Lesson video

Hello, thanks for choosing this lesson.

My name's Mr. Ballam, and this lesson is all about One planet.

Let's get started, shall we?

So what are you going to learn today?

Well, by end of this lesson, you'll be able to critique the different global food challenges that we all face.

And I've got some keywords here which I want to go through which we're going to pick up in the lesson.

So the first one is greenhouse gas emissions, and these are the gases in the Earth's atmosphere that trap heat, leading to climate change.

The second one is food systems, and this is a complex web of activities involving the production, processing, transport, and consumption of our food.

The third one is climate change, and these are long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns.

The fourth one is socio-economic, and this is the interaction between social and economic habits of groups of people.

And the last one, food security, and this is having reliable access to sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.

Well, let's get started with the first part of the lesson, which is all about the challenges.

So the biggest challenges that can impact on our food are greenhouse gas emissions, which are linked to climate change, and a growing global population.

And these challenges put pressure on our food systems and, along with extreme or unusual weather, can affect food production and impact food security.

However, sustainability and the environment consist of more than focusing on greenhouse gas emissions.

It's also about the water and land use that we use to produce our food, and also about food waste.

All of these things need to be taken into consideration.

So globally, the food we eat is responsible for the following: 30% of greenhouse gas emissions, 70% of freshwater use, and 40% of land use.

So let's have a quick check you've been listening, shall we?

So link the following data about what global food production is responsible for.

Well, yes, the first one, around 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions.

The second one?

Yes, 70% of freshwater use, which then means the last one is 40% of land use.

Well done.

So humans can affect climate change through the release of greenhouse gases, which trap heat from the Sun, and this makes the Earth warmer, changing its climate.

And to reduce this effect, there needs to be a reduction in the amount of gases that are released.

And the impact of this changing environment means the following: an increase in global temperatures, and increase in extreme weather, such as hurricanes and flooding, as well as the change of the climate in an area.

And climate change can cause extreme or unusual weather, which can affect our food production and impact on national and global food security, and this might result in conditions changing so much that it can be harder to grow food, or perhaps an increase in fires, or the polar ice caps melting.

And climate change can affect food production.

So for example, it could mean longer periods of time, which cause water to dry up and crops to die, or longer wet periods can flood fields and wash soil away.

Or perhaps warmer conditions can harm farm animals and damage the grass that they feed on, or perhaps the changing weather can cause different diseases in crops and animals too.

And lastly, increased wind and rain can cause crops to collapse and animals might have to be kept inside.

So let's have another quick check, shall we?

So climate change can affect food production, for example, A, B, C, D.

Yes, A, having longer dry periods, causing crops to die.

Anything else?

Yes, that's right, C.

Increasing wind and rain, causing crops to collapse.

Well done.

Now, we know that the Earth is about 70% water, but in many places, accessing clean water is difficult, and water is needed to keep crops and animals healthy and we should take care that we don't waste water.

And climate change means that some places have even less water, which can pose a problem when growing crops.

And heavy rains may also wash soil away and nutrients into streams and rivers, which may actually harm wildlife too.

And climate change is having a profound impact on our oceans and marine life too.

Its effects are changing the distribution of fish stocks and their food.

So combating climate change requires two goals.

Firstly, reducing the amount of greenhouse gas emitted and also storing as much carbon as possible, and replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy, such as solar of wind, is often the main way to reduce these emissions.

And in the UK, greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture account for about 90% of emissions, and this has decreased rapidly over the last 20 years, meaning that almost 90% comes from other sectors now, such as residential areas, businesses, energy supply, and transport too.

We also know that food waste is an issue too.

And a UN report in 2024 stated the world wasted just over a billion tons of food, which is 19% of the food available to consumers are being wasted.

And 13% of the world's food is actually lost in the production and its processing too.

We also know that 60% of the world's food waste comes from households.

And we also know that reducing food waste has other benefits too, so for example, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The other area we touched upon earlier was about the global population, and globally it's expected to reach about 10 billion people by 2050, and the food demand to feed these people is scheduled to increase around about 50%.

And the demand for animal-based foods are estimated to increase around about 70% due to rising incomes in developing nations.

And on current trends, food production will need to increase by more than 50%.

So thinking about the growing population and the food that we have, another challenge is global hunger, and according to a UN report in 2024, between 713 and 750 million people faced hunger in 2023.

That's roughly one out of 11 people, or one out of every five people in Africa.

And apart from hunger, the report also highlights that 2.

33 billion people experience moderate to severe food insecurity, and another 900 people face severe food insecurity.

So this means that over 3.

1 billion people could not afford a healthy diet, and many children under the age of five suffer from malnutrition.

So let's have a quick check for understanding, shall we?

So globally, one in 11 people face hunger.

Yes, that's true, isn't it?

And why is that?

Well, reports show that one out of 11 people in the world and one out of five people in Africa face hunger, and many more face food insecurity.

Okay, so I've got a task for you here, and what I want you to do is to summarize the issues for each of these key challenges and how it can affect our food systems.

So you've got the key challenges and I want you just to summarize some of the information about each of these.

So good luck to you, and we'll come back very soon to see how you've got on.

Okay, so how did you get on?

I bet you did really well.

I'm gonna go through some example responses here just to see how you did too.

So the first key challenge was greenhouse gas emissions.

Now, we know that some of the summarized information is that food is responsible for 30% of these emissions, and the emissions are actually a cause of climate change.

And globally, we need to reduce the amount emitted.

How about food waste?

Well, we know that 19% of the food available for consumers is wasted, and 60% of food waste is from households.

Plus, we know that reducing food waste can help to reduce carbon emissions too.

And how about climate change?

Well, it can be harder to grow food due to hot or cold weather too, and maybe there's less water for crops and animals, and this impacts also on our oceans and marine life too.

And population growth?

Well, there'll be more people in the world, about 10 billion by 2050, and they will require more food, about 50% more.

And we already have a problem with hunger, so things could actually get worse.

Well done for doing this task.

That's great work.

So now let's move on to the second part of the lesson, which is all around combating the challenges.

Now, the challenges of population growth, climate change, and resource puts additional pressure on food systems, and this can affect the food production and impact food security.

Our food system, so for example, how we produce, process, transport, store, and sell food, as well as reducing food waste, are key in addressing these challenges.

And the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is adopted by all United Nation members, provides a blueprint for people and the planet, and it comprises 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which are a call for action for all countries.

And the goals seek to end poverty, improve health and education, and reduce inequality, while spurring economic growth, all while tackling climate change and working to preserve the oceans and the forests too.

And nutrition and food security play a pivotal role in achieving all of these 17 development goals.

And based around these 17 goals, many are actually linked to our food systems, such as goal 2, which is zero hunger.

So that impacts on food security, improved nutrition, and sustainable agriculture.

Or goal 3, which is about good health and wellbeing.

Or goal 6, clean water and sanitation, or 12, responsible consumption and production.

Or goal 14, life below water, conserve and sustainably use.

And goal 15, life on the land, sustainable use and halt biodiversity loss.

And on a practical level, we can also use these to consider our own food choices too.

So how could these goals be used to make food decisions?

Well, go through the goals and think about how that impacts on you, or perhaps other people too.

This could something you could do with your teacher.

And sustainable food is produced and processed with care for the environment.

So for example, low carbon emissions and supporting biodiversity.

And biodiversity is important in growing food by promoting a healthy and balanced ecosystem.

So for example, encouraging insects and birds to live near fields, and these can help to keep pests under control and help to pollinate some crops too.

Also, reducing the amount of food wasted at each stage of the farm to fork journey has financial as well as environmental benefits.

So let's have a quick check, shall we?

So true or false?

Biodiversity is not important in growing food, only the plants growing are important.

Well, that's false, isn't it?

And why is that?

Well, biodiversity is important in growing food by promoting a healthy and balanced ecosystem.

So for example, this could be about encouraging insects and birds to live near fields, which can help keep pests under control.

Well done.

So changing the way that our food is grown and reared can help maintain or increase food production.

And this includes things like breeding crops that are resistant to extreme weather, or perhaps storing and managing water for using periods of drought or flooding, or perhaps rotating between animals and crops to improve the soil health and reducing fertilizer usage, or bringing animals inside during high temperatures, planting trees to provide shade to the animals, and also using new technologies to make farming more efficient too.

And farms can store some carbon in the soil and plants, and this can help remove some of the carbon from the atmosphere.

Now, how farmers using care for the land can also impact on how much carbon can be absorbed.

And to store more carbon, farmers can reduce plowing, improve soil health, and plant additional trees and hedgerows too.

However, the total amount of carbon that can be stored in farmland is often debated.

Now, in the UK, greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture has fallen by 12% in the last 20 years, but more work still needs to be done.

And emissions for cattle, dairy cows, and pigs have also decreased in this time too.

And new measures are being tried, such as altering animal feed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or increasing renewable energy uses too, such as wind and solar on farms.

And this switching to more sustainable methods of farming can also help to reduce its impact on the environment.

And these methods can include things like improving soil health, using organic fertilizers, such as manure, creating field margins in areas to increase biodiversity, growing trees and hedgerows to capture that carbon, as well as rotating animals and crops to improve the soil health and reduce fertilizer usage.

Okay, let's have a quick check, shall we?

So what's the missing word here in this sentence?

Yes, that's right, it's C.

Great work, well done.

So we've looked at farming on the land, but also in terms of our oceans and food, the UN has a Blue Transformation plan, which is all about realizing the potential of the oceans in supporting global food security.

And the focus is on fishing more sustainably and catching a wider variety of species for consumption.

And scaling up production of sustainable food from the oceans, rivers, and lakes, sometimes known as blue foods, is increasingly being recognized as an effective way to feed a growing global population and reduce the environmental impact of food production.

So let's have a quick check, shall we?

So the United Nations Blue Transformation initiative focus on which type of food system, A, B, or C?

B, that's right, well done.

Remember, it's the oceans, rivers, and lakes.

Okay, so I've got another task for you here, and I want you to think about what you've learnt in this part of the lesson and I want you to answer the following questions.

So there's four questions on the screen, I'm sure you're gonna do really well, and we'll come back very soon to see how you got on.

Remember to pause the video.

Okay, how did you get on?

Well, let's look at some example responses together for each of the four questions, shall we?

So the first one?

Well, these are a call for action by all countries, and there are 17 goals which seek to end poverty, improve health and education, and reduce inequality, all while tackling climate change and working to preserve the oceans and forests too.

How about the second one?

Well, biodiversity promotes a healthy and balanced ecosystem, encouraging insects and birds to live near fields, for example, and helping to keep pests under control and help to pollinate some crops too.

How about the third one?

Well, you could have put something like farmers can help to store carbon.

They can also breed crops that are resistant to extreme weathers, reduce fertilizer usage, and bring animals inside during high temperatures.

And the last one?

Well, yes, that's right.

This was all around the initiative to realize the potential of the oceans in supporting global food security, and it seeks to fish more sustainably, so no overfishing, for example, and catch a wider variety of fish for us to eat.

Brilliant, well done.

Now let's move on to the third part of the lesson all around more sustainable diets.

Now, the environmental impacts of different foods varies, but there are principles that can be followed for more sustainable diets.

And sustainable diets are good for the planet and also for health, balancing nutrition, environment, and socio-economic factors too.

And socio-economic factors include food security, having access to a safe, nutritious food, and the food should also meet the need for being active and having a healthy lifestyle.

And food security may be affected by economic factors, so the price of food going up, or perhaps physical factors, droughts and flooding destroying crops, or perhaps social factors that could be wars and conflict, which could affect our food security.

And food security is an increasing concern in the UK.

Now, a truly sustainable food should also be affordable, and there are many more niche and novel products that can be healthy and be produced more sustainably, but these might cost more money than less sustainable alternatives.

And for most consumers, price and taste are the first considerations when buying a food.

So therefore, even though it might be more sustainable, it might be more expensive, so therefore it will be bought less.

And some foods which are produced with more care for the environment are expensive to grow, which can increase costs for these producers, and this will make the food more expensive for the producers and the consumers.

And socio-economic factors also include food preferences of people, as some foods may not be culturally or religiously acceptable to all groups.

And some people may also be vegetarian or vegan, have allergies, or have other reasons why they don't want to eat certain foods.

These people still need access to a healthy diet that fulfills their needs.

And also we need to think about our food traditions, as these are recognized as an important part of food cultures around the world.

There's also social considerations in food production, and these might include things like the farmers and growers getting paid fairly, or perhaps safe labor practices, animal welfare, and the people living near crops where food is produced are not negatively affected, or perhaps the countries and areas that grow food are not exploited.

Okay, let's have a quick check for understanding, shall we?

So read the sentence and pick the missing word.

Yes, well done.

It's B, isn't it?

Socio-economic factors.

Well done.

Now, to have a healthy and more sustainable diet, it's recommended to do the following: follow the Eatwell Guide, get five a day, have a plant-rich diet, limit or omit foods which are high in fat, salt, and sugars, and reduce food waste too.

So let's have a look at each of these in a bit more detail, shall we?

So the Eatwell Guide, which I'm sure many of you are very familiar with now, shows which different groups of foods are needed in order to have a healthy and well-balanced diet.

And people should choose a variety of the different foods from each food group to help get a wide range of nutrients that the body needs.

And if everyone in the UK followed the Eatwell Guide, our diets would have a 32% lower environmental impact than they currently do.

Also, we should be eating our five portions of fruits and vegetables each day, and this variety is really important because different vegetables and fruits contain different nutrients in different amounts.

And in the UK, we're eating far less than the recommended five a day.

So only 9% of children aged 11 to 18 years and 17% of adults are actually meeting the five-a-day recommendation, so there's a lot of work that needs to be done.

And buying local fruits and vegetables can help to reduce the distance the food has traveled, sometimes known as food miles, and also can be more sustainable.

And also fruits and vegetables can be cheaper when it's in season, as there's more available.

We also talked about plant-rich diets, and generally, plant-rich diets are more sustainable than those diets which contain high amounts of meat and dairy.

Beans, peas, lentils are plant-based protein sources.

They're naturally low in fat and they're high in fiber, protein, with vitamins and minerals too.

And in our diets, we should look to diversify the different sources of protein, as shown in the Eatwell Guide.

Plus, we should also include some sustainable sources of fish in the diet.

Remember, at least two portions a week, one of which should be oily.

So let's have a quick check, shall we?

So which types of foods are we encouraged to eat more of for a healthier and more sustainable diet?

That's great.

Yes, A, beans.

Well done.

The other area we were looking at was foods high in fat, salt, and sugars, and these are generally a less sustainable option, and this is because of the high amount of energy required to actually produce, process, and transport the individual ingredients that make up the food.

And these foods are less healthy options and sit outside the Eatwell Guide, so if we do have them, they should be eaten infrequently and in small amounts.

The other area we looked at was food waste, and we know that 60% of food waste is in the home, and there are a number of strategies that can be used to reduce wastage.

For example, these might be buying loose fruits and vegetables so you only buy what you need, writing a shopping list of exactly what you need, serving the right portion size so food isn't wasted, freezing leftover ingredients for another time, or using leftover ingredients and dishes in other meals.

Also checking date mark labels so we use them within time so we don't have to throw them away, and also storing foods correctly too.

So true or false?

Foods that are high in fat, salt, and sugars are generally more sustainable options.

Well, that's false, isn't it?

And why is that?

Well, foods that are high in fat, salt, and sugars are generally less sustainable options because of the high amount of energy needs to process, produce, and transport the individual ingredients.

Great work, well done.

Okay, so I've got a task for you now, and based on the food challenges we face and the practical ways you can be more healthy and sustainable, I want you to plan meals for two days, justifying your decisions.

So good luck to you, and we'll come back very soon to see how you got on.

Pause the video.

Okay, so how did you get on?

Let's have a quick look, shall we?

So how about breakfast?

Well, we could have porridge with banana slices and apple juice from the UK, and a cup of tea too.

So oats are wholegrain and the skimmed milk is lower in fat.

Bananas and juice, two of my five a day, and less food miles because the apples are from the UK.

How about lunch?

Well, bean and pasta bake with salad, and yogurt with fruit and water.

Well, it's plant-rich with the beans.

We've got a starchy food too, having brown pasta for extra fiber.

And the beans, salad, and fruit, well, that's three of my five at day just at lunch.

And also I've got one drink too.

How about an evening meal?

Well, I've got baked mackerel fillets with new potatoes with the skin on and veggies too.

Well, this is one portion of my oily fish, and it's a more sustainable option too.

I've got a drink, I've got a starchy food too, the new potatoes, and I've left the skin on for extra fiber too.

Also, some of the veggies are from the pasta here too, helping to reduce food waste.

And how about snacks and drinks?

Well, hummus and crackers, some water, and a can of lemonade, sugar free.

Well, I've had three drinks here, that's made seven in a day.

Remember, it's between six and eight drinks a day.

Hummus, well, I'm saying it's a reduced fat version, and it's plant-based too, and I'm having wholegrain crackers for extra fiber.

Plus I've got no food or drink high in fat, salt, or sugars.

So I think I've done really well there for one day, but you had two days, and I'm sure you'll come up with some great answers for the second day too.

Brilliant work, well done to you.

Well, I really hope you enjoyed today's lesson, One planet, all around healthier and more sustainable diets.

Let's have a quick summary about what we've learnt, shall we?

Well globally, the food we eat is responsible for around 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions, 70% of freshwater usage, and 40% of all land.

We also know that climate change can cause extreme or unusual weather, which can affect our food production and impact on national and global food insecurity, and this puts pressure on our food systems.

Also, we know that in 2023, one in 11 people in the world is hungry, and our population is expected to reach 10 billion by 2050 and 50% more food will be needed.

And also we've looked at a number of different ways in which our food can be produced more sustainably, and that we also know that sustainable diets can be good for the planet and health, balancing nutrition, environment, and socio-economic factors too.

Well, it's been a great lesson, and I really hope you've enjoyed learning more about healthy and more sustainable diets and the issues we face on our one planet, and I hope you join me again for another cooking and nutrition lesson very soon.

Thanks a lot, bye!

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