Ontario curriculum links - The Critical Thinking …tc2.ca/pdf/100MileDiet_CC2.pdf · • security, vegetarianism, cuisine, agribusiness, • gluten development) ... eparation In

Ontario Family Studies Leadership Council 2 The Critical Thinking Consortium

Ontario curriculum links

Grade 9/10 Food and Nutrition Grade 12 Food and Nutrition

Self and others Overall expectations• identifythevariousreasonsforthechoices peoplemakeaboutfood

Specific expectations• categorizethereasonswhypeopleeatthefoods• theyeat(e.g.,cultural,emotional,environmental,• nutritional,religious,social)• explainhowfamilies,peers,andthemedia• influenceanindividual’sfoodchoicesandhabits

Overall expectations• identifythesocial,psychological,economic, emotional,cultural,religious,andphysical factorsthataffectfoodchoices

Specific expectations• identifythewaysinwhichphysicalfactors• influencefoodchoices(e.g.,geographical• location,regionalgrowingseasons,availabilityof• foodmarkets,homestoragecapacity)

Diversity, interdependence and global connections

Overall expectations• identifyfoodsupplyandproductionindustries• inCanada

Specific expectations• identifytheprimaryfoodsourcesinCanada

Overall expectations• identifytheeconomic,political,and• environmentalfactorsthataffectfoodproduction• andsupplythroughouttheworld

Specific expectations• investigatetheimpactofavarietyofpolitical• factorsonfoodquality,production,andsupply• (e.g.,internationalfoodpolicies,nationaland• provincialfoodpolicies,foodmarketingboards),• andpresenttheresultsoftheirinvestigation

Social science research skills

Overall expectations• effectivelycommunicatetheresultsoftheir• inquiries

Specific expectations• correctlyusefoodandnutritionterminology(e.g.,• nutrients,foodsecurity,vegetarian,food• additives);• distinguishbetweenresearchevidenceandopinion

Overall expectations• correctlyuseterminologyassociatedwithfood• andnutrition

Specific expectations• correctlyusetheterminologyoffoodand• nutritionsciences(e.g.,nutrientdeficiencies,food• security,vegetarianism,cuisine,agribusiness,• glutendevelopment)• summarizeandinterpretarticlesonfoodand• nutritionfoundinnewspapers,magazines,and• selectedresearchliterature,aswellasonthe• Internet• differentiatebetweenresearchevidenceand• opinion• effectivelycommunicatetheresultsoftheir• inquiries,usingavarietyofmethodsandforms• (e.g.,graphs,charts,diagrams,oralpresentation,• writtenreports,videos)

Thinking critically about local food

Suggested Activities


Pre-planning

➤ Inpreparationfor this three-partcriticalchallenge,studentsareaskedtosurveylocalfoodretailers todeterminetheirpoliciesandpracticesregardinglocalfoods.Prepareanintroductoryletterforstudentstogivetoretailersexplainingthenatureoftheirresearchprojectandtheinforma-tiontheyseek.Requestpermissionfromtheretailerstoallowstudentstowalkaround their location forup toanhour togather informationaboutavailabilityanddisplayoflocalfoods,andtoaskapproximatelysixquestionsofoneormoreemployees.

Session One

➤ If students havenot completedLocal food: Myth or reality—CriticalChallenge#1inthiscollection—discussorreviewtheconceptoflocalfoods.Morespecifically,explorewithstudentstheparametersfordeter-miningwhetherornotfoodislocal(e.g.,distancefromfieldtoconsumer;ifprocessed,howfarthefoodtravelledfromfieldtoprocessingplant;howmany“foodmiles”involved;sizeofcarbonfootprint).Ifnecessary,reviewthematerialsinthepreviouscriticalchallenge.

➤ Usethefollowing“graffiti”activitytoreviewstudents’understandingoflocalfoodissues.Postfivesheetsofchartpaperwiththefollowingtitlesinthecenterofeachchart:

• Lifestyleimplicationsoflocalfoods;

• Economicbenefitsoflocalfoods;

• Healthbenefitsoflocalfoods;

• Drawbackstolocalfoods;

• Environmentalbenefitsoflocalfoods.

Organizestudentsintofivegroupsandinstructeachgrouptomovetooneofthecharts.Askstudentsindividuallytorecordtheirthoughtsorideasrelatingtothetitleontheirassignedsheet.Aftertwominutes,instructstudentstorotateinaclockwisemannertothenextsheetofchartpaper,andrecordadditionalordifferingideastothosealreadyrecorded.Repeatthisprocedureuntilthegroupsreturntotheiroriginalsheet.

Askstudentgroupstoreviewallthecommentsrecordedbytheirpeersandtoclustertheideasunderseveralheadingsorcentralideas.Remindstudentsthattheywillneedtobeabletoexplaintheirclusters.Inviteeachgrouptosharetheirconclusions.Presentanyadditionalinformationthatstudentsmightrequireaboutthebenefitsoflocalfoods

➤ Posethequestion:“Givenallthebenefitsofeatinglocal,whyarelocalfoodsnotreadilyavailableyearround?”Pointouttostudentsthatcon-sumers,localfoodproducersandretailersallhavearoleinsupportingthelocalfoodmovement,andthateachofthesegroupsisfacedwithbar-riersthatmakeachievingthisgoaldifficult.Organizestudentsinteamsofthree—eachrepresentingoneofthestakeholdergroups.

Prepare introductory letter to local retailers

Review the concept of local food

understanding of the concept of

local food

Review benefits and drawbacks to

local foods

Explore consumer, producer and retailer

impediments

awareness of benefits

knowledgeof barriers

Thinking critically about local food 4 The Critical Thinking Consortium

➤ ProvidestudentswithaprintcopyofFoodlandOntario’savailabilitychartdescribingtheseasonalfoodproducedinOntarioorarrangeforstudentstoaccessthischartonline:http://www.foodland.gov.on.ca/english/avail-ability.html.Inaddition,distributeonecopyofadifferentarticletoeachstudent,ensuringthateachgrouphasaccesstoallfiveofthefollowingarticles:

• Eating local food is best for environment (BlacklineMaster#2)

• Organic option requires careful thought (BlacklineMaster#3)

• Local food movement stunted by govern-ment regulations(BlacklineMaster#4)

• City scales back plan for locally grown food(BlacklineMaster#5)

• Barriers to local food (BlacklineMaster#6).

➤ Suggest that studentswork in pairs to jointlyreview two articles, looking at them fromtheir assigned stakeholder perspective.Askstudentstolookforstatementsinthearticlesthatmightrevealobstaclesorconcernsandraisequestionsaboutlocalfoodsfortheirstakeholder group. Suggest that studentshighlightpotentiallyrelevantstatementsinthearticle.Explainthatinsomecasesthestatementsareobviousandinothercasestheimpliedbarriersmaybelessobvious(forexample,confusionaboutwhatcountsas“local”maymeanthatconsumerare confusedor retailersdon’tseetheneedtogooutoftheirwaytomakesurethefoodisactu-allylocal).ProvideeverystudentwithacopyofExploring barriers to local foods (BlacklineMaster#1). Encourage each studentto use this sheet to record 10relevantstatementsfromthetwoassignedarticlesandanaccompanyingobstacle,concernorques-tionsuggestedbyeachstatement.

Ontario Family Studies Leadership Council

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The Critical Thinking Consortium

2A Eating local food is best for environment

Kyl ChhatwalMarch 28, 2007, Kitchener Waterloo Record

In the words of Jules Pretty: “The most political act we do on

a daily basis is eat.”Pretty, a professor at the University of Essex in the United

Kingdom, is co-author of a study showing, among other things,

that if consumers want to be environmentally-friendly in their

eating habits then buying locally is more important even than

buying organic.Many in Canada agree. With a population steeped in global

warming concern, having our peaches shipped from Peru

is making less and less sense. Consumers are beginning to

ask uncomfortable questions of a food industry that, with

globalization, has only gone more global in recent years.

The debate is over the concept of “food miles:” a measure of

how far an item of food has travelled from where it was grown

to where it is ultimately consumed. Studies show that in North

American any item of food travels an average of 1,500 miles (or

2,400 kilometres) before reaching our plates. In the U.K. that

fi gure is 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometres)—largely because of its

imports from New Zealand.Pretty’s study highlights the hidden costs of having trucks full of

foodstuffs crossing continents—local environmental damages,

infrastructure damages, and highway congestion, to name a few.

The study estimates that about $5 billion is spent unnecessarily

in the U.K. because food is sourced from outside of the 20-km

radius of where it is consumed.The primary concern over food miles is obvious. A lot of

energy—and a lot of carbon dioxide emissions—are involved in

bringing our pineapples from Paraguay, and consumers around

the world are beginning to wonder if there’s a better way.

The trouble in Canada is that the avenues for consumers to

express their preferences are few and cryptic to navigate.

Felicity Lawrence, in her book Not on the Label, discusses

how distribution systems mean that a tomato grown in a nearby

fi eld—supposedly local—can travel hundreds of kilometers from

supplier to distribution centre to supermarket branches before

reaching the consumers. There is, at present, no simple way for

consumers to know how far food has actually travelled in the

supermarket system.The confusion is compounded by reports showing that food miles

aren’t as accurate a gauge of a food item’s ecological footprints

as previously thought.A study from Lincoln University in New Zealand suggests that

the energy used in shipping produce from New Zealand to the

U.K. is often less than the energy used to grow non-seasonal

fruits and vegetables in hothouses during the British winter. The

study also factors in fertilizer use, which is energy–intensive to

produce.In other words, the study concludes a full analysis of energy use

is required to gauge the ecological footprints of our foods, rather

than simply calculating food miles.The solution to the confusion? The best way to know you’re

buying local is to frequent the local farmers’ markets instead—of

which there are many in Waterloo Region—or buy direct from

farms. Foodlink Waterloo Region is a non-profi t organization

dedicated to food localism in our area. It advertises local farmers’

markets on its website, http://www.foodlink.ca, and publishes

the Buy Local! Buy Fresh! Map highlighting locations where

people can buy food directly from local producers.

The best way to avoid buying energy-intensive, hothouse-

grown produce is to simply buy and cook what’s in season.

Visit the Foodland Ontario website at http://www.foodland.gov.

on.cafor good seasonal recipes, and up-to-date lists of seasonal

produce.To educate us on our region’s local produce, Woolwich Healthy

Communities is running an event called A Taste of Woolwich on

April 16 from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Woolwich community Centre in

St. Jacobs. The event will feature food samples, local chefs doing

cooking demonstrations using local foods, and family activities.

It is a chance to meet local farmers and learn where and what you

can buy locally. Visit http://www.woolwichhealthycommunities.

orgfor more information.Waterloo Region is blessed with copious farmland that makes

buying local simple as compared with many places in Ontario.

Nonetheless, because supermarkets have no clear system in place

to distinguish between local and non-local foodstuffs, it’s not as

simple as it should be.If the population galvanizes around the issue—the way it did

around organic food—the megalithic food distribution systems

will be forced to respond, and offer us choices. If we change

our purchasing patterns, supermarkets will get the message, and

make it easier for consumers to buy locally—for instance, by

offering store sections displaying only low-food-mile, seasonal

produce.


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1 Exploring barriers to local foods Consumers Retailers Local Producers

Statements from the articles Obstacles, concerns and questions arising for the assigned group


Session Two

➤ Oncestudentshavereadtheirassignedarticles,organizethemaccordingtostakeholdergroups(consumers,retailersandlocalfoodproducers).Youmaywanttosub-divideeachgroupbyhavingmembersofeachpairjoinadifferentteam.Arrangeforstudentsfromonestakeholdergrouptosharetheirfindingsusingaplacematstrategy.Provideeachteamwithalargepieceofpaperandinstructthemtodividethesheetsothereisacentralcirclewithonewedge-shapedspaceforeachstudent(orpairofstudentsifthegroupwasnotsubdivided).Thefollowingexamplewouldworkforateamoffourstudentswhosefocuswasconsumerbarriers.

Identify the most significant barriers

placemat

Share findings with the rest of the class

Introduce criteria for retailer commitment

➤ Inviteeachstudenttolistbarrierstolocalfoodsintheirassignedwritingspaceonthechart.Afterthreeminutes, instructstudentstotaketurnssharing theirpersonalwritingwith thegroup.Onceall studentshavesharedtheirideas,challengeeachteamtoidentifythefourmostsignifi-cantbarrierstolocalfoodsfortheirassignedstakeholdergroup.Eachgroupistorecorditsfouragreed-uponideasinthecircleatthecentreoftheplacement.Suggestthefollowingcriteriatojudgethesignificanceofvariousbarriers:• widespread: Doesitaffectmanyproductsandregions?• persistent:Isitanongoingorcontinuingimpediment?• strong impact:Doesitcompletelypreventaccesstolocalproductsor

simplyreducethelikelihoodthattheyareavailable?

➤ Remindstudentsthattheirchallengeistoreachconsensusregardingthetopfourbarriersandtobeabletodefendtheirdecision.

➤ Onceallteamshaveidentifiedthetopfourbarriers,randomlycallupononememberfromeachteamtoshareitsfinallist.Generateaclasslistofthetopbarriersforeachstakeholdergroup.Invitestudentstolookforcommonthreadsacrossthestakeholdergroupsandtosuggestthingsthateachgroupmightdotobegintoovercomethesebarriers.

➤ Informstudentsthattheywillnowfocusmorecloselyontherolethatfood retailersplay insupporting local foods.Theywillassessa localfood retailer’s commitment to providing local foods by scrutinizingadvertisedandin-storepromotions,examininglocalfoodavailabilityatafoodretailerlocation,andinterviewingoneormoreemployees.Invitestudentstoconsiderthecriteriatheywouldusetoassessalocalretailer’scommitmenttosupportinglocalfoodsbyposingthefollowingquestion:“Ifweweretogiveawardstolocalretailersfortheirsupportofthelocalfoodmovement,whatwouldyouneedtofindouttodeterminewhetheraretailerdeservestheaward?”

Barriers to local foods

for consumers

criteria for significant

impediment

criteria for retailer

commitment


➤ Toassiststudentsinthinkingabouttherelevantcriteria, distribute a copy of Sample retailer scenario (BlacklineMaster#8) toeachpairofstudentsorsimplyprojectacopyfortheentireclasstosee.Askstudentstoreadthetwoscenariosandlookforalltherelevantpieces of informationwhyone store de-servestheawardforpromotinglocalfoodwhiletheotherdoesnot.Basedonthesediscussions,invitestudentstoagreeon,addtoormodifythefollowingcriteriaforasignificantretailercommitmenttolocalfoods:

• offersawiderangeoflocalfoodproductsthataregenerallyavail-able,

• prominentlydisplaysandad-vertiseslocalfoodproducts,

• showsevidenceofsignificantpoli-ciesandeffortstopromotelocalfoodproducts.

➤ Introduce the idea of a retailer report card by distributing a copy ofRetailer’s report card on local foods(BlacklineMaster#7)toeverystu-dentandaskthemtoworkinpairstoassesseachofthesampleretailerscenarios.Foreachretailer,everypairofstudentsshouldcompletethefollowing:

• identifythesuccessesandshortcomingsinpromotinglocalfood,

• use the scale along the left-hand side to rate the retailer’s levelofcommitment

• justifytherating,

• recommendafewnextsteps.

➤ Review several stu-dents’reportcardsandclearupanyconfusionthatmayexistaboutthetask.


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8 Sample retailer scenariosFood retailer A

A local grocer has a weekly feature in their fl ier that focuses on a particular farmer, a local

bakery, or a local cheese maker. They always carry local foods such as eggs, local produced

cheeses, local breads and pastries, and local sausage. Locally grown fruits and vegetables

are always in the store, regardless of the time of year, and they are always prominently

displayed. To encourage customers to buy local produce, the grocer makes easy-to-use

recipes featuring locally produced foods available at various places in the store and at the

checkout.

Food retailer BA local grocer promises customers the best prices in town. The weekly fl yer highlights

foods on sale with little emphasis on the origin of the food. Although local foods are

occasionally for sale, this occurs only when the grocer is supplied the food item at a lower

cost than foods imported from outside the local area. In fact, to get the best possible price

year round, the grocer has signed contracts with some suppliers that prevent the selling of

local produce even when it is readily available and less expensive. Local foods are seldom

feature items, and as a result customers must look closely to fi nd local foods.

Apply the retailer’s report card

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7 Retailer’s report card on local foods

Food retailer: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Excellent: a very wide range

of local foods are generally

available and prominently

displayed; retailer has successfully

made signifi cant and obvious

efforts to promote local foods.

Very Good: many local foods are

available much of the time and

prominently displayed; retailer

has made sincere efforts to

promote local foods. Good: many local foods are

available, but not regularly and

not all are prominently displayed;

retailer has made some efforts to

promote local foods Adequate: a small number of

local foods are available and

displayed; retailer has made

some effort to promote local

foods Poor: local foods are rarely

available and rarely featured;

retailer has made very little

effort to promote local foods Very Poor: local foods are never

available and not displayed;

retailer has made no effort to

promote local foods

Successes:

Areas for improvement:

Reasons for assigned grade:

Recommended next steps:

rating scale


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9A Evidence of commitment to local foods

Food retailer: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Local food

Availability

Prominence in promotions

Prominence in store

product 0 never available

0 completely absent

0 completely absent

1 less available than non-local food

1 less prominent than non-local food 1 less prominent than non-local food

2 same availability as non-local food

2 same prominence as non-local food 2 same prominence as non-local food

3 more available than non-local food 3 more prominent than non-local food

3 more prominent than non-local food

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0

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3

For each product, record evidence on

the three indicators of commitment and

assign ratings using the scales provided.

Session Three

➤ Invitestudentstoselectalocalretail-er(e.g.,supermarket,grocerystore,farm market or other local foodstore)toassessitscommitmenttolocalfoods.Besurethatstudentsconfirmtheretailers’willingnessto participate in the study bycontacting them and sharingthe letter youhavepreparedtointroducethestudy.Intheinterim,encouragestudentsto gather fliers or otherpromotional materialsused by their selectedretailer and to arrangeto visit the location. Ex-plainthatstudentsaretoscrutinizetheadvertisedandin-storepromotions,examine the availabilityat the retailer locationofanumberoflocalproducts,andinterviewthestoresupervisororthemanagersofvariousdepartments(e.g.,produce,dairyproducts,meats,bakedgoods).ProvidestudentswithacopyofbothpagesofEvi-dence of commitment to local foods(BlacklineMaster#9A-B)toassistthemingatheringthisinformation.Ifyouwantstudentstocanvasmorethanfivekindsoflocalfoodproducts,provideadditionalcopiesofthefirstpage(Blackline#9A).Inadditiontoaskingtheretailertoprovidetheinformationlistedonthesecondpageofthedatachart(BlacklineMaster#9B),suggestthatstudentsprepareoneormorequestionsoftheirowntoask.

➤ Beforestudentsbegintocollecttheinformation,reviewtheparameterstheyaretousetodefine“localfood.”Invitethemtodiscussthefollow-ing:• Whatradiusshouldbeusedforafoodtobedeemedlocal?Doesthe

commonlyused100kmradiusseemreasonable?• Whatifafoodisproducedlocally,butprocessedorrefinedinasite

outsidethe100kmradius?Forexample,eggsaresentfromthefarmtoanegggradingsitebeforebeingsenttostores,ormilkisgatheredatfarmsandsenttoadairywhereitispasteurizedorusedtomakeproductssuchascheese.

• Whataboutfoodsthatarecreatedlocallybutusesomeingredientsthatarenotlocal(e.g.,alocalbakeryusingsugarfromtheCaribbean)?

Toassiststudentsinhandlingthecomplexitiesoflocalfoods,considerestablishing a certification or standard for local foods. For example,“gold”forfoodsthatarecompletelylocalfromfieldorfarmtothetable;“silver”forfoodsgrownlocallybutprocessedoutsidethelocalarea;and“bronze”forfoodspreparedlocallyusingprimarilylocallygrownandprocessedingredients.

Introduce study of local retailer commitment

Determine the parameters for local

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9B

Topics

Retailer’s response

Company policy about carrying

local foods

Major impediments to doing

more to support local foods

Efforts that have been made to

promote local foods

Efforts that have been made

to make local foods more

available

data chart


➤ Suggestthefollowingconsiderationsfordefininglocalfood:• grownwithin100km(e.g.,fruits,vegetables,meats,milk);• processedwithin100km (e.g., egg inspection, dairyplant, cheese

produced);• assembledwithin100km.

➤ Decidehowmanydifferent local foodproductsyouwant students toinvestigateandwhetheryouwanttheentireclasstoresearchthesameproductsorallowindividualstudentstodecide.Tohelpinthisselection,explainthatadvancesintechnologyandfoodstoragepracticesmakeitpossibleforlocallygrownfoods,suchasapples,carrots,cabbage,andotherfreshproduce,tobeavailableformuchoftheyear.Forexample,controlledatmosphere(CA)storageallowsapplestobestoredsuccess-fullybycontrollingtheoxygen,carbondioxideandtemperaturelevels.Thisprocessallowsconsumerstohavefresh,crisp,locallygrownapplesallwinterandspring.RemindstudentstoconsidertherangeoffoodsavailablethroughouttheyearbyconsultingFoodlandOntario’savail-abilitychartandtoreviewtheparametersestablishedforlocalfoods.

➤ Oncestudentsareclearabouttheexpectationsandhaveassembledwhattheyneed,providetimeduringschoolhoursorafterschoolhoursforthemtoconducttheirstudyandrecordthecollectedinformationonthedatacharts.

Session Four

➤ Whenstudentshavegatheredtheneededinformation,providethemwithanewcopyofBlacklineMaster#7.Invitestudentstocompletethereportcardbycheckingtheappropriaterating,providingevidencetosupportthatratingandidentifyingoverallstrengths,areasforimprovementandrecommendednextsteps.Encouragestudentstosharetheirreportcardwithapeerandtoprovidepeerfeedbacktoeachother.

➤ Allowclasstimeforindividualstudentstoshareoneoftwoofthemostinterestingpiecesofinformationtheylearnedaboutlocal retailers’ efforts and obstacles.Tally students’ ratings to provide asenseof theoverall levelof retailercommitment.Discusswhatstudentsas consumers and other membersofthefoodindustryneedtodotomakelocalfoodmorewidelyandregularly available. Evaluatestudentlearningusingtherubricfound on Assessing the learning expectations(BlacklineMaster#10).

knowledge of local foods

Discuss which local foods to investigate

Gather evidence of commitment to

local foods

Prepare an actual retailer’s report card

Share findings

Ontario Family Studies Leadership Council

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10 Assessing the learning expectationsLevel 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Knowledgeidentify the economic, political, and environmental

factors that affect food production and supply

Analyses of barriers to local foods show

limited understanding of the range of factors affecting food

production and supply

Analyses of barriers to local foods show

some understanding of the range of factors affecting food

production and supply

Analyses of barriers to local foods show a

generally accurate and clear understanding of

the range of factors af-fecting food production

and supply

Analyses of barriers to local foods show highly

accurate and thorough

understanding of the range of factors

affecting food production and supply

Thinking/inquirysummarize and interpret articles

on food found in various sources

Can summarize and interpret only a few details in selected sources

about the barriers to local foods from

various stakeholder perspectives

Can summarize and interpret various details

in selected sources about the barriers

to local foods from various stakeholder

perspectives

Is generally effective in summarizing and

interpreting details in selected sources



Is highly effective in summarizing and

interpreting details in selected sources



Communicationcorrectly use terminology associated with food and nutrition

Makes limited use in oral and written

assignments of appropriate vocabulary

to discuss the issues associated with local

foods

Is somewhat effective in oral and written

assignments in using appropriate vocabulary


foods

Is generally effectively in oral and written

assignments in using a range of appropriate

vocabulary to discuss the issues associated

with local foods

Is very effective in oral and written

assignments in using a wide range of

appropriate vocabulary


foods


➤ Invitestudentstowritealetterthatthankstheretailerforparticipatinginthestudy,andeithercongratulatestheretailerforitsstrongcommit-menttolocalfoodsorencouragestheretailertodomoretosupportlocalfoods.Encouragestudentstoshareadraftoftheirletterwithapeerforfeedback.Remindstudentsthateffectivepeercritiquesarerespectful,specificandconstructive.

Write a letter to the local retailer


1 Exploring barriers to local foods

o Consumers o Retailers o Local Producers

Statements from the articles Obstacles, concerns and questions arising for the assigned group


2A Eating local food is best for environmentKylChhatwal

March28,2007,Kitchener Waterloo Record

InthewordsofJulesPretty:“Themostpoliticalactwedoonadailybasisiseat.”

Pretty, a professor at the University of Essex in the UnitedKingdom,isco-authorofastudyshowing,amongotherthings,thatifconsumerswanttobeenvironmentally-friendlyintheireatinghabitsthenbuyinglocallyismoreimportanteventhanbuyingorganic.

Many inCanada agree.With a population steeped in globalwarming concern, having our peaches shipped from Peruis making less and less sense. Consumers are beginning toask uncomfortable questions of a food industry that, withglobalization,hasonlygonemoreglobalinrecentyears.

Thedebateisovertheconceptof“foodmiles:”ameasureofhowfaranitemoffoodhastravelledfromwhereitwasgrowntowhereitisultimatelyconsumed.StudiesshowthatinNorthAmericananyitemoffoodtravelsanaverageof1,500miles(or2,400kilometres)beforereachingourplates.IntheU.K.thatfigureis5,000miles(8,000kilometres)—largelybecauseofitsimportsfromNewZealand.

Pretty’sstudyhighlightsthehiddencostsofhavingtrucksfulloffoodstuffscrossingcontinents—localenvironmentaldamages,infrastructuredamages,andhighwaycongestion,tonameafew.Thestudyestimatesthatabout$5billionisspentunnecessarilyintheU.K.becausefoodissourcedfromoutsideofthe20-kmradiusofwhereitisconsumed.

The primary concern over food miles is obvious. A lot ofenergy—andalotofcarbondioxideemissions—areinvolvedinbringingourpineapplesfromParaguay,andconsumersaroundtheworldarebeginningtowonderifthere’sabetterway.

The trouble in Canada is that the avenues for consumers toexpress their preferences are few and cryptic to navigate.Felicity Lawrence, in her bookNot on the Label, discusseshowdistributionsystemsmeanthatatomatogrowninanearbyfield—supposedlylocal—cantravelhundredsofkilometersfromsuppliertodistributioncentretosupermarketbranchesbeforereachingtheconsumers.Thereis,atpresent,nosimplewayforconsumerstoknowhowfarfoodhasactuallytravelledinthesupermarketsystem.

Theconfusioniscompoundedbyreportsshowingthatfoodmilesaren’tasaccurateagaugeofafooditem’secologicalfootprints

aspreviouslythought.

AstudyfromLincolnUniversityinNewZealandsuggeststhattheenergyusedinshippingproducefromNewZealandtotheU.K.isoftenlessthantheenergyusedtogrownon-seasonalfruitsandvegetablesinhothousesduringtheBritishwinter.Thestudyalsofactorsinfertilizeruse,whichisenergy–intensivetoproduce.

Inotherwords,thestudyconcludesafullanalysisofenergyuseisrequiredtogaugetheecologicalfootprintsofourfoods,ratherthansimplycalculatingfoodmiles.

Thesolution to theconfusion?Thebestwaytoknowyou’rebuyinglocalistofrequentthelocalfarmers’marketsinstead—ofwhichtherearemanyinWaterlooRegion—orbuydirectfromfarms.FoodlinkWaterlooRegionisanon-profitorganizationdedicatedtofoodlocalisminourarea.Itadvertiseslocalfarmers’marketsonitswebsite,http://www.foodlink.ca,andpublishesthe Buy Local! Buy Fresh! Maphighlightinglocationswherepeoplecanbuyfooddirectlyfromlocalproducers.

The best way to avoid buying energy-intensive, hothouse-grown produce is to simply buy and cookwhat’s in season.VisittheFoodlandOntariowebsiteathttp://www.foodland.gov.on.caforgoodseasonalrecipes,andup-to-datelistsofseasonalproduce.

Toeducateusonourregion’slocalproduce,WoolwichHealthyCommunitiesisrunninganeventcalledATasteofWoolwichonApril16from5to8p.m.intheWoolwichcommunityCentreinSt.Jacobs.Theeventwillfeaturefoodsamples,localchefsdoingcookingdemonstrationsusinglocalfoods,andfamilyactivities.Itisachancetomeetlocalfarmersandlearnwhereandwhatyoucanbuylocally.Visithttp://www.woolwichhealthycommunities.orgformoreinformation.

WaterlooRegionisblessedwithcopiousfarmlandthatmakesbuyinglocalsimpleascomparedwithmanyplacesinOntario.Nonetheless,becausesupermarketshavenoclearsysteminplacetodistinguishbetweenlocalandnon-localfoodstuffs,it’snotassimpleasitshouldbe.

Ifthepopulationgalvanizesaroundtheissue—thewayitdidaroundorganicfood—themegalithicfooddistributionsystemswillbeforcedtorespond,andofferuschoices.Ifwechangeourpurchasingpatterns,supermarketswillgetthemessage,andmakeiteasierforconsumerstobuylocally—forinstance,byofferingstoresectionsdisplayingonlylow-food-mile,seasonalproduce.


2B TheDavidSuzukiFoundationhaspostedalistofthe10ReasonstoBuyLocalonitswebsite:alistthatincludesurbansprawlprevention.Bysupportinglocalfarmersinsteadofinternationalplantations,youbringaddedvaluetolocalfarmland,meaningfarmerswillkeepfarmingratherthansellinglandtodevelopers,therebysavingthecharmingagrarianlandscapethatcharacterizesthe region.

Inaddition,localfoodisnotgenetically-modified,andsinceitisconsumedclosertoharvesttime,itishealthierandtastiertoo.

Theadvantagesofbuyinglocalareobviousandmany,butthemajorimpedimenttothelocalfoodmovementremainsthatlocalfoodisrarelydistinguishablefromfar-travelled,energy-intensivefoodinsupermarkets.

But if consumers votewith their dollars, the systemwill beforcedtochangetoaccommodatethedemand.It’shappenedwithorganicfoodinthepastfewyears,anditcanhappenwithlocalfoodtoo.

Used with permission.


3 Organic option requires careful thoughtGenevaRae

March15,2007, Saskatoon StarPhoenix

Followingistheviewpointofthewriter,apolicyanalystwiththeCanadaWestFoundation.

Abarrageofsignsthatproclaimedorganicfoodasthe“healthychoice”leftmewonderingonarecentgrocerytripabouthowtofeedtheconsumerdemandfororganicsinCanadathat’sgrowingfasterthanfarmerscanmeetit.

According to a recent report by Canadian Organic GrowersInc.,organicfarmsconstitutedonly1.5percentoftotalfarmingoperationsinthecountryin2005.ThenumberisevenlowerintheUnitedStates,whereonly0.5percentofcroplandiscertifiedasorganic.

Whilepersonalhealthlikelyisthemaindriver,thedemandmaybedueinparttoincreasingconsumerconsciousnessabouttheenvironmentalimpactsofagriculture.Manyseeorganicfarmingas a less intensive andmore sustainable formof agriculture.Recent federal government efforts to ensure more accuratelabeling of organic products are likely to increase consumerdemandfurther.

Ifdomesticproducerscannotsupportthisdemand,consumerswillturntointernationalsuppliers.Butforconsumerswhooptto “goorganic” for environmental reasons, importedorganicfoodmightnotbetheidealoption.

Foodmilesareameasureofthedistancetravelledfromfarmtoforkand,whiletheyonlyareonemeasureoftheenvironmentalimpactoffoodchoices,itprovidesausefulillustration.

Whileconsumersmayfeelnobleaboutpurchasingorganicfood,ifitcomesfromafar,thedistancethefoodtravelscontributestogreenhousegasemissions.Forexample,theaveragenumberoffoodmilesforonekilogramofchocolateis8,598kilometresor1.3kilogramsofgreenhousegasemissions.

Inourincreasinglyurbanandglobalworld,weareevermoredisconnectedfromthefoodweeat.Thinkingintermsoffoodmilescanhelpconsumersgetagriponhowtheirchoicesaffectthebroaderworld.

Organicproductshavemovedfromspecialtystorestomainstreammarkets.Consumerscanaddgreenbangtothebuckbydoingquicklabelcheckstoseefromwheretheproductcomes.

But here’swhere it gets complicated.Do you buy a tomatoinDecember thatwas grown locally in a heated greenhouseor do you buy an organic tomato from California, shippedbyrefrigeratedtruck?Thecomplexityoftheissuemayleave

shoppersfeelingoverwhelmedandreadytorejointhe“ignoranceisbliss”categoryofconsumers.

Oneway tocut through the fog is to learnmoreabout localagriculturalproducers.

Many urbanites are disconnected from the rural areas andare unaware of how they can play a role in helping farmersandranchersbestewardsoftheland.Bylearningmoreaboutlocalfoodsupplyoptionsandsupportingfarmersandranchersnearby,urbanitescanenjoyorganicfoodand,atthesametime,helpsupportruralcommunitiesandgoodlandstewardshipinmetro-adjacentareas.

Therearewin-winsolutionsavailableforfarmandfork.Farmers’markets,forexample,areagreatwaytoconnectwithfarmersandothersinthecommunity.Youcanspeakdirectlytotheproducerandhelplocalfarmersstayonthelandasenvironmentalstewardsandfoodproviders.Oryoucantaketheleadfromthebestchefsandgoevenclosertothesourceandvisitthefarms,vineyardandranchesthemselves.

Amoredirectlinefromfarmtoforkisbecomingincreasinglypopular.

Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a partnershipbetween farmer and consumer, where consumers essentiallypurchasea “share” in a farmingoperation in return for farmproducts.Thismayincludehelpingoutonthefarminexchangeforproduce,oritmayinvolvereceivingaweeklybasketoffreshproducewithoutgettingyourhandsdirty.

Eitherway, it increasedthesustainabilityof localagricultureandtheavailabilityoforganicfoodoptionsthroughconsumerchoice.

AttheUniversityofBritishColumbia,theCentreforSustainableFoodSystemsoperates fromtheUBCFarmandaCSABoxprogram.Students,teachers,localchildrenandothercommunitymembers purchase shares andgain both food supplies and akeensenseofwheretheirfoodcomesfromandhowtogrowitinasustainableway.

Organicproducecanbethehealthyfoodchoice.Itisimportant,however, to consider all of the environmental factors thatcontributetosustainableconsumption.

Options exist. A robust agricultural economy grounded inenvironmental healthy, strong communities and informedconsumers can ensurewe sustain a high quality of life.Youtrulyarewhatyoueat.

UsedwithpermissionofCanadaWestFoundation.


4 Local food movement stunted by government regulations

BCNewDemocraticPartyVictoria,BC,December20,2007

Growingnumbersoffamiliesplantocelebratetheholidayswith meals made from fresh and healthy food that islocally produced, butNewDemocrat agricultural criticCorkyEvans isconcerned thatgovernmentpoliciesarethreateningtheproductionandavailabilityoflocalfood.

“AfterhearingfromfarmersacrossB.C.,Iamconcernedthat local farmsaredisappearingfromthecoreofB.C.culture,”saidEvans,MLAforNelson-Creston.“Buyinglocalandeatinglocalisbecomingmoreandmoredifficultfortheaverageconsumerasaresult.”

Since 2001 the Campbell government has imposedinitiatives that have hurt the farming communityand livelihood of ranchers, growers, producers andprocessors.

“Food regulations have gotten so ridiculous that it isillegalforfarmerstosellafruitpieatafarmersmarketoraturkeyatthefarmgatewithoutwrittenpermissionfromagovernmenthealthofficer,“saidEvans.

B.C.cattleproducersaresayingthey’reexperiencingtheworstindustryconditionsever.

“TheB.C.cattleindustryisinastateofcrisis,”saidAndreaBarnettoftheB.C.Cattlemen’sAssociation.“Thiscrisisis compromising the future of beef production in B.C.andcausingmanyproducerstoleavetheindustry.ThisisreallyunfortunatebecauseB.C.hastremendouspotentialtosupportathrivingandprofitablecattleindustry.”

Barnett added: “Ifweemploy appropriatemanagementtechniques,ensureappropriateprogramsareinplaceandhavepublicandgovernmentsupport,thecattleindustrycould be very successful. The beef industry in B.C. isone thatwe cannot afford to lose because it is vital toB.C.’s economy, B.C.’s food production needs, B.C.’senvironment,andB.C.’sculturalhistory.”

EvanssaidsomeoftheharmfulinitiativesthattheCampbellgovernmenthasimposedsince2001include:

• Ending support for theBuyB.C. program, themostsuccessful food and beverage initiative ever jointlyundertakenbyprovincialgovernmentandtheagri-foodindustry.

• TreatingtheAgriculturalLandReserveasalandbankforpropertydevelopers.

• Failing to implementanti-dumping legislationwhichwouldallowallB.C.farmers tocompeteonanevenplayingfieldwithforeigncounterparts.

• CancellingtheRuralDevelopmentOffice.

• ImplementingtheMeatIndustryRegulationwhichmademeatsalesatthefarmgateillegalandputmanymeatproducersoutofbusiness.

• Imposing restrictive Farmer Market Regulations sothatlocalmarketscannolongersellfruitoreggbasedproductswithoutwrittenpermission.

• Hitting small farms outside the Agricultural LandReservewithheftypropertytaxincreases.

FarmerCindyStarkofElkLakeFarmstookanespeciallyhard blow from the government imposed property taxincreasesafterhertaxbillwasuppedby$4,200.

“Thefaceofthefarmindustryhaschangedsignificantly.Farmsaredisappearingcontinuallyatanepidemicratesowhatwehaveleftaresmallholdings,”saidStark.Today’sfarmer is a small farmer and ifwe don’t support themthey’renotgoingtobeanyleft.”

Evanssaidit’stimefortheCampbellgovernmenttoshiftdirection.“DespitethefactthatBritishColumbianshaveshownstrongsupportforthe100Milediet,thegovernmenthaschosentotakeanotherpaththatdefiespublicopinion.Itiscompletelyarrogantandmisguidedgovernance,”hesaid.

“Supportinglocalfoodproductionisparamounttohealthylivingandsustainingagreenenvironment.Sadly,wehavea government that ismore interested in selling off theprovincethaninvestinginit.”

http://www.bcndp.ca/newsroom/local-food-movement-stunted-government-regulations


10 Assessing the learning expectations

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

Knowledgeidentify the economic, political, and environmental factors that affect food production and supply

Analyses of barriers to local foods show limited understanding of the range of factors affecting food production and supply

Analyses of barriers to local foods show some understanding of the range of factors affecting food production and supply

Analyses of barriers to local foods show a generally accurate and clear understanding of the range of factors af-fecting food production and supply

Analyses of barriers to local foods show highly accurate and thorough understanding of the range of factors affecting food production and supply

Thinking/inquirysummarize and interpret articles on food found in various sources

Can summarize and interpret only a few details in selected sources about the barriers to local foods from various stakeholder perspectives

Can summarize and interpret various details in selected sources about the barriers to local foods from various stakeholder perspectives

Is generally effective in summarizing and interpreting details in selected sources about the barriers to local foods from various stakeholder perspectives

Is highly effective in summarizing and interpreting details in selected sources about the barriers to local foods from various stakeholder perspectives

Communicationcorrectly use terminology associated with food and nutrition

Makes limited use in oral and written assignments of appropriate vocabulary to discuss the issues associated with local foods

Is somewhat effective in oral and written assignments in using appropriate vocabulary to discuss the issues associated with local foods

Is generally effectively in oral and written assignments in using a range of appropriate vocabulary to discuss the issues associated with local foods

Is very effective in oral and written assignments in using a wide range of appropriate vocabulary to discuss the issues associated with local foods

Documents

Ontario curriculum links - The Critical Thinking …tc2.ca/pdf/100MileDiet_CC2.pdf · • security, vegetarianism, cuisine, agribusiness, • gluten development) ... eparation In