Discovering the Food System Lesson 2: Food System Basics

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Printer-friendly .pdf version of this lesson Summary Although we participate in the food system each day by eating, most of us are likely not to be aware of how food gets from the field to table. Even young people from rural areas are increasingly becoming removed from their local food system. Food System Basics will help us develop an understanding of the food system by building on what we already know and experience. Several models have been created to help us conceptualize the many complex interconnections that exist in the food system. In the first activity of this lesson, we will follow the path of a simple food item, such as fruit juice, from farm to table. We will create informal illustrations of the path of the food item. If you are working as a large group, have the instructor help you create a master class list of the activities in the food's path. We can compare the steps that we were able to think of to the list provided at the end of this lesson. We will also make a list of activities or processes that occur within each step in the food system. This activity will help us think more critically about all of the steps involved in creating the food supply available in our grocery stores, cafeterias, and restaurants. Finally, we will discover what "local" means in terms of our food system. This lesson will create the basic framework for exploring more in-depth issues and concepts related to the food system in the coming lessons. Learning Objectives Upon completion of this lesson, we should be able to: Identify, define and describe steps in the food system. List several activities that occur at various steps in the food system. Explore the meaning of the term "local" in reference to the food we eat. Describe our individual participation in the food system. Key Concepts Systems Interdependence Inputs Outputs Food System Models Activities See Printer-friendly .pdf version of this lesson for complete actvities, background information, handouts, etc. From Field to Table Steps in the Food System Food Thread Food for Thought Journal Websites used in this lesson: None.