Assignment: FoodPrint Analysis

                                                                                                              Assignment: FoodPrint Analysis

 

Assignment: FoodPrint Analysis

 

Objectives:This Assignment addresses the following CCO objectives:2. Present environmental information using effective written and/or oral communications3. Describe, numerically and graphically, various presentations of data6. Describe conditions that promote various ecosystems and appraise the impacts of human endeavors on them7. Find, evaluate, use and cite variety of informational resources relevant to environmental science9. Describe the impact human activities had on natural systems10. Evaluate a range of cultural and social approaches to environmental problems 13. Assess the effect and importance of individual behavior on environmental issues18. Develop informed views based on critical evaluation of information sources19. Engage in problem solving of environmental issuesDue Date: September 12, 2017 at 11:59pm Credit: This activity is worth 50 points, see Rubric for details.A FoodPrint (food footprint) is the ecological footprint of the food we eat based on the way it is raised and brought to market.  It includes the land area necessary
for the production of the food and in the case of livestock, the production of the feed for those animals. For seafood it includes the oceans/lakes/rivers required to
produce the food items. It also includes a measure of the land necessary to absorb the wastes produced in the production of the food, the manure, carbon dioxide (CO2)
from transportation, landfill space from packaging, etc. (EP@W, 2008)Complete the activities below and submit your findings in a Word document attached to the Assignment in Blackboard. Be certain to properly cite your sources in APA or
CSE (Name, Year) format with a full references list at the end of your submission.
Part 1: Estimate your current Food Footprint (10 points)• Go to http://myfootprint.org/en/ • Start the calculations for your ecological footprint by selecting your language and country (USA).• Give a little background information about your socioeconomic status. This information will remain private, but is necessary for the calculations. • Be sure to add your CCBC Student email as you will need this later in the assignment.• Now skip ahead in the calculator to the Food Footprint calculator (you can go back and complete the carbon calculations later).
DO NOT PAY TO TAKE THE QUIZ Use the following values when prompted to log in:E-mail: eshrader@ccbcmd.eduPassword: 5coj855RRecord your personal Food Footprint in global acres as well as the Country average.
Answer the following questions in a brief (2-3 sentences) paragraph:How does your Food Footprint compare to the national average? What are ways that you could reduce your Food Footprint? (Be certain to cite your sources and use Standard Written English in your response.)
Part 2: Your Personal Food Diary (10 points)Choose a typical day in your week, one where you are working or attending school. Make a complete list of the items you eat & drink throughout that day. Create a table
to help you organize your foods.List the food item and try to identify the actual amount of each food that you have consumed (including calories). Include the ingredients.  Your food diary should
include a minimum of 5 items and/or between 1000-2000 calories.* There are a number of widely available apps for estimating the amount and caloric content of your
food.This is an EXAMPLE of what Table 1 should look like:Food Item Amount (g) Ingredients:Granola bar 42g, 190 calories whole grain oats, sugar, canola oil, dark chocolate chips (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, natural
flavor), roasted peanuts, yellow corn flour, soy flour, peanut butter, brown sugar syrup, honey, salt, natural flavor, soy lecithin, baking soda (package listing)apple Medium ~50g, 75 calories apple, MacintoshSkim milk French Vanilla Swirl Iced Macchiato 24fl oz, 240 calories Skim Milk; Brewed Espresso Coffee; French Vanilla Flavored Swirl Syrup: Sweetened Condensed
Skim Milk, Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Salt.(Dunkindonuts.com, 2017)*If you are under the care of a physician and have a calorie restricted diet please contact your instructor prior to turning in your Assignment for further
instructions. **Note that this is a SAMPLE, you must have at least 5 items and at least 1000 calories listed.Be certain to properly cite your sources in APA or CSE (Name, Year) format with a full references list at the end of your submission.Sample References List:Dunkindonuts.com. Iced Macchiato. Accessed on May 26, 2017. Available at: https://www.dunkindonuts.com/en/food-drinks/iced-drinks/iced-macchiato
Part 3: FoodPrint Analysis (20 points)Now that you have taken a long, hard look at the foods you actually eat, let’s identify the impacts of these foods on our planet and your health.  Generally the less a
food has to travel, the less CO2 is produced. Foods produced by large, industrial farming practices tend to use more fertilizer, water, and pesticides. Fresh,
sustainably grown, organic and local foods tend to have better nutrition than highly processed items.Read the article, Food’s Carbon Footprint from nutritionist Jane Richards at GreenEatz.com (http://www.greeneatz.com/foods-carbon-footprint.html) For each item in your Food Diary: – identify if this is a whole or a processed food – was the food organically or industrially grown; include the evidence you have to support this. – was the food item locally grown; include the evidence you have to support this.    (Locally grown means planted/harvested or raised within 100miles of where you live.) – estimate the carbon foot print for this item; you must cite the sources you use to make these estimates- is there a lower carbon footprint alternative available? If so, describe it.This is an EXAMPLE of what Table 2 should look like:Food Item Whole/Processed Organic/Industrial Local? Carbon footprint (g CO2e) Lower carbon alternative?Granola bar Processed Industrial No 140 (1) Locally grown oatmeal Apple Whole Organic (label) Yes (farmers market) 130 (2) NoneDunkin Iced Coffee Processed Industrial No 340 (3) Water from the tap **Note that this is a SAMPLE, you must complete Table 2 for each item in Table 1.Be certain to properly cite your sources in APA or CSE (Name, Year) format with a full references list at the end of your submission.Sample References List: (Numbers are used here because the (name,year) does not fit in the table.)1. Bon Appétit Management Company 2007. Eat Low Carbon. Accessed on May 26, 2017. Available at: http://www.eatlowcarbon.org/food-scores/2. CleanMetrics. 2011. Food Carbon Emissions Calculator. Accessed on May 26, 2017. Available at: http://www.foodemissions.com/foodemissions/Calculator.aspx 3. McColl, S. n.d. Coffee’s Invisible Carbon Footprint. Accessed on May 26, 2017. Available at:https://www.ecowatch.com/coffees-invisible-carbon-footprint-1882175408.html
Part 4: Conclusions (10 points)Please respond to each of the questions below in a short essay (2-3 paragraphs) which uses Standard Written English and is properly cited in APA or CSE (Name, Year)
format.• What have you learned about your personal FoodPrint from this activity?• What factors contribute most to your food choices?• What impacts would be reduced buying more local foods?• Would you be willing to make changes to your diet based on these results? Why or why not?• What resources exist to enable you to purchase local, whole foods in Baltimore? Provide at least two (2) locations where you could purchase these foods.• Describe any programs that exist in our area that would enable you to get better access to healthy food choices. (This will require research; be sure to cite
your sources.)

 

Resources:EP@W Publishing, LTD. Sustainable Food: Food footprint – what it means. Accessed on May 26, 2017.Available at: http://sustainablefood.com/Foodfootprint-What.htm
Richards, Jane. N.d. Food’s Carbon Footprint. Accessed on May 26, 2017 Available at: http://www.greeneatz.com/foods-carbon-footprint.html