FoodLab Program Helps Bridgehampton Students Earn World Food Prize Recognition

Two Bridgehampton School students who participated in a FoodLab at Stony Brook Southampton program have earned statewide recognition for research addressing global food security and environmental sustainability, with one advancing to an international competition this fall.

Sabina Piecyk, a rising junior at Bridgehampton School in Bridgehampton, New York, has been selected as a New York delegate to return to the Global Youth Institute, held in conjunction with the World Food Prize in Des Moines, Iowa, this October. Piecyk also represented New York at the Global Youth Institute in 2025. Emma Kapon, a rising senior, was named a New York State alternate delegate for her research and presentation.

The students participated in the World Food Prize Foundation's New York Youth Institute through FoodLab, an educational initiative based at Stony Brook University's Southampton campus. From December through March, FoodLab Executive Director Judiann Carmack-Fayyaz led the students in a weekly two-hour after-school program at Bridgehampton School, guiding them through research, writing, and presentation development focused on global food security and sustainability.

Their work culminated in presentations at the New York Youth Institute, hosted by Cornell University, where students shared their research with university faculty, scientists and agricultural leaders while exploring solutions to some of the world's most pressing food system challenges.

Piecyk's paper examined strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions from dairy production in the Netherlands while maintaining productive farming systems. Kapon's research focused on water degradation in Bangladesh caused by the fast-fashion industry, examining the environmental and public health impacts of textile manufacturing and proposing more sustainable production practices.

"Writing for the World Food Prize gave me the opportunity to research how food insecurity presents differently across the world," Piecyk said. "By studying dairy production in the Netherlands, I gained a deeper appreciation for the balance between agriculture, science, economics and public policy, understanding how each plays a role in creating sustainable food systems. I am honored to represent New York at the Global Youth Institute this October and look forward to learning from students and experts who share an interest in addressing global food security."

The World Food Prize Foundation's Youth Institute program challenges high school students to investigate issues affecting food security, agriculture, nutrition and environmental sustainability. Participants research a country facing a significant food-related challenge, prepare a Global Challenge paper and present their findings before experts in the field.

"One of FoodLab's goals is to help young people understand that there are no simple solutions to global food, environmental and public health issues," Carmack-Fayyaz said. "Students learn to examine challenges through multiple lenses including scientific, economic, cultural and social, and to develop solutions that are both effective and respectful of local communities. Sabina and Emma embraced that challenge with curiosity, empathy and intellectual rigor, and we are incredibly proud of their accomplishments."

Through FoodLab's partnership with Bridgehampton School, Carmack-Fayyaz guides students as they research global food systems, strengthen their writing and presentation skills, and connect scientific research with real-world challenges. She hopes to expand opportunities for additional schools across the region to participate in future World Food Prize programs and other food systems education initiatives.

"Programs like the World Food Prize help students recognize that the challenges facing our world are interconnected," Carmack-Fayyaz said. "When students learn to think critically, ask thoughtful questions and consider solutions from multiple perspectives, they develop skills that will serve them throughout their education and future careers."