WEEK 1: INTRO TO FOOD SYSTEMS

Question 1

What is the global food system?

Answer 1

• examines how specific parts of a food system affects and is affected by the whole system

Question 2

What is a food system?

Answer 2

a set of interconnections/interactions between things within the wider food system, defiend and focused on for a specific purpose

Question 3

The Food System: Actors and activities

Answer 3

• Influences (climate change/demand) affect activities (production, distribution)
• inputs (land/labour) –> affect activities –> affect outcomes (health/food waste)

Question 4

What is a food systems approach?

Answer 4

• ways of breaking down the food system and specifics
• understanding causes/solutions to food problems
• thinking about all actors and activities in motion

Question 5

What are feedback loops?

Answer 5

• causation is circular
• EX: activities release greenhouse emissions –> drives climate change –> affects emissions –> back to step 1
• feedback loops can reinforce change, resist it, or maintain stabiltity

Question 6

What are trade-offs and synergies?

Answer 6

• synergy between objectives like a decrease in food waste can reduce resource use and increase amount of food for consumption

Question 7

What are drivers of change?

Answer 7

• parts of the external environment which affect a system over time are able to affect functioning and outcomes
• examples = climate change, pop. growth, social attitudes

Question 8

What is the scale effect?

Answer 8

• systems contain sub-systems which contain sub-systems

- interactions across different scales can lead to local changes, changes in one location may affect distant locations

Question 9

Trends in our food consumption

Answer 9

• globalized food = comes from various places
• corporate food = who grows/sells what you eat
• standardized food = limits choices
• processed food = corn/soy
• disconnected food = between farmer and consumer

Question 10

Why do we eat what we eat?

Answer 10

• choice editing
• brands and labels
• food marketing
• shelving and data tracking (rewards/loyalty tracking)

Question 11

What is ethical consumerism?

Answer 11

• if consumers are aware and responsible, they have power to change the food system
• animal welfare, labour conditions, environment

Question 12

What is reflexive consumerism?

Answer 12

• being aware/critical of your consumption practices and how the system influences what we eat
• ask yourself if these are your best choices?

Question 13

Key parts of food marketing towards youth

Answer 13

• only market unhealthy/sugary foods
• bright colours, characters, lifestyles
• 90% of marketing is high in fat, salt, sugar