Learning pack #7: Food for the future

For many who can afford it, burgers, steaks or frozen pizza form a regular part of their diet. In many supermarkets unhealthy fast food is often cheaper than vitamin-rich fruit and vegetables. But what we eat impacts not only our health, but the environment. A quarter of all climate-damaging emissions currently come from agriculture.

However, not all food production has a negative effect on the climate. Meat for example, contributes more to warming our planet than fish, eggs or plant-based foods, in large part because cattle emit the greenhouse gas methane, and because forests are often cleared to create land dedicated to beef production. But other factors, such as how often we eat it and whether we source it from a local farmer or from far away, also play a role in the CO2 footprint of meat.

Climate change and food production 
Because the consequences of climate change — such as drought or extreme rainfall — can destroy harvests and are impacting crop growth in ever more places around the world, we need to find alternatives. Not just alternatives to meat, but food sources that are available to people all over the world and which ensure sufficient supply.

The learning pack “Food for the future – feeding the world in a climate-friendly way” offers solutions to questions such as: How do we ensure food production doesn’t exacerbate global warming or take up too much space? How can farmers adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change? How can I create a climate-friendly diet that allows me to eat my favorite foods?

Environmentally-friendly food in class 
The materials are suitable for children and young people from the age of 12 and enable teachers to tackle the topic of “environmentally-friendly food” in a playful and interactive way. The material can be used free-of-charge for non-commercial purposes.
 
This learning pack includes:

• 1 booklet for teachers (for classroom teaching) 
• 1 workbook for participants (for distance learning) 
• 6 films and 3 articles (the links to the reports can be found in the teaching booklet and workbook)  

For in-person lessons:
Please begin by downloading the "booklet for teachers" when you are preparing your lessons. There you will find copies of all of the worksheets, including explanatory handouts and solutions. You will find the booklet available as a PDF file below under "Eplore More."

For distance learning: 
When conducting lessons online, please also download the interactive "workbook for participants" along with the "booklet for teachers." You will find both under "Explore More." You may then send the workbook PDF file to participants as an email attachment. The workbook includes the worksheets but not the solutions. Participants may then complete their work alone on their computers, save the work and mail it back to you. Participants will require Acrobat Reader to complete the booklet. It is available to download for free.

Write to us 
If you have questions about our Global Ideas learning packs or if you need a print version of the material including the DVD, please contact us at: globalideas@dw.com