Nana Takai

The 3S Food Project
Founder and Director
 

Originally from Japan and based in Canada, Nana Takai is keen to pursue higher learning and experience in the areas of food security, climate change and global cooperation. Collectively she wishes to bring solutions to these global issues through youth activation education and innovation. 

Growing up, Nana has always been passionate about exploring foods. Her family and her love to travel around the world, and throughout these journeys, they would sample various traditional foods. Since young, she has been concerned about food waste around the world, and she understands that food distribution has been unequal for decades. After moving to Canada, she felt a stronger urgency to act on the area of food waste.

After a few months living in Alberta, she was surprised that there is a higher than expected proportion of Canadians who are wasting food without any hesitation. This stands in contrast with Japanese culture - which is home to the “kyuushoku system”. When she observes garbage bins in her local community, she often notices foods that are thrown away by those who are no longer hungry, despite the fact that the food is still perfectly edible. Another observation she made was that, outside of school, many families over-purchase their weekly food requirements, and in the end, throw it away because it is expired. These discoveries have lit a fire inside of her to act on this, fully knowing every day, thousands of underprivileged families are on the brink of starvation.  

At her current high school, even as a relatively new student, she mobilized her fellow students to advocate for this cause. She has recruited over 80 international students in Monsignor McCoy High School to lead this activity. She founded The 3S Food Project, where she aims to Scrutinize, Sustain and Safeguard food security through respectively addressing the issues on Food Wastage, Food Mismanagement and Food Production.

At university and beyond, Nana would like to continue focusing on the topic of global food insecurity. She 

want to raise awareness and advocate for a change in mindset towards food waste, and also play a role in redistributing excess food towards poorer countries. Global cooperation is required to reduce inequalities and reallocate food resources to meet the needs of all countries in a holistic manner, and she wants to play a role in this important mission.