Food and Fiber System

Roles and Meanings of Food  Food holds many meanings and serves many roles  Why is food important to you?  What role does it play in society?  Basic level-  Global scale-  1 in 6 people worldwide lack adequate access to food

Field to Plate  Food takes a complex journey from origins on a farm/ranch to consumers plates  The activities in the journey from field to plate and the resources involved at each stage is called the Food and Fiber System or Food Supply Chain

Major Stages  Production  Processing  Distribution  Retail  Consumption

Why study the food system?  Promotes healthier diets  Reduces the risk of foodborne illnesses  Uphold workers’ rights  Support small businesses  Conserve natural resources  Mitigate climate change  Improve air/water quality  Protect animal welfare

Impacts to Health  Agriculture provides food, raw ingredients  Food processing transforms raw materials into consumer products  Pesticide use linked to cancers  Industrial farming- Spread of disease from animals to humans-  Animal waste- Water-borne contamination waste  Gases and airborne materials-Respiratory, neurological illness  Routine use of antibiotics lead to resistant pathogens

Impacts to Health: Diet Related  Food and diet are major determinants of health  Chronic conditions  Obesity, diabetes, heart disease  Americans eat too many nutrient-poor refined grains with added fats and sugars  External factors play a role  Peers  Marketing  Cost (healthy foods cost more)  Access  Addicted to foods Addicted to foods

Impacts to health: Environmental  Contaminated air, water and soil  Climate change  Diminished long term food supplies

Picture 1- migrant workers in meat and poultry packaging Picture 2- concentrated manure being sprayed on a field Picture 3- corner store- typically sells food with lower nutritional values at higher prices

Food and Animal welfare  Some food animals are subjects to physical and emotional harm  Restricted from performing many of their natural behaviors  Others are free range  Raised on pastures  Show fewer signs of stress  Why would free range animals make a better food source?

Top- Industrial chicken farming Bottom- Free range chicken

Top- factory farming for cattle Bottom- free range cattle

Organic Farming  Alternate to industrial farming  No pesticides, man-made chemicals on crops  No routine use of antibiotics for animals  More to come….

Summary  What do you expect to see on a farm?  Write or draw it