Getting Started With the 2015 Food Scarcity Scenario

Transcription

1 Getting Started With the 2015 Food Scarcity Scenario Provided by the GE2 Teacher Resources Team Summer 2015

2 Getting Started with GE Simulation: Food Scarcity and Security Table of Contents 1. Welcome.2 2. Strategies for Preparing for the 2015 Simulation Topic: Food Scarcity and Security The 2015 Scenario in a Nutshell.4 4. Common Topic and Concept List List of Countries in GE Reports and Articles to Help Frame the Scenario..10 Getting Started with the 2015 GE2 Simulation Guidebook 1

3 1. Welcome Welcome to the 2015 GlobalEd 2 scenario! We developed this document to help our teachers get acquainted with the new topic for this year, international food scarcity and security. With complex issues surrounding famine, drought, food distribution, and agricultural processes around the world, this year is certainly poised to generate excellent discussion and research among the GE2 students. We hope that you enjoy the summer PD workshop that we have arranged for you, as well as the time that you will have with your students this fall in researching this topic. We have found that the depth of this topic provides many interesting questions that there are no easy answers to, which is perfect for a GE2 simulation. In this packet, you will find a variety of resources to help frame your thinking and learning about the new scenario topic. First, in Section 2, we have written to you about a set of strategies that we have used as a staff to learn about the new food related topics associated with this year s simulation. We are newbies to this topic, so we had to start from scratch in developing resources for teachers and students. This is how problem based learning works, so it has been exciting to see how much we learned in just a short amount of prep time! We hope you have the same exciting results in the coming weeks. In Section 3, we provide you an abridged version of the scenario that your students will receive. The final version of the scenario is not yet finished in consultation with our food scarcity and agricultural experts, so we are providing you a smaller version to help you prepare in advance of the fall. In Section 4, we provide a common list of terms and issues that we have encountered multiple times in our research. With each term, we provide a definition and a reason for why we think it is important to be aware of. You may find this useful in conducting your research as a list of keywords, or for using with your students when questions about what some of these issues mean arise. In Section 5, we list the countries that will be active in next years simulation. Although we are not assigning countries to classrooms yet, it is good to be aware of the regional and geographic breakdown of which countries will be participating. Finally, in Section 6, we provide excerpts from some specific reports, articles and websites that we have found helpful in guiding our research and thought on learning about the scenario topic. This includes some Wikipedia pages that were really helpful in providing an overview on how concepts and issues fit together in a complex system (in other words, Wikipedia is really useful when first learning about some topics!). We hope that this curated collection of articles is useful to you on your journey of finding resources that will guide you and your students in the 2015 simulation. Thank you again for joining us for the 2015 simulation! If you have any questions or needs, please contact the GE2 staff at any time at globaled2@gmail.com! Best of luck in the simulation, Scott Brown Kim Lawless GE2 Co Director GE2 Co Director Getting Started with the 2015 GE2 Simulation Guidebook 2

4 2. Strategies for Preparing for the 2015 Simulation Topic: Food Security and Scarcity The food scarcity topic is new for us all, staff and teachers included. For this year, we thought we would share some of the tricks and processes we went through as a staff to learn about food scarcity around the world and about the various things that influence or are influenced by it. A. Keywords. First, here are some keywords that we used on the Internet to find resources. food security chronic hunger food safety malnutrition international hunger food technology genetically modified seeds right to eat [individual country names/regions] + keywords biotechnology land resources food prices food crisis global warming agribusiness biodiversity seed copyright seed patent B. Places to Look. Second, here are some places that we used or stumbled on that we found valuable. Search Engines (use keywords) Google, YouTube, Twitter News outlets that do more documentary style feature reporting National Geographic Discovery Channel Organizations, charities, and NGOs FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization) WFP (World Food Programme) WHO (World Health Organization) World Bank No Patents on Seeds World Food Center at UC Davis Oxfam WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) Technology news and reports. Here are our suggestions for well curated, not too dense technology reporting sites. MIT Technology Review Ars Technica SciDev.Net Getting Started with the 2015 GE2 Simulation Guidebook 3

5 3. The 2015 Scenario in a Nutshell Much like last year, your students will be receiving a scenario to guide their research and negotiation. This year s scenario topic will be on international food scarcity involving GlobalEd 2 countries that have been pre selected. Although the full scenario is a separate document, we provide below an abridged version of the scenario to help you prepare. With this, you can search for resources and get ready for working with your students in September. The full version of the scenario will be placed on the PD website, student website ( student.globaled2.com ), and teacher website ( teacher.globaled2.com ). ********* Abridged 2015 GE2 Scenario: International Food Scarcity The Task: Food security is the focus of the GlobalEd 2 Food Resources Simulation. During the simulation you will play the roles of a science advisor and a diplomat at the same time while representing your country at a diplomatic summit taking place in the summer of As a science advisor to your country, you are tasked with making sure that the negotiations being conducted during the simulation offer realistic and practical solutions to the various problems you will come across. Negotiations will take place across the following four issue areas: (a) International Economics, (b) Global Environment, (c) Global Health, and (d) Human Rights. You are responsible for contributing to the discussion occurring within the issue areas to which you have been assigned around the topics referenced in the scenario document below. It is important to remember that the opinions and policies you express in your issue area must be consistent with those offered by the representatives of your country representing the other issue areas. This is important because each country needs to speak with one voice, not 4 or 25. Topics related to food scarcity: In 1996, responding to the persistence of widespread hunger, government representatives from all around the world meet at The World Summit on Food Security to discuss how to achieve food security. The Rome Declaration on World Food Security and the World Food Summit Plan of Action ( ) were adopted during the Summit by governments pledging to reduce by half the number of undernourished people in the world by During the Summit, food security was defined: Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. There are four parts of food security: (a) food availability, (b) economic and physical access to food, (c) food utilization, and (d) food stability. The food supply system impacts food security. Food production is key to food availability and stability, for example, and, processing and distribution affect access and even utilization. We will also talk about the production, processing and distribution parts of the food supply chain. Food production is necessary for ensuring there is enough food for everyone to eat. Food production includes the gathering, catching, growing, and harvesting of crop based food products as well as food products that come from animals ( i4136e.pdf ). Food production is an important aspect of the food systems because the world s population is expected to reach 9 billion by As such, a Getting Started with the 2015 GE2 Simulation Guidebook 4

6 significant amount of additional crop based food, fish and livestock food products will need to be produced Food undergoes different degrees of food processing. Unlike minimally processed foods, processed foods such as flours, oils and sweeteners are vastly different from their original raw form. Processed foods can be fortified with nutrients to prevent nutrient deficiencies. They can also be transported over long distances. Many factors have allowed for the distribution of food to far away places including food processing, refrigerated transportation and free trade. Food distribution contributes to food availability and access. However, proper infrastructure is necessary for distribution and many of the places facing food insecurity lack such infrastructure. Nutrition is also an important factor at play with international food scarcity. Malnutrition includes both under nourishment and over nourishment, as well as micronutrient deficiencies. Under nourishment occurs when there is a lack of calories available to the body and/or a lack of micronutrients essential vitamins and minerals. Although under nourishment occurs worldwide, 791 million of the 805 million hungry people today live in developing countries (FAO, IFAD and WFP, 2014, p. 8). The World Food Programme (WFP) states that two thirds of the total population in Asia is hungry and one in four people in sub Saharan Africa are hungry (WFP, Hunger Statistics). If you eat a healthy, well balanced and diverse diet, such as the one suggested by the WHO or My Plate, you will likely receive the necessary micronutrients. Food products can be also be fortified with these micronutrients to address deficiencies as well. However, addressing the issues underlying the persistence of malnutrition is essential to achieving food security. Food safety also impacts health. Unsafe food that is contaminated with bacteria, viruses and/or chemicals at any point during the supply chain can cause illness and even death and effects food utilization (John Hopkins University, Food Safety, p.1). According to the WHO, Unsafe food creates a vicious cycle of disease and malnutrition (WHO, 2015, Food Safety Factsheet Webpage). This is because the body cannot fight off diseases as well when it is malnourished. Getting Started with the 2015 GE2 Simulation Guidebook 5

7 4. Common Topic and Concept List In this section, we have collected some of the top topics that we think your students will encounter, along with a brief description of why we think it will be important during the simulation. Food Security Food Security exists when all people have constant access to a sufficient amount of safe, nutritious food to be able to live a healthy and active life. Food security is the main theme of the GlobalEd 2 scenario. Health and Nutrition A steady sources of food and proper nutrients in a diet are necessary for avoiding malnutrition and chronic hunger. Nutrients are elements in food, such as carbohydrates and proteins, that help bodies function. Good nutrition helps people stay healthy. Food security plays a major role in maintaining good health and proper nutrition for people around the world. Chronic Hunger/Famine Chronic hunger are undernourished, not enough food is eaten in order for the people to lead active lives. People who suffer from chronic hunger and more susceptible to diseases and infections. Famine is a widespread occurrence where people do not have enough food to survive. Achieving global food security will help eliminate these problems. Methods for Enhancing Health and Nutrition There are ways to produce food that is more nutritious. This will help to improve food security around the world as it will help to combat chronic hunger. Land, Environment, and Climate Land, the environment, and climate are all integral to food security and production. Land resources and a clean environment are important to cultivating crops. A region s climate and its changes affects what is able to grow in that location Climate Change Climate change around the world has affected farming as regional climates have shifted. Increases in temperature and extreme precipitation can affect crop yields. This affects food security by affecting crop production. Food Safety Food safety is not only if a food is poisonous or not, but also how it is handled so it is prevented from becoming contaminated with harmful bacteria. It is important to maintain food safety in a global food trade as food borne illnesses still affect thousands of people around the world. Getting Started with the 2015 GE2 Simulation Guidebook 6

8 Genetic Modification Genetic modification is a type of biotechnology when the genes of a plant are altered. This may be done to help a plant grow in unfavorable growing conditions, or to help a plant be resistant to a chemical or disease, or possibly to help increase crop yields. Genetic modification is highly debated around the world in political and agricultural settings. Resources needed for Production Food production requires various resources, and different crops use different resources. Resources available in a region or country which determines which crops can be produced in that area. As climate changes in different regions these resources vary and affect crop production. Methods for Distribution Many people s diets have shifted from locally produced foods to foods grown all around the world. Safely distributing food is important as well as developing efficient means of transporting it around the world. Equitably distributing food helps to achieve global food security. Methods for Production These are methods farmers employ to produce nutritious food, increase crop yields, or adjust to climate change. These often employ biotechnology through genetic modification or new farming techniques. These can increase food security in a region. Economics and Trade A country s economy affects food security. Many developing countries practice subsistence farming or rely on cash crops in order to import food. With unstable food prices, these are not economically stable practices and affect food security. Politics and Policies Politics and policies in individual countries determine local laws and agricultural policies. They also impact copyright and intellectual property, as well as trade and economics. Politics and policies can impact food production, which impacts food security. International Relations As the world becomes a global community and food trade reaches a global status, relationships between countries are important in regulating trade and food production. International relations are also connected to politics and policies on a global scale. Human Rights Human rights are essential rights guaranteed to every human. The United Nations as well as several countries recognize a right to food as a basic human right and address the issue as such. Getting Started with the 2015 GE2 Simulation Guidebook 7

9 Copyright and Intellectual Property Copyright and Intellectual Property in agriculture often involves biotechnology, such as genetically modified seeds. The laws regarding this have become more debated because of the rise of genetic modification of plants. Social Movements Social movements are a type of group action that works to take action on a specific political or social issue. They are important in GE2 as social movements have a large impact on issues such as climate change and genetic modification. Getting Started with the 2015 GE2 Simulation Guidebook 8

10 5. List of countries in GE For an interactive map of GE2 countries plus information about each country, visit the country map at the following locations: 1. Student website (scenario country profiles map), student.globaled2.com 2. Teacher website (resources country profiles map), teacher.globaled2.com 3. On your ipads as an app (takes you directly to the map, on both teacher and student ipads) Countries in the 2015 Simulation Australia Indonesia Spain Bangladesh Iran Sudan Brazil Japan Saudi Arabia Chad Mexico South Africa China The Netherlands Tajikistan Egypt Nigeria Turkey France Peru United States India Russia Uzbekistan Getting Started with the 2015 GE2 Simulation Guidebook 9

11 6. Reports and Articles to Help Frame the Scenario Included here is an executive summary from a recent report from the FAO on food scarcity. We found this useful in framing the scenario for us. In addition, here are some additional resources and databases that we found helpful when learning about international food scarcity: FAO Report on the state of food security worldwide (we included the executive summary on the following pages for ease of reading): Website: PDF of the full report: i4646e.pdf FAO Country profiles related to food: Participant countries in World Food Programme: World Bank overview of food security: Understanding copyright and patents: Getting Started with the 2015 GE2 Simulation Guidebook 10

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