Have you heard that October 16th, 2016 is World Food Day? The theme this year is “Climate is Changing: Food and Agriculture Must Too.” While that’s a pretty big topic, we have some ideas for how you can help your students to be part of the solution.
1. Menus and Maps–Where Does Your Food Come From?
Try out this activity in your classroom: have your students map where their lunch came from and begin to think about how their choices can effect agriculture and the environment. If possible, learn more about agriculture in your state and ask your students to think about how they could substitute just one item from their lunch with a more local option. How would that make a difference?
2. Build a Worm Bin
Try building a worm bin in your classroom to show your students how we can all cut down on what goes into landfills, and read The Chicken and The Worm to your students to teach them how special worms are!
3. Learn About Food Waste
Another related topic that you can address in your class is how food waste and loss taxes diverts food from those who need it and taxes our resources. Check out the infographic below to look at where along the food chain all of this waste is produced.
Check out the FAO World Food Day Page for more info and ideas. Most importantly, don’t let your students forget that every day is an opportunity to end hunger and poverty and to care for the Earth! If you want more ideas or want to connect with Heifer staff in your area, email info@heifer.org.
Post by Liz Ellis, Heifer Community Engagement Coordinator