Universitas Brawijaya (UB) has once again made an achievement at the international level. Gusti Ayu Made Devta Swijayanti, a student of the Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology UB, won the “Winner Plant-based Food Prize Transformative Research Challenge” award at the prestigious World Food Forum 2024 event organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome. Together with her team consisting of Annisa Aurora Kartika from the Faculty of Agricultural Technology and Pradipta Widyo Nugroho from the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Gusti Ayu presented an innovation based on mangrove fruit as a sustainable emergency food solution.
“Our main goal as a delegation from Universitas Brawijaya in attending this event is to present our innovation in the Transformative Research Challenge competition, especially related to the use of mangrove fruit as a sustainable emergency food source,” said Gusti Ayu.
“We also aimed at building networks and collaboration with experts and international institutions to strengthen efforts to overcome the challenges of the global food system,” she added.
The presentation topic carried by Gusti Ayu and her team entitled “Mangrove Fruit Optimization for Sustainable Plant-Based Emergency Food Bars” managed to attract the attention of international participants and investors. By utilizing mangrove fruit as the main ingredient, this innovation not only offers a sustainable food solution but also supports the conservation of the mangrove ecosystem.
“The response from other participants to our presentation was very positive. Many were interested in the potential of mangrove fruit and how this innovation can be applied in various countries,” said Gusti Ayu.
In addition to winning awards, Gusti Ayu’s participation in the 2024 World Food Forum also opens up opportunities for collaboration with various international institutions.
“Several local and international organizations have shown interest in collaborating in further research and implementation of this project. We have also established a partnership with Meatless Monday Global, our main investor based in New York,” said Gusti Ayu.
In addition to competing, Gusti Ayu also participated in various workshops, panel discussions, and networking sessions during the event. These activities provided additional insights and opportunities to exchange ideas with experts and other participants from around the world.
“One of the important lessons I took from this event is the importance of cross-disciplinary and international collaboration in addressing food challenges. This is a valuable provision for developing a more inclusive and sustainable food system in Indonesia,” she said.
According to Gusti Ayu, her involvement in this event had a positive impact not only on her but also on the faculty and Universitas Brawijaya.
“As part of the young innovator community at the World Food Forum, we are committed to transforming the global food system. This participation opens up opportunities for international collaboration, increases the visibility of our research, and inspires students to engage in research that has a global impact,” she explained.
Gusti Ayu also hopes that Universitas Brawijaya will continue to actively participate in similar international events in the future.
“My hope for the future is that UB will continue to be active in international events like this. This will not only improve the reputation of the university but also provide opportunities for students and lecturers to learn, collaborate, and contribute to global solutions,” she said.
She added that international innovation and collaboration like what she did at FAO can be applied at Universitas Brawijaya by encouraging more collaboration between faculties and international institutions.
“Through transformative research, startup incubation, and dynamic workshops, we can learn and lead in creating real solutions for a more sustainable and inclusive food system,” she concluded.
The WFF Transformative Research Challenge (TRC) seeks to motivate research and innovation in sustainable development to eradicate hunger and transform our agrifood systems.
In the photo Gusti Ayu Made Devta, winner of Plant-based food2024 and Martijn Sonnevelt, Executive Director of the World Food System Center at ETH Zurich.
With this award and valuable experience, Gusti Ayu and her team not only bring the good name of Universitas Brawijaya to the international arena, but also inspire the younger generation to innovate in facing global challenges. Their innovation in optimizing mangrove fruit as Sustainable emergency food is a small but important step towards a stronger and more sustainable world food security. (dea/VQ/UB PR/ Trans. Iir)
