1. Sustainability of our food chain
Food production and the environment

2. Objectives
Describe the relationship between food production and species extinction.
Use data to show environmental impacts of modern agriculture.
Explain how increased human population impacts modern agriculture.
Discuss the correlation between human population increase and the decline of fish stocks and increased meat production.
Examine their dietary choices and consider how different types of food production methods differ in their impacts on climate change and species extinction.

3. Questions How might food production impact the environment?
How has agriculture evolved over time?
What factors affect fish stocks?
How does change in human population affect agriculture?
How do different methods of food production compare, considering impacts on (i) the environment (ii) species extinction?
What are the connections between climate change and species extinction?

4. Favourite foods!
What is your favourite food? Write a list of your three favourite foods.

5. Access clip: http://www.discoveryeducation.co.uk/video/item881962
Destroying our oceans
Teachers you can access this clip here:
Access clip:

6. What could you do? What three things could you do to
prevent destruction of our oceans?
Think of daily activities that may have a wider impact on our oceans.

7. Could you eat differently?
Would you change your diet to save the oceans? What would your new diet look like?

8. Understanding food
You will learn about how food production affects the environment and Earth’s wildlife.

9. Change your diet, save the world
Teachers you can access this clip here:
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10. Use your food logs to estimate your annual animal protein consumption.
How much do you eat?
Use your food logs to estimate your annual animal protein consumption.
Consider…
Units to quantify consumption:
biomass
calories
kilograms
Including dairy, as well as meat and fish

11. Impacts of modern agriculture
With your group:
Research evidence for the environmental impacts of modern agriculture. Create a graphic organiser, such as a concept map, showing environmental impacts.
Explore the following ideas:
habitat loss
pollution and in particular carbon dioxide emissions
decline of crop diversity
soil erosion
Habitat loss
Carbon dioxide emissions
Pollution
Decline of crop diversity
Soil erosion

12. Explaining food production
With your group:
Present your graphic organiser to the class.
Explain your conclusions
Describe other ways you could collect data
Discuss the scientific method
Your discussion should include:
How the scientific method can be used to address complex questions about:
the environment
prioritising conservation
balancing societal and human needs

13. An Encounter with a Manta Ray
Teachers you can access this clip here:
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14. What is the impact of human activities?
Write a short passage explaining how resource depletion is connected to human activities.
Consider focusing on…
needs and role of local communities
Dilemmas such as: food or jobs versus exploiting resources
Large-scale activities such as industrial fisheries

15. Correlation of population and food production
With your group:
Explore online resources to describe the relationship between human population, fish stocks, and meat production.
Be sure to…
Obtain data on:
human population increase
decline of fish stocks
increase in global meat production
Describe potential sources of error or inaccuracies in estimating correlations

16. Impact on communities
With your group:
Choose a case study of food resource decline and research the impact on local communities.
Examples of possible case studies:
Collapse of North Atlantic cod fishery
Destruction of tropical rainforests
Overgrazing in North Africa’s Sahel region

17. “The greatest danger to
our future is apathy.”
- Jane Goodall
Photo courtesy Nick Step/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

18. Ideas time!
Create a list of activities that inform and educate about dietary choices.
Ensure that your activities:
are feasible and realistic
do not require funding
could be conducted in a class setting

19. Know the carbon cost of what you eat.

20. Eating for wildlife Eat less meat Eat seasonally and locally
Go vegetarian or vegan
Eat organic
Eat sustainable seafood
Drink filtered tap water
Choose ‘dolphin friendly’ tuna
Avoid shark fins and oils
Vote with your wallet and your fork

21. Extension: tragedy of the commons
Investigate the ‘tragedy of the commons’ theory. Write a passage to describe how this concept relates to environmental problems, such as overfishing.

22. Reflection
Write a short passage describing the connection between food production and species extinction.
Which of the following has the greatest impact on food production: habitat loss, carbon dioxide emissions, pollution, the decline of crop diversity, or soil erosion? Justify your answer.
Give three bullet points describing how modern agriculture might have to change to become more sustainable.
Compare and contrast the food production of meat with vegetables.