Most people in the UK are now familiar with the issue of healthy eating from TV shows such as Jamie’s School Dinners but food production also has massive implications for animal welfare, the environment and global poverty.
Obesity, along with related diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, is putting huge strains on the National Health Service. Lack of regular exercise and a diet consisting increasingly of processed junk food and rather than fresh natural food cooked from scratch are chiefly to blame.
Intensive farming raises issues about cruelty to animals. The increase in global meat consumption is a big concern in the fight against climate change. This is because huge areas of rainforest are cleared to rear cattle or grow crops for cattle feed. Plus cattle emit methane which is a dangerous greenhouse gas. Transporting cattle across the world to end up in your take-away box uses huge amounts of energy. Vital natural resources are being used to rear more and more cattle to satisfy a growing global appetite for a meat-rich diet.
Farmers struggle to make a living as supermarkets and multi-national corporations drive down prices and expect greater, more uniform outputs. The nature of the global food trade system makes it hard for developing countries to compete. Subsidies from European and American governments allow farmers to sell their crops for a lower price than the poorer countries could ever afford, sometimes below the cost of production!
We urgently need to regain an understanding of where our food comes from: how it is farmed, manufactured, processed, distributed and sold, so we can make informed, ethical choices about how we eat.
Otherinfo:
Taking action!
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Volunteering at a City Farm
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Workshops or assemblies for younger students about healthy eating / living
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Raising awareness of fairtrade through assemblies, workshops, stalls,
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Campaigning to persuade school and local companies to stock fairtrade goods
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Gain Fairtrade status for your school
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Hold events during Fairtrade Fortnight
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Grow your own food at school
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Hold a “get active” day eg: football tournament, sports day etc
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Organise a debate on organic food versus processed food
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Write a recipe book using seasonal food
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