Overview

The World Shiology Forum (WSF) is an international conference that brings together global experts in food and agriculture from five key sectors: policymakers, academia, industry, finance and foundations, and both mainstream and social media.

The forum serves as a platform for open dialogue on global Shiance issues —a broader approach to food system issues which places the eater at the center. It offers participants opportunities to share insights from Shiology (food and eat studies), generate collaborative solutions and explore practical applications to address systemic challenges in the global food ecosystem.

Shiology aligns closely with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Of the 17 SDGs, 13 are directly related to food and agriculture—making them central to Shiology’s research focus(Shiology & SDGs alignment chart).

In recognition of this alignment, Shiology Founder Mr. Liu was invited to the United Nations Headquarters in 2019 to deliver a presentation, which was warmly received. Since then, continuous engagement with UN officials has helped shape Shiology research in support of achieving the SDGs by 2030 and beyond.

WSF3 (2019) was recognized as an official side event at the 2019 G20 Osaka summit . At the WSF4 (Hainan, 2023), over 100 participants from 43 countries were honored to receive a personal message from UN Secretary-General António Guterres, reinforcing the forum’s truly global character.

WSF1-4 were largely academically focused to establish global recognition and consensus around Shiology's potential.

WSF5 scheduled for October 2025 in Hainan (China) will continue to promote Shiology’s theoretical foundation while shifting toward a more action-oriented and results-driven approach. This includes addressing country-specific food and agriculture challenges through solution providers and exploring potential funding mechanisms. We envision WSF evolving into a demand-driven innovation platform.

For WSF5, we anticipate over 200 on-site participants, including representatives from the United Nations and its affiliated agencies, along with delegates from over 100 countries. International and social media outlets will be invited to cover the event.

In preparation of WSF5 we are preparing the Global Food System and SDGs Report, and given its scope and global relevance, we are inviting over 100 co-authors from UN member states to contribute as collaborators.

The report will assess the food systems of all UN member states, evaluate their potential impact on achieving the SDGs, and present holistic “three-in-one” Shiology solutions—covering food consumption, supply, and distribution.

The report will be launched officially at WSF5, followed by a formal presentation at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in November 2025.

For more details about WSF5 and how to participate, please visit the “Forthcoming 5th WSF and Participation” section. To learn more about the report and how to get involved, please visit the “Report” section.