Environmental Issues Food Choices

Objectives Understand the role of fair trade Identify advantages and disadvantages of purchasing fair trade ingredients Knowledge of fair trade food ingredients Define seasonal foods Awareness of the advantages and disadvantages of seasonal foods/ organic food Identify seasonal foods Understand how organic foods are grown

Fair Trade What is it? This is when farmers receive fair prices for their products and ensuring they work in safe conditions Examples of foods: chocolate, honey, bananas and other fruit, beverages tea, coffee, fruit juice.

FAIR TRADE Advantages Better working conditions for farmers etc Local sustainability for workers and for farmers in poorer countries Disadvantages Expensive Food Miles impact on the environment

Food Miles This is the measure of distance that a food ingredient travels from field to plate

Why do foods travel so far? Brainstorm in groups (2 minutes) Cheaper labour abroad Permanent supply of ingredients Foods travel miles to be packaged and then sent back again to be sold Supermarkets have taken over local shops and are outside of towns and villages

What can be done? Buy foods from local food markets Buy foods with little packaging Buy foods from within a 20 mile radius Buy seasonal foods Ensure organic food comes from British sources ( a typical basket of 26 imported organic foods may have travelled six times around the equator)

Facts 95% of fruit and 50% of vegetables in the UK are imported! Each year the average UK adult drives 135 miles by car to shop for food! The amount of food being flown into the UK since 1990’s has doubled! Animals are transported long distances to large central abattoirs

Questions…. Discuss in groups Organic Foods Questions…. Discuss in groups What is it? Why does it cost more? Is it better for you? This is food that is free from pesticides, herbicides, additives and also animals that are fed on organically sourced food

Advantages and Disadvantages What are they? Advantages Free from chemicals and pesticides Natural Nutritious Disadvantages Expensive Difficult to get hold of/not always a range of ingredients available A large amount are imported from abroad

SEASONAL FOODS This is when food is bought at a time when it is abundant and at its best. Goats Cheese - all year round Strawberries - early summer Asparagus & tomatoes - late spring

SEASONAL FOODS Advantages Disadvantages Reduce the amount of carbon emissions 2. Avoid paying for expensive ingredients as they have not travelled so far 3. Support the local economy 4. Fresher, tastier and more nutritious 5. Good quality 6. Cheaper Disadvantages Limited range of ingredients available throughout the year 2. Negative effect on poorer countries (less demand)

GM Foods The copying of genes (DNA) from one organism and transferring it to another This can be between different plants and species Advantages Increases pest resistance so less chemicals pesticides are used Quicker than breeding programmes which can take up to 20 years Good accuracy when identifying a specific characteristic Crops can grow in inhospitable areas such as land susceptible to drought Improve sensory characteristics Increase nutrition Reduce wastage Feed an increasing population

Disadvantages Takes generations for problems to become apparent Allergic properties can be transferred Genes transferred for bacteria growth Toxic substances from the GM Foods

Pesticides and herbicides Research the pro’s and con’s and produce a factsheet/revision sheet

Extending shelf life in transportation Un ripe food (time of harvesting) Travelling as a raw product e.g. milk Liners in food boxes Pasteurisation

Pesticides help us manage pests such as harmful insects, arachnids (e Pesticides help us manage pests such as harmful insects, arachnids (e.g., spiders, ticks and lice), rodents (e.g., rats and mice) and weeds Pro’s crops safe from insects, plants, and invasive plants. A farmer could lose his entire livelihood if these elements get into his fields and destroy his crops, and the follow on effect of that are higher prices at the stores on produce for everyone. Con’s Harmful to developing babies Run into water ways Build up a resistance

Alternative sources of energy An alternative of energy source other than fossil fuels Solar Power: Prevents the need to burn coal, prevent carbon dioxide emissions (you need a lot and they don’t pay for themselves) Greenhouses Wind Power: affordable, free, readily available (large amount are necessary and expensive investment) Wave Energy: produced when electricity generators are placed on the surface of the ocean. (only experimental) Power plants and water pumps Nuclear power: Nuclear power is an alternative power source that uses the nuclear fission of uranium to create heat and, thereby, through a heat transfer mechanism and turbines, create electricity.