On October 16, the main event marking 2026 World Food Day and National Food Security Awareness Week was held at the University of Science and Technology of China, where ten exemplary cases of implementing the National Whole Grain Action Plan were announced. Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE) was selected as a representative case from the higher education sector for its initiative, “Deepening Whole-Grain Education to Cultivate Minds: A Model for Food Security Education in Higher Education.” The university was also invited to share its experience in an interview at the main event. The event was livestreamed in full by Xinhuanet, and People's Daily published a report.
Jointly organized by the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Education, the National Government Offices Administration, the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China, and the All-China Women's Federation, the event was themed “Implementing the Whole Grain Action Plan to Reduce Food Loss and Waste and Promote Nutrition and Health.”
Building on its strengths as a university specializing in finance and economics, SWUFE has made the Whole Grain Action Plan an important vehicle for advancing food security, labor education, and the Healthy China initiative. The university has developed an integrated four-dimensional approach to education: incorporating ideological and civic education into field-based learning, delivering systematic science outreach, diversifying whole-grain food offerings, and making food conservation and waste reduction a regular practice.
Through partnerships with local governments and other universities, SWUFE organizes experiential learning that integrates farming, reading, and ideological and civic education. It also uses campus dining halls as platforms for whole-grain science outreach and hands-on activities, and has developed a whole-grain meal program offering more than 130 varieties. In parallel, the university promotes the Clean Your Plate campaign, improving nutritional quality while reducing food waste. Together, these efforts provide a replicable and scalable model for whole-grain initiatives at universities nationwide. They also demonstrate how, under the leadership of the university's Party Committee, campus logistics services can contribute to student development through high-quality educational support and services.
Going forward, SWUFE will continue to implement the Whole Grain Action Plan, further refine its integrated approach to education combining farming, reading, and food education, and deepen the integration of food security education and labor education. Through these efforts, the university will contribute its expertise and experience to advancing food security education.
