Food miles – activities to prompt discussion in the classroom

Paul Beaumont / Kath Crawford

Food MilesFood Miles

‘The distance our meals travel from farm to plate’

Should be food km!

Food MilesFood Miles

‘‘Low’ food miles Low’ food miles weekendweekend

SaturdaySaturday

Breakfast 155 food milesBreakfast 155 food miles

Cost: £1.25Cost: £1.25

Porridge (Norfolk via health Porridge (Norfolk via health food shop 80 miles)food shop 80 miles)

Yoghurt (Long Hanborough 12 Yoghurt (Long Hanborough 12 miles) honey (Sarsden via miles) honey (Sarsden via farmer’s market 25 miles)farmer’s market 25 miles)

Pain maison (Slough 20 miles)Pain maison (Slough 20 miles) Home-made damson jam (fruit Home-made damson jam (fruit

from friend’s orchard 18 miles)from friend’s orchard 18 miles)

Food MilesFood Miles‘‘High’ food miles High’ food miles

weekendweekend

SaturdaySaturday

Breakfast 30782 food milesBreakfast 30782 food miles

Cost: £7.33Cost: £7.33

Greek yoghurt (1487 miles)Greek yoghurt (1487 miles) Blackberries (Mexico 5557 Blackberries (Mexico 5557

miles)miles) Blueberries (Chile 7262 miles)Blueberries (Chile 7262 miles) Orange juice (Caribbean, Orange juice (Caribbean,

South America, Africa 16476 South America, Africa 16476 miles) miles)

‘‘Low’ food miles Low’ food miles weekendweekend

SaturdaySaturday

Breakfast 155 food milesBreakfast 155 food miles

Cost: £1.25Cost: £1.25

Porridge (Norfolk via health Porridge (Norfolk via health food shop 80 miles)food shop 80 miles)

Yoghurt (Long Hanborough 12 Yoghurt (Long Hanborough 12 miles) honey (Sarsden via miles) honey (Sarsden via farmer’s market 25 miles)farmer’s market 25 miles)

Pain maison (Slough 20 miles)Pain maison (Slough 20 miles) Home-made damson jam (fruit Home-made damson jam (fruit

from friend’s orchard 18 miles)from friend’s orchard 18 miles)

Food MilesFood Miles

Useful data is available to provide updates annually

Food transport has significant and growing impacts

Annual direct environmental, social and economic costs are some £9 000 000 000

Single indicator based on total food km is an inadequate indicator of sustainability

UK food vehicle km UK food vehicle km (2002)(2002)

COCO22 emissions emissions

(2002)(2002)

Roses for Valentine’s Day

- import from Kenya or Holland?

Diamond 9 Diamond 9 ActivityActivity

Diamond 9 ActivityDiamond 9 Activity

• Used for prioritising

• To encourage pupils to define which issues they consider to be important

• Could be used to trigger discussion in the classroom or in groups

• Source materials might include:– Newspaper articles– Radio / TV broadcasts– Podcasts

[Taken, in part, from South Tyneside Primary Care Trust]

Advantages:

Diamond 9 ActivityDiamond 9 Activity

• Gives an opportunity to clarify one’s own priorities.

• Allows individuals to begin to negotiate with others to reach a compromise.

• Allows for snowballing from an individual to pairs groups of six or more.

• (Could be adapted to Diamond 4 or 16!)

Disadvantages:

Diamond 9 ActivityDiamond 9 Activity

• Can take a long time! • If consensus reached quickly then short!

• Sometimes difficult to prioritise middle items and to form diamond shape.

• Some groups cannot reach a consensus – does this matter?

Etc.

G rowing

conditions

Freshness

of flowers

• Read the article

• Consider the statement which you have been given

• Create a ‘diamond 9’ by ranking the cards in order of importance

• Blank cards can be used!

Diamond 9 ActivityDiamond 9 Activity

Diamond 9 activityDiamond 9 activity

Create a diamond 9 to support the statement:

‘We should buy roses from Kenya’.

Diamond 9 activityDiamond 9 activity

Create a diamond 9 to support the statement:

‘We should not buy roses from Kenya’

Diamond 9 ActivityDiamond 9 Activity

Place your diamond 9 on the poster board

Compare yours with those from other groups

Extension activities:– Look at this from a grower’s perspective (both

in Kenya and Holland) – same ranking?– Exotic/rare plants – should they be imported?