As the year comes to a close, Gen.T honourees discuss the lessons they gained this year and their plans for 2023
As we take the festive year-end period to enjoy a break from work, there has never been a better time to look back at how we've spent our year—from the wins to the challenges to the new experiences we may have had.
For some of us, 2022 was when the term “post-pandemic” felt the most real even though Covid-19 is still around, as live events and overseas travels came back in full swing. For others, it may have been a year of change or opportunities, whether it be a new job or a decision to live better or differently. But however 2022 has been for you, there would have been moments and lessons to reflect back on.
Here, five Gen.T honourees share what they've learned from the year and what they hope to achieve in 2023.
Nithiya Laila
What was the biggest lesson you gained in 2022?
Nithiya Laila (NL): I had the opportunity to spend some time with the Jane Goodall Institute in Tanzania this summer and although I had met Dr Goodall while emceeing her address at the University Cultural Center back in 2019, this was the first time I witnessed her work on the ground in East Africa; the widespread impact one can have to create a better, more sustainable world with action that is consistent, strongly gentle and expansive. Even in an economy that can sometimes treat sustainability as a trendy buzzword, I saw the lived importance of bringing your truest self to your work with every step in harmony with nature; that you can still create long-term positive impact across generations and geographies with your heart in the right place.
What was the biggest moment or your proudest achievement this year, and why was it so impactful to you?
NL: We threw an amazing party in the Kranji jungle [in Singapore] to [raise awareness about saving] our permaculture heritage soil farms. We brought together a diverse set of people to share and educate what farm-to-table looks like, from Nasi Ulam by Green Circle to Thunder Tree from Fireflies Farm. The farms still got shut down, but many guests went on to join the seed and soil community, cross-pollinating among themselves to create their own projects and carry on that legacy with renewed fervour. That's what I love—to share and connect, and the powerful realisation that even as a plant comes to the end of its life and goes to seed, the cycle of life continues and new good things will sprout up from the ground.
This might sound silly, but I was proud when the native edible plant seeds that people picked up from Singapore Seedxchange from our pop-up earlier in the year at Orchard Library seeded and grew into plants, producing their own seeds that were shared back full circle with the community. The growers ranged from enthusiastic schoolkids to retirees; it really fills you up with hope. I felt that we were really building a vibrant, thriving, growing ecosystem.
What are your plans for next year?
NL: I hope to continue to create opportunities for equitable interconnectedness between farmers, chefs, academics and bureaucrats in the conversation and explorations around resilient food systems where heritage, histories and soil have a space to be heard. Even as we wholeheartedly embrace all the innovations in agritech.
We are looking at 10 billion people to feed nutritiously and nourish in the next 30 years and I feel the edible plants from the global south hold the key. Just look at the superfoods over the last decade. So spreading that awareness and creating platforms to access that information in a fun, interactive way is a big drive for 2023.
Singapore being a region with various stages of development can help to craft how we feed the world across the equator. Tangible markers such as a wellness festival themed around seeds at the iconic Kampong Bugis building and a video content series on future foods are also in my pipeline for next year.
Read more: How This Entrepreneur’s New Agri-Fintech Startup Is Helping Underserved Farmers To Stay Competitive
