We have finally submitted our written proposal and delivered the oral presentation. The end of the semester is drawing near and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
It has been an exhausting yet enriching experience as we embarked on the journey to find out about issues that concern not just NUS community, but also Singaporeans in general. In retrospect, there were areas we had done well, things we have learnt which will serve us well for the rest of our lives and definitely areas of improvement which could take our research to the next level for more serious consideration by the relevant authorities.
Firstly, it was amazing how we managed to pull together a well-researched and well thought out proposal on food wastage in Singapore even though there is a non-Singaporean in our group. Initially, there were difficulties in understanding due to cultural background differences. Yumeng came to Singapore just less than 2 years ago and it is not fair to expect her to be familiar with Singapore issues. However, Jia Jian and I took care to make sure she understood what we are working on and the background information relevant to the topic so that we can move forward as a team. For that, I am really thankful for the teamwork and would like to thank Jia Jian and Yumeng for their cooperation and initiative.
Next, we have gained valuable knowledge in terms of the situation of food waste in Singapore and the current measures being done to alleviate it. Prior to this project, I was not aware of the existence of Non-profit Organizations like Singapore Environmental Council (SEC) which is responsible for so many successful campaigns like Eco-food courts certification in Singapore. Furthermore, the more important thing that I have learnt is to understand your audience before any presentation and know how to appeal to their interests in order for them to be receptive to our call to action.
Lastly, certain solutions in our proposal held promise as they sparked many questions from the audience after our oral presentation. In particular, the idea of selling ugly fruits and vegetables in a separate section in supermarkets generated interest among the audience. In our interview with an official with National Environmental Agency (NEA), she also said that the idea sounds good if public perceptions can be changed. Customer surveys can be carried out to find out whether they would purchase deformed fruits and vegetables at a discount and we can proceed to propose to supermarkets to carry out pilot tests in certain outlets to gauge consumers' response. If consumers react positively to this initiative, it can be implemented in more outlets across Singapore. This would certainly help to reduce food waste dramatically in the long term.
In conclusion, I am glad to be given the chance to work on and contribute to a topic that is often overlooked by a developed economy. It has benefited me greatly in terms of knowledge and skill set. In future, when I am faced with a situation of presenting a proposal to resistant audiences, I would definitely remember what I had learnt in this module.
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