Hainan Initiative Released at the 4th World Shiology Forum

On October 11, the 4th World Shiology Forum released Hainan Initiative.

It is not easy to formulate the Initiative as countries around the world are confronted with different “eat+food” issues. In order to reach a consensus, great efforts were made to work out an initiative draft. The draft was handed out to the participating government officials, experts, scholars and food system workers of the forum in advance, to solicit opinions of them. After sessions were over on October 10, the meeting of the academic committee for the forum was held to discuss over the feedback. The committee members conducted an in-depth discussion and exchanged ideas, working late into the night, until the Initiative was finalized.

Mr. Liu Guangwei read out Hainan Initiative at World 4th Shiology Forum

The initiative pointed out that the implementation of global sustainable development still faces great challenges. Of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, at least 13 are related to food issues. Sustainable development will be difficult to achieve if food problems are not effectively addressed, which gives all participants a sense of gravity and responsibility.

The initiative believes that “eat+food” issues involve many areas of global sustainable development and are highly interconnected and holistic. Some issues, such as eating enough and healthy, food shortage and waste, food productivity and population growth, agricultural development and environmental protection, food processing and eaters’ health, food distribution and social harmony, do not exist in isolation, but as an objective whole connected with each other. At present, people's cognition for this is not complete and there is no unity concept. The existing disciplines are mostly fragmented with lack of complementarity, and there are many gaps. Therefore, we need to create a new knowledge system- Shiology, to comprehensively cover the “eat+food” issues in the SDGS, achieve overall awareness and holistic governance, and promote the implementation of the 2030 SDGS.

In order to promote the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the participating experts put forward four Initiatives:

1. Accelerate the construction of Shiology science system

We encourage relevant scholars from all over the world to actively participate in the construction of Shiology science system.

Research object: “eat+food” systems that are expanded from food systems; shifting the focus of study from food to “eat+food” affairs that involve food, eaters, and “eat+food” order.

Research starting point: shifting from food acquisition and processing back to the survival and health of eaters.

Research orientation: shifting from discipline-oriented research to issue-oriented research, breaking away from the existing relevant disciplinary frameworks, understanding the integrity of “eat+food” issues, to reveal their objective laws, and strive to comprehensively solve the issues related to the SDGs and also contribute to the high-quality development of society and high-quality human life.

2. Promote the establishment of an international standard system for Shiology

We propose to build an international standard system for Shiology. Based on the Shiology science and all-encompassing food system, we will devote ourselves to develop Concepts, Principles and Frameworks of Shiology (Knowledge System Integrating Food Science, Dietetics and Related Social Order), and integrate existing relevant standards into an organic overall system.

The international standard system of Shiology involves food, eaters and “eat+food” order, and is designed to resolve contradictions, conflicts and overlaps among various relevant standards holistically and fill the gap in industries.

Ultimately a global Shiology standard system that centers on eaters’ health and is sustainable development oriented will be developed for the health and well-being of mankind.

3. Work together to build a global “eat+food” digital platform

We encourage relevant experts, scholars and entrepreneurs from all over the world to actively participate in the construction of a World Internet of “Eat+Food”, and to promote high-quality development of all-encompassing food industries holistically.

We propose that for “eat+food” issues related to the SDGs, the underlying logic of human “eat+food” affairs is revealed, integrating existing digital platforms related to eating and food, to boost the outreach of the digital data-oriented towards evidence based decision-making process, and to link up eaters, food, “eat+food” tools and food system workers worldwide, on the basis of the “Eat+Food” SEB Order submitted at the 2019 United Nations Expert Group Meeting on Policy and Decision Making in Developing Countries in the Era of Digital Cooperation.

This will form a low-cost, efficient, fair and sustainable global “eat+food” digital system, meeting the demands of everyone to eat enough, eat well, and eat healthily, and thus building “eat+food” world order for the interests of eight billion people.

4. Actively carry out Shiology general education

Learning how to eat healthily is as important as learning the alphabet. Children need to learn to master the correct eating methods before, during and after eating, to mitigate diseases, and stay healthy. Part of this is learning eating etiquette, develop healthy eating habits, and learn the basic work skills related to “eat+food”.

We propose therefore to actively promote the use of the Dial Plate Courseware of Shiology General Education in primary schools around the world, and carry out Shiology general education. This way we can ensure that future generations will live healthier and happier lives.

After the Initiative is read out, Representative of Europe, Mr. Tom Dietmar Heilandt, Representative of North America, Ms. Shannon S. Herzfeld, Representative of South America, Mr. Emiliano Milanez Graziano Da Silva, Representative of Africa, Mr. Rashid Ali Suleiman, Representative of Asia, Abdugani Abdurasulov and Representative of Oceania, Mr. Keerthi Hapugasdeniya signed it along with Mr. Liu.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Mr.Yang Xiaobo, Member of the Fourteenth Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Mr. Wu Hongbo, Former United Nations Under-Secretary-General, Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Sun Xiansheng, President of the International Society for Energy Transition Studies (ISETS), and Former Secretary-General of International Energy Forum (IEF), Mr. Hu Zhenmin, Member of the Standing Committee of the Twelfth Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Executive Deputy Director of China National Committee for the Wellbeing of the Next Generation (CNCWNG), etc.

Here is the complete Hainan Initiative:

On October 10-11, 2023, the 4th World Shiology Forum was held in Haikou city, Hainan province, China. We, government officials, experts, scholars and food system workers from 43 countries on five continents gathered in Haikou to engage in the systematic and in-depth discussion over "eat+food" issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

We express our sincere appreciation to Hainan provincial government and all sectors of society for their great support and assistance to this forum. Hainan Island boasts pleasant climate, abundant natural resources, beautiful natural scenery at seaside and in lush forests as well as warm and simple local people, which impressed all the participants of the forum.

Surrounded by this scenery, we must keep in mind that the implementation of global sustainable development is still challenging.

We express our appreciation especially to Mr. Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations，for his support in spite of his busy schedule.

Of the 17 SDGs, at least 13 are related to “eat+food” issues. Sustainable development cannot be achieved unless “eat+food” issues are effectively addressed. This made all the participants aware of the grim situation and their huge responsibilities to work towards resolving these issues.  

At present, progress in “eat+food” field is lagging behind seriously, with hundreds of millions of people around the world suffering from diverse “eat+food” related issues such as hunger, malnutrition, obesity and non-communicable diseases due to overeating or bad eating habits. At the same time large amounts of food are being wasted or used for other purposes. Unequal distribution of food resources and intensifying conflict between food acquisition and ecology require immediate attention of the international community.

In his message to the forum, Mr. Guterres noted that in face of a global food crisis，we must transform food systems urgently to make them more sustainable, equitable and resilient.

To address the food crisis: Governments and businesses must work together to scale up climate-friendly investments. We must also support the women and men who bring food systems to life. And we must leverage science and technology to improve access to healthy foods while reducing the use of water and the carbon footprint.

The focus of the forum is on working together to address the root causes of the food crisis, to build systems that put people over profit, and end hunger once and for all.

“Eat+food” issues are highly interrelated and integrated and thus concern many areas of global sustainable development. For example, issues such as eating enough and eating healthily, food shortage and food waste, food productivity and population growth, agricultural development and environmental protection, food processing and eaters’ health, food distribution and social harmony do not exist in isolation, but are interrelated, forming a complete objective whole.

People have up to now not had a complete understanding of this and the concept of wholeness and furthermore the existing disciplines are mostly separated, not complementary to each other, and have huge gaps between them.

Therefore, we need a new knowledge system, shiology that covers all the “eat+food” issues related to the SDGs, to comprehensively cognize them and holistically govern them setting the eaters as the center of the approach, and thus promote the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

To this end, we propose to:

1.Accelerate the construction of shiology science system

We encourage relevant scholars from all over the world to actively participate in the construction of shiology science system.

Research object: “eat+food” systems that are expanded from food systems; shifting the focus of study from food to “eat+food” affairs that involve food, eaters, and “eat+food” order.

Research starting point: shifting from food acquisition and processing back to the survival and health of eaters.

Research orientation: shifting from discipline-oriented research to issue-oriented research, breaking away from the existing relevant disciplinary frameworks, understanding the integrity of “eat+food” issues, to reveal their objective laws, and strive to comprehensively solve the issues related to the SDGs and also contribute to the high-quality development of society and high-quality human life.

2. Promote the establishment of an international standard system for shiology

We propose to build an international standard system for shiology. Based on the shiology science and all-encompassing food system, we will devote ourselves to develop Concepts, Principles and Frameworks of Shiology (Knowledge System Integrating Food Science, Dietetics and Related Social Order), and integrate existing relevant standards into an organic overall system.

The international standard system of shiology involves food, eaters and “eat+food” order, and is designed to resolve contradictions, conflicts and overlaps among various relevant standards holistically and fill the gap in industries.

Ultimately a global shiology standard system that centers on eaters’ health and is sustainable development oriented will be developed for the health and well-being of mankind.

3. Work together to build a global “eat+food” digital platform

We encourage relevant experts, scholars and entrepreneurs from all over the world to actively participate in the construction of a World Internet of “Eat+Food”, and to promote high-quality development of all-encompassing food industries holistically.

We propose that for “eat+food” issues related to the SDGs, the underlying logic of human “eat+food” affairs is revealed, integrating existing digital platforms related to eating and food, to boost the outreach of the digital data-oriented towards evidence based decision-making process, and to link up eaters, food, “eat+food” tools and food system workers worldwide, on the basis of the “Eat+Food” SEB Order submitted at the 2019 United Nations Expert Group Meeting on Policy and Decision Making in Developing Countries in the Era of Digital Cooperation.

This will form a low-cost, efficient, fair and sustainable global “eat+food” digital system, meeting the demands of everyone to eat enough, eat well, and eat healthily, and thus building “eat+food” world order for the interests of eight billion people.

4. Actively carry out shiology general education

Learning how to eat healthily is as important as learning the alphabet. Children need to learn to master the correct eating methods before, during and after eating, to mitigate diseases, and stay healthy. Part of this is learning eating etiquette, develop healthy eating habits, and learn the basic work skills related to “eat+food”.

We propose therefore to actively promote the use of the Dial Plate Courseware of Shiology General Education in primary schools around the world, and carry out shiology general education. This way we can ensure that future generations will live healthier and happier lives.

We express our heartfelt thanks to the United Nations and member states, other international institutions and all partners for their strong support to this forum.

We appreciate and applaud the extensive and high-quality work of the Secretariat of the Fourth World Shiology Forum.

We hope that the Secretariat will support government officials, experts, scholars and food system workers in holding a variety of city summits for the 4th World Shiology Forum to promote the implementation of this initiative.

We will support the Secretariat in preparing for the fifth world shiology forum.

We commit to join together in the effort to complete the construction of the world shiology system as soon as possible, and thus contribute to solving the “eat+food” issues facing mankind!

The participants of the 4th World Shiology Forum

October 11, 2023