G3 shares food security insights at Sustainability Summit

Camarin Quitugua, G3 Action Framework Coordinator, shares her thoughts on food security with an audience at UOG CLASS Lecture Hall

Panelists Michelle Crisostomo of Guåhan Sustainable Culture & Melvin Won Pat Borja of the Department of CHamoru Affairs address a young crowd at the Mo'na Manhoben Sustainability Summit on Food Security

Moderator for the Sustainability Summit on Food Security, Edward Suarez poses questions to the three-person panel

A view from the audience of the Mo'na Manhoben Sustainability Summit on Food Security stage

Panelists sit with the audience of the Mo'na Manhoben Sustainability Summit on Food Security for a group photo

At the recent 2023 Mo’na Manhoben Sustainability Summit on Food Security, Guam Green Growth (G3) joined a panel of experts in a discussion focused on the challenges hindering food security on Guam and the strategies to overcome them.

The Guam Youth Congress, Governor’s Youth Advisory Council, and the G3 Youth Ambassadors, with support from the Offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Guam, all helped to organize the summit, which was held on December 14 at the University of Guam CLASS Lecture Hall.

Food security is the ability for a community to have access to a high quantity of affordable, nutritious food options with a great availability to all people, according to USDA.

As part of the panel, Camarin Quitugua, G3 Action Framework Coordinator, emphasized the significance of addressing food security among the younger generation.

“As a youth, it was very clear to me that [the issue of food security] is our reality. When I had learned that it made me want to change it… for myself and for my family. It changed the way I live my life and helped me to feel like I have agency in this reality.”

Quitugua and her fellow panelists also shared ways for island residents to bolster Guam’s position in addressing food security and other challenges — from learning how to cultivate crops through lessons given by organizations like Guahån Sustainable Culture to supporting local farmers and fishermen. She said these initiatives present opportunities to advance the goal of achieving food security on Guam.

Of all the ideas shared and the plethora of conversations had, there is one Quitugua hopes continues to grow in the minds of the youth in attendance.

“I wanted them to feel empowered! [To know] that there are still places to learn” says Quitugua. “We can make these choices, even if we don’t [currently] have easy access to healthier foods. It really boils down to our choices. There are still spaces for us to learn and it’s up to us to take up the opportunity.”

For Quitugua, the success of food security on Guam hinges on the daily choices made by its residents. She reassures her audience that, despite the apparent challenges, achieving this goal is indeed realistic. Whether it’s the young attendees at the food security summit or everyday individuals of all ages in the community, Quitugua challenges them to embrace a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle, not just for themselves but for generations to come.

As part of the UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant, G3 partners with different organizations in sparking conversations and developing tangible solutions to food security and other sustainability challenges, using the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and G3 Action Framework as a guide.