Objectives

With this tool, students are expected to: 

- Become aware of food waste at all stages of food production from manufacturer to consumer

- Analyse and produce statistic to engage people to stop wasting food

- Examine the food waste in local food stores to become aware of the amount of wasted food and the possibilities to decrease the waste

- Produce and distribute dishes made of wasted food from the local food stores

- Become aware of ideas to reduce their personal waste of food and are able to argue about their willingness to change behaviour and the additional effect

Activity details

Material: 

Video clip and websites/handouts where the students can find information about food waste - nationally and globally. 

A computer programme to produce Infographics/diagrams

Access to local food stores

Access to a school kitchen with big pots and if possible juicers, bowls and cutlery to serve the produced food 

Video clip and websites/handouts with inspiration on how to decrease personal food waste as well as facts and numbers about food waste. 

Duration:

4 x 90 minutes

Lesson 1

Module: 90 minutes

Introduce the term 'food waste' and focus on the three different types of food waste: food waste, hidden food waste and residual production. 

Use video clip and websites/handouts where the students can find information about food waste - nationally and globally.

The students examine simple numbers that are part of the description of the amount of food waste on local, national or international level. The students produce an infographic with a simple and plain diagram and a slogan, which animates an understanding of the big amount of food waste in one of the stages of food production (from manufacturer to consumer). 

The students show their infographic to another group and receive feedback. The students finalize their infographics and hang them on the wall.  

Examples:

https://www.valuewalk.com/2017/06/food-waste/ 

https://foodsecurityfoodjustice.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/food-waste-infographic.png 

Website, Danish: 

https://astra.dk/sites/default/files/2015-06-08_bliv_klog_paa_baeredygtighed_og_mad.pdf 

P. 15-17

https://www.stopspildafmad.dk/madspildital.html 

Website, English:

https://stopwastingfoodmovement.org/food-waste/food-waste-facts/ 

DK: Movie about global food waste:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKGjEndEhgg  

Lesson 2

Introduction: 

• Is it possible to produce delicious food from food waste? 

• Some food stores tries to minimize their waste of food: https://www.tvsyd.dk/artikel/kristian-bekaemper-madspild-og-hjaelper-udsatte 

• When are food products unsuitable for human consumption? (Be aware of mould that increase the risk of getting cancer.)

• The students will purchase discarded food products in stores and ask the store about their strategy for less food waste. The collected products will be placed in the classroom. 

• The students will make suggestions on what to produce with the collected items. 

This process is important, as it increases the students' feeling for the project. 

(It is always a good idea to produce soup. Buy some additional bouillon and cream, which will guarantee that the students will eat the food. The wasted fruit is perfect for smoothies.)

• Begin to prepare the food. 

Module: 90 minutes

• Prepare the dish.

• The students eat the dish and/or share it with other students on the school. The food could also be saved for a future event. 

  
  

module: 90 minutes 

How do we reduce food waste in the individual housekeeping? 

The students are encouraged to give the speech at home. 

Activity sheets: 

Limit your familiy's waste of food.  

Link for inspiration to reduction of food waste:

https://stopwastingfoodmovement.org/food-waste/avoid-food-waste-traps/

Tips for the teacher

Food stores are contacted before the course to make sure it will be possible for the students to purchase food products. An agreement is made regarding a short interview about what the store is doing to reduce food waste. The agreement will also indicate whether the students will pick up the food products themselves or if a teacher will accompany them. 

(It is our experience in Denmark that food stores are more than willing to participate)

Plan the process in accordance with the age of the students and the stores' willingness to participate. Older students are able to contact the stores themselves. 

If the store cannot provide food products, you can make an agreement with the store to tell a group of students what the store usually do with the discarded food. 

The class can arrange an event for their parents, where the students serve the prepared food and give their speeches/display their speeches to their parents. 

Debriefing

Do a brainstorm on: 

What has the students learned? – new knowledge

How will they act differently in the future and how will they act when they get a housekeeping themselves? 

Follow-up/Inspiration for the future

Next step could be:

Examination of food waste at the local school

Engage pupils and employees to minimize the daily waste of food. 

What is a "dumpster-diver"? What is allowed and what is not allowed? Why do it? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVztsNjxa0s 

Annex 1

Limit your families waste of food