JustThisCan, the Way to Peace

Hello everyone. My name is Rio Kato.

To me, peace means that everyone can eat nutritiously and live a healthy life. Without food,  human beings cannot begin to learn, prevent disease, or lead productive lives. And even if we can  eat a full meal, when nutrition is imbalanced, it will seriously affect children’s growth as their bodies  are still developing. In fact, according to WFP, millions of children under the age of 5 suffer from  malnutrition.

I have been volunteering at my church’s food bank since last winter. Of course, this effort  has many positive aspects; however, I soon noticed some problems. Inevitably, only items that could  be stored for a long time were collected, and perishable food was hardly distributed. Also, cans that  could single-handedly provide the necessary nutrition were not available. Although the product  could fulfill your hunger, it is not enough to feel the pleasure of eating. This takes away moments of  joy out of people’s everyday lives. It is possible that the same thing may be happening in places  around the world where canned food is provided as aid.

Therefore, I propose that supermarkets, businesses, restaurants, and nutritionists  collaborate to develop “JustThisCan”: a product that provides a full day’s worth of nutrition in a single can. Unlike other canned products, the ingredients would be sourced from unused yet fresh  food from restaurants and supermarkets. This would lead to a decrease in food loss. Moreover,  “JustThisCan” would not only be delicious on its own but could also be easily arranged by cooking  with other canned foods or adding a few ingredients. For example, mixing it with tomato sauce  could create seasoning for two to three servings of pasta. Mixing it with rice would give it a new  taste, making it nutritional and enjoyable. This attribute allows “JustThisCan” to be edible with  many kinds of food; it could be enjoyed by people of many cultures regardless of what they like.  Above all, it will provide appropriate aid for people needing food.

The “JustThisCan” project would help solve various problems in the world such as poverty,  health, malnutrition, and many more. Furthermore, it could create connections between people because spreading the project globally would require international cooperation. Sufficient food  creates peace, and “JustThisCan” would be the perfect project to help.