Video credits: UN Environment Programme, published on May 10, 2016
What have you learnt from this video? How could the food system change to be more sustainable?
Do!
Try to estimate how “green” your plate is – both for your health and the environment. Use this website to learn about the CO2 emission of different meals and do the final quiz. How well did you do? Comment the three most important things you’ve learned from this task.
Challenge yourself to plant your favourite herbs or vegetables in a few pots at home, on the balcony or the window sill. Urban or home gardening provides environmental benefits! If you cannot do this, try to buy local produce on your next trip to the shop.
Educate!
Invite your friends over for a low carbon potluck dinner (potluck is a type of a community meal/get-together where every invitee prepares and brings a dish for everyone to share). The golden potluck rule: every individual should make and bring approximately the amount of food they can eat themselves – in this way no food will be left over, which also means: no waste! You can also discuss the CO2 emission of your everyday food and find ways how to make your daily plates greener!
Much of the food that lands on our plate travels from across the world. European demand for beef and soy for instance, has been outsourced to South America, and is one of the main contributors to deforestation and the destruction of the Amazon. This is contingent on our diet, but also on trade deals, such as the controversial EU-Mercosur agreement.
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/can-europe-make-it/time-ticking-stop-eu-mercosur-trade-deal/
For recipe ideas and shopping tips check out A Daily Plate of Peace and Non-Violence (guide and cookbook) - https://www.sci-d.de/sites/default/files/cookbook_web_0.pdf
Toward Rational, Authentic Food Choices (TEDTalk by Melanie Joy) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0VrZPBskpg
Urban Gardening:
Beginner’s Guide to Indoor Gardening - https://blog.backtotheroots.com/2018/05/17/beginners-guide-to-indoor-gardening/
The community gardening movement - https://www.foodwise.com.au/the-community-gardening-movement/
Discover how to set up a vegetable garden at home and what the advantages are - https://www.iberdrola.com/social-commitment/what-is-urban-gardening