11. the Life Cycle of Food
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Secondary School, Cycle 1 11. The Life Cycle of Food Duration: 75 min. Far from innocuous, eating is one of our daily activities that has the biggest impact on the environment. Through examining the life cycle of various foods from the field to our plates, the students discover the 3N’s-F principle (Non-packaged, Not far, Natural and Fair). They are then asked to put these principles into practice as a way to make healthier, more ecological and fairer food choices. In so doing, they become more enlightened consumers! Learning Objectives Preparation Have students: Become familiar with the 3N’s-F principle Develop their critical sense by examining by reading the book L’envers de l’assiette and comparing the impact of a range of et quelques idées pour la remettre à food items on our health, the environ- l’endroit (optional – see References). ment and society. Become familiar with the content of the Become aware of how the conventional appendices and print copies of them food system works and its complexities. according to the number of students. Learn about the main stages in the life Bring in the products specified in cycle of food. Appendix 1.1 (or cut out the product Become aware of the purchasing power descriptions)*. of the enlightened consumer (activist). Prepare the material for the students (cut out the life cycle stages in Appendix Areas of Learning 2 for each of the teams). English, science, biology and geography. Materials 1 copy per team of the “3N’s-F” chart (Appendix 1.2) and the “Life Cycle of Food” summary (Appendix 2). Packaging from the products mentioned in Appendix 1.1 or photocopies of this appendix, so that every group can compare two similar products. Did you know? Non-Packaged (no or little packaging): In 2006, Quebecers generated more than 24 tonnes of household waste daily - the equivalent of 3 million bags of garbage. Not Far: Food eaten in Quebec travels on average from 2,400 to 4,000 km to get from the fields to our plates. Natural: The food we eat, mainly due to the pesticide residues the food contains, is responsible for 85% to 90% of our exposure to chemicals. Fair: From 1977 to 1998, the price of a box * Note : To make the activity even more of Corn Flakes rose by $2.44, while the interesting, ask students to bring food price paid to farmers for the corn The Life Cycle of Food Cycle Life The content of a box rose by only | packages of their favorite snacks for them to 1 analyze. $0.03. Main Activity produce (e.g., tomatoes), when there is Read the facts in the section “Did You no label, description, or packaging, etc.? Know?” out loud to the class. What do Which of the products examined has the students think of these statistics? the least impact on your health and the Explain the activity to the students. Tell environment? them that their task is to analyze some Were you aware of the impact that your common food products based on their food choices have? Will this activity chan- impact on human health, the environment ge the way you consume? If so, how? and society, using the 3N’s-F criteria: Assessing food products might seem Non-packaged, Not far, Natural and Fair. complicated. However, making more Divide the class into teams of two to responsible choices that are better for three students. your health and the environment and Hand out two similar products (or product fairer for the producers can be quite descriptions) from Appendix 1.1 to each simple. What strategies or things can group. help us become more enlightened consu- Ask the students to complete the 3N’s-F mers? (e.g., paying attention to logos chart (Appendix 1.2) to help determine the and labels; choosing foods that are fresh, impact of each product. Mention that the local, fair, less processed; giving preferen- lower the score, the bigger the impact of ce to bulk foods, dishes that can be used the product in question on our health and for several meals, doing more cooking, the environment. etc.). Next, hand out Appendix 2 (cut out Where can we find more “responsible” beforehand) to each group and ask the food items, i.e., more ecological, better students to put in order and illustrate the for our health and fairer for farmers? life cycle stages of a food from the time it (farmers markets, CSA, independent is planted to the time it is returned to the grocers, gardens, etc.). earth in the form of garbage or compost What do you think of the life cycle of (pay special attention to the energy used food? (long, complex, etc.)? Were you in each stage of the life cycle). aware of all these stages? Now, think about and compare the path taken by a conventional tomato from Integration Mexico to a tomato from Quebec sold Following this analysis activity, discuss the at a farmers market. Which path is the results with the group. shortest? Which path is the best for our Were you surprised by some of the facts health, the environment and solidarity? discovered? Which products received the Why? highest and lowest scores? Why? Was it easy or difficult to rate each food item? Why? How can we assess fresh The Life Cycle of Food Cycle Life The | 2 Enrichment Take Action! For their homework, ask the students to do To promote more responsible food a drawing that illustrates and compares the choices (healthier, more environment-frien- life cycles of the two foods that they analy- dly, fairer for farmers), encourage zed. For help, they can consult Appendix 2. the students, with their families to: Purchase food directly from farmers by Ask the students to create an advertise- going to farmers markets (public ment that will help other students make markets), ordering organic baskets, or healthier, more environmentally-friendly buying from produce stands right on and fairer food choices. Show them the the farms during the harvest season. following video for inspiration: http:// See: http://www.equiterre.org/agriculture/ fr.youtube.com/watch?v=hOQkBP5nioY. paniers-Bios/index.php. With the whole group, examine and com- Buy food with as little processing and pare the path taken by coffee from the packaging as possible, in order to get conventional coffee trade with the path of more for their money, but with less sugar fair trade coffee. See: http://www.equi- and salt. terre.org/equitable/guide/contenu/index. html#id3. Next, describe what the path Read the labels on the foods they buy might be for a vegetable from a community at the supermarket and demand that the supported agriculture setting (direct sale to origin of the products be shown (letter, consumer in form of weekly organic basket petition, etc.). during the harvest season). References Waridel, Laure. L’envers de l’as- siette et quelques idées pour la remettre à l’endroit, Écosociété, (2005), 173 pages. http://www.radio-canada.ca/audio-video/pop. shtml#idMedia=1582937&urlMedia=/Medianet/2008/ CBFT/Lepicerie200801091930_1.asx Stages of transforming wheat into bread (in English). See: http://www.ext.vt.edu/resources/4h/ virtualfarm/wheat/wheat_farm_to_you.html# Free Trade: Is it Working for Farmers? Comparing 2007 to 1988 http://www.nfu.ca/briefs/ 20071988%20vs%202007%20 FINAL%20bri.pdf The Life Cycle of Food Cycle Life The | 3 Appendix 1.1 Foods to Analyze Apple Juice Citrus Fruit Drink Container: Container: Plastic 2 + paper Tetra Pak (cardboard-like) Boisson Size 1.89 L and plastic with no number aux fruits Size: 10 x 220 ml What the product Jus claims: “Apple juice, What the product claims: “real fruit de pomme fresh pressed”, “original drink”, “no colouring or artificial flavour taste”, Product of Quebec”. added”. Ingredients: apples, Ingredients: water, 45% fruit juice, potassium sorbate sugar, citric acid, natural flavours, Vitamin C. Additional Information: Tradition is a Quebec company. Additional Information: Deli-cinq (Five Alive) is a Coca-Cola Inc. registered trademark. Tropical Fruit Salad Équicosta Fresh Bananas Container: What the Product Claims: Certified Plastic 1, plastic with organic and fair trade no number, paper, Salade de fruits size 4 x 107 ml What the Product Claims: “tropical fruit in fruit juice” Ingredients: citric and ascorbic acid additives, natural flavour and beta-carotene, banana purée. The Life Cycle of Food Cycle Life The | 4 Appendix 1.1 Foods to Analyze Prepared Organic Lasagna Prepared Frozen Pasta Container: Container: Plastic 5, plastic with no number, waxed cardboard cardboard size: 241 g Plat Size 340 g (1 portion) (1 portion) congele What the Product Claims: “Product of Canada” What the Product Claims: Ingredients: cooked pasta*, water, “Product of the U.S.A.”, “authentic recipe”. cheeses* (ricotta, cheddar, mozzarella [milk*, whey*, bacterial culture, sea Ingredients: cooked pasta (containing salt, microbial enzymes]), tomatoes*, enriched wheat flour), tomatoes (tomatoes*, tomato juice*, sea salt, (containing salt, calcium chloride, citric calcium chloride, citric acid), acid), water, onions, sugar, garlic, celery, tomato paste*, lean ground olive oil, salt, maltodextrin, vegetable oil beef*, milk*, margarine (soy), spice, modified cornstarch, onions*, parsley flakes, xanthan gum. wheat flour*, Souper sugar*, Commercial Cookies sea salt, congele biologique Container: cardboard box, plastic with no canola oil*, number, 283 g, individually wrapped. fine herbs*, garlic*, What the Product Claims: “natural and white wine vinegar*, butter*, artificial flavours”, “ Made in Canada”. parsley*, spices. *= organic Ingredients: sugar, enriched wheat flour, vegetable oil (containing palm oil and Milk Chocolate modified palm kernel oil), hydrogenated Container: paper, plastic with no number palm kernel oil, mixture of eggs, water, glucose, cocoa, milk ingredients, modified What the Product Claims: “fair treatment starches, salt, glycerine, baking powder, for farmers”, “100% organic”.