Climate Action Countdown: Saturday 29 June – Food for Thought

Food for Thought

Today’s challenge is all about food! Did you know that in the UK alone, we munch our way through a staggering 5 billion bananas each year? That’s enough to circle the globe more than 10 times!

But have you ever stopped to think about where your food comes from and who grows it?

Imagine this: many cocoa farmers, the very ones responsible for growing the cocoa that gives us our beloved chocolate, have never actually tasted chocolate themselves. Isn’t that mind-boggling? It’s just one of the fascinating facts that highlight the differences between the people who produce our food and the people who eat it.

1. Have you ever heard of Fairtrade? Do you know what it is? Do you know why it is important?
2. Use this map Fairtrade map – Fairtrade Schools to find out where the food you love comes from. You can also learn more about some of the social and environmental problems related to growing these foods and how Fairtrade can help.

Watch this!

This film explores how Fairtrade farmers in Colombia are using helping invest in environmental projects to help tackle the consequences of climate change.

Want to do more? Spotlight on Fairtrade 

Learning through Fairtrade opens up a fascinating world, revealing how we are all connected. Use their curriculum resources to discover where our food comes from. Becoming a Fairtrade School means joining a worldwide movement. It offers a great opportunity to look at global issues such as where our food comes from and how we are connected to people around the world. Students can also learn a range of skills, from teamwork and co-operation to persuasive writing to running a stall or tuck shop.

Useful resources:

• This short quiz is a great way to introduce the link between Fairtrade and the climate crisis. For each of the three rounds you’ll get four clues – one picture clue and three word clues. At the end of the quiz, learners will have the chance to consider what these three Fairtrade products have in common.
• These packs (Early Years, Primary Schools, Secondary Schools),designed for different age groups, will help you discuss how the climate crisis affects farmers and workers overseas, it will enable learners to discover how their choices can impact others around the world and the planet we live on.
• This lesson is designed to consolidate student learning about the climate crisis and its immediate threat to the livelihoods of farmers and workers across the world. Using the ‘problem cocoa tree’, students will use analytical skills to identify the causes, effects and solutions to the challenges that farmers face.