Global Education
What is a global food system? It is a way of thinking about food that links up the different stages, people and institutions that are a part of bringing the food from field to table. We encouraged the community to think about the food they eat, where it comes from and how it got to the dinner plate. LifeCycles' International Program worked with school children, high school students, youth, educational groups and the local colleges and universities; we facilitated and coordinated presentations, workshop series, activities and resources and expertise to interested individuals or groups who would like to learn more about the global food system.
For elementary schools grade 4 - 7, we offered a 1 - 2 hour workshop called "Where in the World?" This workshop took students on the journey of the food that they eat, "travels" to Cuba to explore a different way of growing and providing food, and draws on their insight to envision a local food system. In 2002-03, over 200 school children in the Victoria area participated in the "Where in the World" workshop.
For high schools grade 10 - 12, we offered a 1 - 2 hour workshop called "Tracing the Tomato". This workshop looks specifically at the tomato, comparing economic, environmental, and cultural issues of tomatoes grown with different methods in different locations such as BC, Ontario and Mexico. This workshop is interactive and encourages discussion about global issues.
For local college, university or community presentations, we adapted our resources and approach to assist classes and events. We gave presentations to Environmental Studies classes at the University of Victoria, the 2002 International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement (IFOAM) conference, the 1998 Community Food Security Coalition, the 2003 Canadian Organic Conference and the American Community Garden Association on several occasions.
For educators, we designed a comprehensive educational resource called "Where in the World" that provides a series of 6 lessons looking at the food system such as:
- What is Food Security?
- Where in the World is Our Food Coming From?
- The Implication of a Global Food System
- Visualizing Change in the Global Food System
- Exploring the World of Urban Agriculture
- Taking Action: Local and Global Initiatives for Change
This resource is a complete classroom guide with lesson plans, backgrounders and activities. The resource meets the Ministry of Education Integrated Resources Packages (IRP's) learning outcomes and can assist educators working the areas of social studies, language arts, world issues, and social history. For more information on ordering this resource, click here.