The Agricultural Heritage Symposium is scheduled to take place in Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture, on November 10, 2023. As a part of this event, Ishikawa Prefecture and UNU OUIK will co-host a “Youth Session” aimed at fostering an exchange of ideas among high school students from agricultural heritage areas.
On October 19, 21 high school students from 11 schools across 7 World Agricultural Heritage regions and 1 Japan Agricultural Heritage region gathered online for a preliminary study session in preparation for the Youth Session. They engaged in discussions around questions such as “What is Agricultural Heritage?”, “How did the youth session come about?”, and “What will we do on the day of the event?” The session began with an introduction to the research conducted by UNU OUIK.
The first speaker, Mr. Akira Nagata, a Research Fellow at UNU OUIK, delivered a lecture titled “What is Agricultural Heritage?” In his talk, he explained the World Agricultural Heritage certification system, outlined the sites recognized as World Agricultural Heritage both in Japan and internationally, and discussed the potential ripple effects that certification can create.
Following this, UNU OUIK researcher Ms. Koyama provided an overview of the GIAHS Youth Summit held in FY2021 and its outcomes. She also introduced the “Opinion Exchange Meeting among High School Students from Agricultural Heritage Recognized Areas,” which took place last fiscal year.
In the second half of the session, participants were divided into groups to introduce themselves and share their impressions and opinions based on the earlier presentations. They then presented their insights to one another. Some participants expressed surprise at the abundance of World Agricultural Heritage sites in Asia, while others were grateful for the opportunity to engage in discussions with fellow students and appreciated the chance to share their views with adults.
Finally, Mr. Fukuda and Ms. Koyama wrapped up the session by outlining the day’s agenda and related preparations. Several participants expressed their enthusiasm for visiting Ishikawa Prefecture in November, and the overall meeting served as a valuable preparation for the upcoming in-person Youth Session event.
