Trifosa Reuel Alfasan, a student of the Bachelor of Nutrition Study Program at the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) Universitas Indonesia (UI) had the opportunity to take part in a cultural exchange mission in South Korea in the 2023 Youth Education and Cultural Tour South Korea Autumn Edition Program by the Garuda Nusa Foundation. Youth Educational and Cultural Tour (YECT) is a forum for the young generation to actualize themselves and collaborate and see a broad perspective of a country’s progress which can then foster a positive mindset in developing Indonesia. One of the goals of YECT is to foster a spirit of nationalism and benchmark the younger generation so that they have competitiveness at the world level. This is in line with this year’s YECT theme, namely “Innovation to Increase the Global Competitiveness of Indonesian Youth”. This cultural exchange mission activity is a forum for Trifosa to provide innovation on issues related to Sustainable Development Goals (SGGs). The focus of this program is increasing awareness regarding culture and innovation.
In Indonesia, nutritional problems are still an ongoing problem. One of the causes is the high dependence of people on rice, which cannot be grown in every region. For example, the regions of Papua and Maluku are more suitable for planting carbohydrate plants such as sago. “In fact, the diversity of Indonesia’s food sources, which is the highest in the world after Brazil, is a potential that can be optimized. “Wealth that is something to be proud of and enough to provide nutrition for people throughout the country,” said Trifosa.
Learn from the “Kwichon” phenomenon, namely many young people who choose to become farmers rather than compete with the expensive cost of living in urban areas. According to Trifosa, Indonesia also needs to respect biodiversity as a valuable asset. “We need to learn to respect farmers because human life is rooted in food grown from the soil. “Modern is not just about high-rise buildings, but a developed society with national wealth,” he added.
Not only conveying ideas, but this program also took Trifosa and other delegates to visit the KBS World office and Gangnam Medical Tourism Center, and the Seoul International Invention Fair. Apart from that, there were sharing sessions with students at Ewha Women’s University and Yonsei University.
On several occasions, Trifosa observed the culture of South Korean people who really value food and cleanliness. This is proven by the street food stalls which remain clean even though they are busy with visitors. While living in South Korea, the food menu he got was always accompanied by vegetables (either fresh vegetables or kimchi), and according to him, this small culture made South Korean people always look physically healthy. Doctors from the Gangnam Medical Tourism Center also said that it is true that one of the secrets of Korean people’s beautiful skin and tall bodies is the food they consume every day and regular vitamin consumption.
While visiting the Seoul International Invention Fair, Trifosa and other delegates also visited the booth of delegates from Malaysia who had skincare innovations using sustainable ingredients, namely several natural resource ingredients that are commonly found but have not been used optimally. This opportunity is very beneficial for Trifosa because it is related to the nutritional studies that Trifosa is currently pursuing. This experience revealed the importance of exploring the use of Indonesia’s natural resources and maximizing the benefits of potentials that may have previously been unknown. Of course, to bring about a better nutritional future for Indonesia. (DFD)
