Real Food5 May 2010
How much do we know about what we eat?
Friends of the Earth believes there should be fresh, affordable, locally produced and genetically modified free food for all.
Food Safety
Food may appear cheap but cheap food comes at a price - to the environment, to health, to farming communities.
- Genetic modification carries a risk (GM)
- the long term effects of GM food is still not yet known
- threat to wildlife
- threat to production of non-GM food.
Where do you shop?
Our supermarket culture is forcing small farmers and local shops out of business:
- Local suppliers and farmers worldwide are made to accept loss-making prices to compete.
- Local shops disappear leaving less choice and deserted high streets.
Food and climate change
Lots of our food that could be sourced locally is being flown 1000's of miles from abroad before it reaches our plates.
This transportation:
- Contributes to climate change.
- Creates congestion and local air pollution.
Processed and packaged foods, like ready made meals, also use a lot of energy in the manufacturing and transport of ingredients and packaging. This means more climate change gasses released into the environment and more waste.
Did you know?
The average distance food has travelled from field to plate (food miles) has doubled in the past 20 years.
Real food in the classroom
There are many ways to tackle real food in the classroom. Try looking at what's in your school meal in citizenship or studying farming in geography.
Here's a list of National Curriculum subjects real food can fit into:
- Art
- Citizenship
- Design and technology
- English
- Geography
- History
- Maths
- Science
Students at Loreto College
For more ideas and downloadable lesson plans, visit our resource page.
Find out more about real food.
© Balthazar Serreau/Friends of the Earth
