We Eat Responsibly - Children’s Game

The game is a made up of a piece of canvas 3 metres by 6 metres.  It is played like a snakes and ladders game but instead of going up ladders and going down stairs instructions to move forward and backwards are given depending on the ‘food’ stepped on.  If the ‘food’ stepped on is healthy, produced locally, fresh, organic or not processed, the player is rewarded by being asked to step forward a number of squares. On the other hand if the player ends on a square which shows unhealthy food options a penalty is given, that is, the player is asked to move backwards. The game is set on 40 steps/squares.  You will need two large dice (soft filled ones are the best).

Please note that pupils are required to take off their shoes in order to play on the game. Care must be taken so that the floor underneath is as clean as possible and does not contain stones which will cause the canvas to tear.

1. The first pupil throws the dice. If a six shows the player throws again and moves forward the resulting number showing on the dice when the dice is thrown for the second time. If numbers from 1-5 show the player misses a turn. The next player throws the dice. The other pupils follow in the same way. Each student is required to remember who is the one who played before him/her so as to know when one’s turn is.

2. If a pupil stops on a picture/sentence, s/he is required to read it out loud. Then s/he moves accordingly, either forward or backward as indicated. Teachers are encouraged to discuss what the picture/comment indicates and what are the eating practices linked to it.

3. Whoever arrives to the Food Hera Star first wins the game.

Rules may be changed according to the teacher’s lesson aims and time available.

Points to be discussed:

2. DoughnutsWhat ingredients are used when making sweets? Which of these ingredients are related to health issues?How many people worldwide are overweight? (1.9billion = 1.3billion overweight + 0.6billion obese)When considering the environment and your health, which is the better choice: a homemade cake or a packet of biscuits? Why? Eating less highly processed foods and more fresh and whole foods

contributes to better health. Eating fresh food is less energy intensive than processed or frozen foods and therefore does not contribute to climate change as much. Items such as cookies, chips and chocolate bars are highly processed foods requiring a lot of preliminary steps to be made; and unless they are homemade, they are likely to contain palm oil and added sugar, fat and salt to make the taste more appealing. Most probably they also contain conservatives to prolong their shelf life. 4. Strawberries

Is it better for the environment to eat strawberries in spring or in autumn? Why? What are the advantages of buying local food?What are the advantages of buying seasonal food?Fruits and vegetables that are not seasonal are grow in heated greenhouses or are imported from foreign countries. When fruits and vegetables are transported by air or sea, they consume between 10 to 20 times more fuel than the same fruit or vegetable produced locally

during the season. Eating seasonal local food helps to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, which cause climate change. Eating seasonal local (and organic) food helps preserve biodiversity.The gap between consumers and farmers is growing. This gap is not only geographic but is also reflected in the fact that there are many actors (processors, brands, supermarkets, etc.) that stand between consumers and farmers. Local initiatives like direct supply of canteens by local small farmers, direct sales at the farm, farmers’ markets and community-supported agriculture can help narrow the gap between production and consumption.Local, organic and seasonal products also help to fight food waste because the distance from producer to consumer is much shorter and therefore the food is less likely to go bad during transport. A lot of energy is also saved. Such energy would have otherwise been used to preserve the food on the way to the consumer. 7. Soft drinks

What is a soft drink? Are soft drinks healthy? Why?/Why not?Soft drinks are usually packed in plastic. Is it bad for the environment? Why?What is the healthiest thing to drink? Today, people worldwide consume an average of 20% more sugar and sweeteners than their parents or grandparents did in 1960. This is partly due to the consumption of soft drinks which contain a lot of sugar. A can of Coke in both the UK and the US contains 35g or 9

teaspoons of sugar (amounts vary slightly between countries). World Health Organization (WHO) recommends just 25g - six teaspoons of sugar per day.Making your own naturally flavoured water is a much healthier and delicious alternative to soft drinks. 9. 100% organic

What does organic/bio mean?Is it better to buy organic apples from e.g. Spain or non-organic from your country? Why? What can be the pros and cons of each of the options?Is it better for the environment, society or producers to grow food in an organic way or using permaculture? Why? Organic farming methods are much better for the environment that conventional farming. Organic farms do not use pesticides and usually

grow different varieties of crops in the same field. This is good both for biodiversity and soil quality. Shopping from farmers’ markets, buying from a farm or finding a farmer to bring food to my home means I have a chance to ask and learn what methods of production were used and so support organic methods. 11. Different varieties of tomato

Why is it important to take care of our local, unique varietes of tomato?Why is it important to have different varieties of carrots (and of all crops in general)?Have you ever heard about the seed bank? What is it?Do you (or your parents/grandparents) grow fruit/vegetables? Is it beneficial for the environment? Why? Planting local varieties helps our food system adapt to climate change because in case of some natural disaster (e.g. droughts) or pest

infestation there is a better chance that some varieties will survive. Consuming diverse varieties helps maintain a healthy and tasty diet.Over a 100 years (1900-2000), 75% of agrobiodiversity was lost because farmers worldwide have abandoned numerous open-pollinated varieties. Farmers have increasingly chosen commercial hybrid varieties because of the move to industrial farming methods and and complex laws. Such hybrid varieties give the highest yields, uniform size, appearance and taste. They also meet the demand of consumers who ask for cheap food of a consistent quality. But the downside is that farmers have been growing considerably less diverse wheat, tomato and potato varieties, this loss weakens humanity’s capacity to grow enough food in the future.

13. Hamburger/fast food

Do you think that your hamburger can be somehow connected to the Amazon rainforest? How?Do you know what the water footprint is? Which type of meat requires most water to be produced?Have you heard about factory farming?Are there any harmful substances in hamburgers? Eating less meat helps fight climate change. Meat consumption is considered by UN experts as one of the driving causes of climate

change and is frequently linked with the overuse or pollution of natural resources (water, land, ecosystems). Eating less meat helps save water that is needed for producing feed for animals. Eating meat raised in a sustainable manner helps save ground water, preserve soil quality and save animal breeds.Worldwide, livestock are increasingly raised in cruel, cramped conditions, where animals spend their short lives under artificial light, pumped full of antibiotics and growth hormones, until the day they are slaughtered. This is the reality of factory farming.

15. Lentils/beans?Can you name some pulses?Can you substitute meat with pulses? Why?/Why not?Are pulses grown in Malta? Pulses need much less water to grow when compared to other protein sources such as meat or dairy. They also have a smaller carbon footprint thus indirectly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Pulses are good for your health (no cholesterol, rich in nutrients, low fat, source of proteins…). Pulses can also improve soil fertility and

productivity of farmland. 18. Factory farming

What are the main crops which are fed to animals in the intensive farming model? Do you know where this crop is produced?Is meat consumption contributing to global warming? How?Is factory farming problematic? Explain why.

Worldwide, livestock are increasingly raised in cruel, cramped conditions, where animals spend their short lives under artificial light, pumped full of antibiotics and growth hormones, until the day they are slaughtered. This is the reality of factory farming. The animals are never allowed to graze.

Eating less meat helps fight climate change. Meat consumption is considered by UN experts as one of the driving causes of climate change and is frequently linked with the overuse or pollution of natural resources (water, land, ecosystems). Eating less meat helps save water that is needed for producing feed for animals. Eating better meat (raised in a sustainable manner) helps save ground water, preserve soil quality and save animal breeds.In Europe, the United States, as well as in Mexico, other parts of Latin America and even in countries like Egypt, cattle are no longer fed just on grass. They also eat maize, wheat and soybeans. It would be much more efficient to use these crops directly as food for people. 20. Palm oil free

Where does palm oil come from? Do any of the foodstuffs we eat at home or at school have palm oil in them? What about our favourite food?If we buy a bar of chocolate which contains palm oil do we effect the environment? If yes, how? Most of the production takes place in Indonesia and Malaysia, followed by Thailand, Columbia, Nigeria, Papa New Guinea and Ecuador. The mass expansion of monoculture (only one plant) plantations in recent years has made them the primary driver of

deforestation in Indonesia. Indonesia’s rate of deforestation is one of the highest in the world. Every year, more of the forests and peatlands that act as important carbon sinks (storages of carbon from the atmosphere) are burnt. As a result, Indonesia is one of the top emitters of greenhouse gases in the world, despite the fact that it is not an industrial country. The destruction of precious ecosystems also threatens wildlife. As a consequence of

deforestation, Orangutan, Sumatran tigers and elephants are three of the many species facing the risk of extinction. 22. Gardening

Do you help the environment when you grow your own food? Explain how.

Fruit and vegetables that are not seasonal grow in heated greenhouses or come from far away countries. When fruits and vegetables are transported by air or by sea, they consume between 10 to 20 times more fuel than when the same fruit or vegetable is produced locally in season. Eating food from your garden helps to reduce greenhouse gases emissions, which cause climate change and it also helps preserve biodiversity. Moreover you can make sure

it is pesticide free.

25. Canned foodWhat are the advantages and disadvantages of canned food?

Canned food helps to preserve food for longer but unfortunately a lot of nutrients get lost in the process of pasteurization and conservation. In Malta we enjoy a very good climate that enables growing vegetables and fruits almost all year round. This gives us a great advantage to eat fresh and nutritious food that is also locally grown and thus supports local farming.

28. Fair tradeHave you ever heard about fair trade? What does it mean?Have you seen a fair trade logo on products?Can you help farmers from eg. Peru, when you buy Fair Trade products? How?Do you or people in your family buy fair trade products? The gap between consumers and farmers is growing. This gap is not only geographic but also reflected in the fact that there are many actors (processors, brands, supermarkets, etc.) who stand between

consumers and farmers. For farm workers employed in large-scale production for exports (bananas, tea, cocoa, etc.) the work can sometimes be unsafe and miserably paid. Consumers have the opportunity to influence the model of farming abroad. The system of labels such as “biological”/ “organic” and “fair trade” helps to ensure that farmers or farm workers earn a decent wage.

31. Food wasteWhy is food waste a problem?How much food is wasted globally?One person cannot change the problem of food waste. Do you agree?Have you ever heard of a food bank?How is food waste related to water consumption? As much as one-third of the world’s food ends up lost or wasted. One-third of all food is being wasted means that one-third of all fuels, fertilizers and water for production were used in vain. It also

means that deforestation, damage to soil and greenhouse gas emissions related to food production were unnecessary. Worse, additional pollution is then caused when uneaten food ends up in incinerators rather than in composting systems. Imagine that we waste precious resources to produce food and on the top of it, we cause additional air pollution and emissions of CO2 that warm up the planet.

33. Free range chickenWhat does free range chicken mean?How do we know that the eggs we buy come from free range or factory farming?Compare conditions of a chicken in a factory farm and a free range chicken.

Worldwide, livestock are increasingly raised in cruel, cramped conditions, where animals spend their short lives under artificial light, pumped full of antibiotics and growth hormones, until the day they are slaughtered. This is the reality of factory farming.You can change it by choosing organic eggs (it should be indicated

on egg or package label) or corn fed chickens in the supermarket, by finding a local farmer who sells organic produce or even by breeding your own chickens!

36. Fresh vegetables

Name two kinds of fruit/vegetables that are produced during this season.Have you ever heard about food miles?Is it good for the environment to buy grapes in winter? Fruits and vegetables that are not seasonal grow in heated greenhouses or come from far away countries. When fruits and vegetables are transported by air or sea, they consume between 10 to 20 times more fuel than the same fruit or vegetable produced locally during the season. Eating seasonal local food helps to

reduce greenhouse gases emissions, which cause climate change. Eating seasonal local food helps preserve biodiversity.

The gap between consumers and farmers is growing. This gap is not only geographic but is also reflected in the fact that there are many actors (processors, brands, supermarkets, etc.) who stand between consumers and farmers. Local initiatives like direct supply of canteens by local small farmers, direct sales at the farm, farmers’ markets and community-supported agriculture can help narrow the gap between production and consumption. 37. Use of pesticides

What are pesticides?Do you think there are any pesticides in the food you eat at home or at school?What is wrong when pesticides are carried away from the field to the valleys/sea? Why?How do you know that there aren’t any pesticides in your food? Pesticides are substances that are supposed to kill weeds, insects or fungus that could endanger our crops. However these substances can get into ecosystems and be dangerous not only for

animals but also for human because we end up eating crops and animals that can contain residues of pesticides. You can avoid pesticides by buying organic food.

Food Hero! – The food hero is one who embraces the following beliefs as much as possible:

eats fresh and local products

reduces meat consumption

avoids over eating

eats whole foods rather then processed/avoids the consumption of processed food

and fast food

buys food produced through organic farming

buys and promotes fair trade products

buys products with least packaging/promotes the reduction of food packaging

avoids food and drinks which contain access sugars or have added sugars and

sweeteners

avoids fruits and vegetables which have had pesticides used on them

avoids food and products which make use of palm oil

reduces the generation of food waste possibly reaching zero food waste