma a great trip, and hopes she will use this exciting experience to make a difference in our world.
