Facing Our Future #2: What To Eat
Introduction:
What's your favourite fruit and why?
Food is wonderful, right? It's so much more than simply sustenance. We have so much to be grateful for.
Reflection:
Why do you buy the food you buy? Rank in order which are most important to you from 1 to 12, one being the most important.
Fair Trade
Boycotting
Plastic Packaging
Animal Welfare
Climate Impact
Health
Cost
Zero Waste
Organic
Brand
Locally grown and food miles
What you and the family prefer
There are no right and wrong answers. In fact, it was amazing how different the choices were of those present at the second Facing Our Future session.
Professor Paul Behrens on Food Security
In The People's Emergency Briefing film, food expert Behrens warns that accelerating climate change & nature loss pose a serious threat to global food supplies and UK food security.
The key takeaways
The UK imports 40% to 50% of its food, leaving it heavily exposed to extreme weather shocks and harvest failures in key growing regions across the world.
Estimates show that approximately one-third of recent food price inflation in the UK was caused by climate-related weather extremes.
Unpredictable multi-region crop failures will result in empty supermarket shelves, long queues and potential civil unrest.
Behrens believes that the solution lies in reducing food waste, improving local production resilience, and shifting toward plant-rich diets.
Discussion
It's scary. But what can we each do to play our part in moving towards a more sustainable future? (for me at this point, I committed to looking into establishing a community garden in my neighbourhood).
What stops people/us making plant-based choices?
Should we be preparing for food shortages? Is stockpiling a positive action we can take?
Walking Meditation
Notice how you're feeling without trying to change it.
As you walk, reflect on the solid earth beneath your feet that also gives life to all the food we eat.
Consider the invisible network behind that food.
The sunlight, the rain, and the soil.
The farmers, the workers, everyone who worked to bring this food to your table.
Imagine the energy of the food you have eaten moving through your body, turning into fuel, vitality, and health.
Thank yourself for taking this time to connect your steps, your body, and your sustenance.
