Slow Food Movement
Age group: Grades K+
Geographic area: Worldwide
Are you looking to improve your health while minimizing your impact on the environment and climate change? Then join the slow food movement! Research the origins of your food then join the slow food movement and support local, organic, and sustainable food.
The slow food movement is a ways of producing, purchasing, eating, and thinking about food. This ideology focuses on protecting food and cultural traditions, the environment, and human and animal welfare and health. This protection comes from buying local, organic, sustainable, and fair trade products whenever possible.
In the U.S. food travels about 1,500-2,500 miles before it is sold. Along the way, it requires packaging, energy, roads, bridges, and warehouses, and contributes to atmospheric pollution, adverse health effects, and traffic congestion.
Educate yourself about what resources are necessary to produce one of your typical meals. One way to figure out the contents of packaged food is by reading the nutritional label. Many of the ingredients listed may be difficult to understand, but by doing an internet search for specific ingredients you can find out what is really in your food and where it comes from. The Fresh From the World tutorial is an introduction to the origins of various foods. Compare the results from conventionally grown foods to those that are grown locally or organically and see which has less of an environmental impact. At waterfootprint.org you can find out how much water is used to produce different types of food.
Once you are more educated about the origins of your food and the resources required to produce it, you can start making sustainable food decisions that will reduce fossil fuel emissions, pesticide and herbicide use, and water consumption. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Find local, organic, and sustainable farms in your neighborhood
The Eat Well Guide is a directory of sustainable farms, markets, and restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. Local Harvest is a U.S.-based directory of farmers markets, family farms, community supported agriculture, and organic food.
- Start a garden at your home
The National Gardening Association and Kid's Gardening provide resources to help you grow your own garden. If you do not have a backyard you can still garden with container or windowsill gardens. Read more about container gardening at Colorado State University and Iowa State University.
- Start a garden at your school
For information on how to start a garden at your school visit School Garden Wizard, The Edible Schoolyard, Kids Gardening, or California School Garden Network.
- Educate yourself about the environmental claims made on food packaging
Research using eco-labels, Help Guide, or the Certified Organic Label Food Guide
- Educate others about sustainable food choices
Create a directory of sustainable restaurants, markets, and grocery stores in your community. Add information about sustainable food issues; such as, organic food, local food, food miles, and community supported agriculture. Share this directory with community members and schoolmates.
For more information on starting a slow food movement at your home or school, visit Sustainable Table, Slow Food International, or Farm to School
Facing the Future lesson links:
When you contact the organization, don't forget to tell them you learned about the project from Facing the Future.
Email us about your project and how you're making a difference!
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