GG102 Investigating the Cost of Food Instructions
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Wilfrid Laurier University *
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102
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Geography
Date
Apr 3, 2024
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© Catherine Reining 2023, Wilfrid Laurier University 1 Wilfrid Laurier University Department of Geography and Environmental Studies GG102 Lab #7 –
Investigating the Cost of Food in the Face of Uncertainty (March 4 –
7
th
) Please read through the lab instructions thoroughly before coming to lab. Be sure to complete any pre-
lab activities outlined in the “Before” section under “Lab Instructions” and bring all required materials needed with you to the lab. It is your responsibility to come to class prepared and ready to be an active learner! All the documents referred to below are posted in the content browser on MyLearningSpace under “Lab
Information & Assignments
”,” Lab #7
”.
Lab Overview:
Food is a great way to understand the importance of space and place. We can all identify with food –
everyone eats! The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a special agency of the United Nations (UN), defines a sustainable food system as a food system that delivers food security and nutrition for all in such a way that the economic, social, and environmental bases to generate food security and nutrition for future generations are not compromised. This means that: -
It is profitable throughout (economic sustainability), -
It has broad-based benefits for society (social sustainability), and -
It has a positive or neutral impact on the natural environment (environmental sustainability).
1
We want to ensure that the impacts of food system activities on the surrounding environment are neutral or positive, taking into consideration biodiversity, water, soil, animal and plant health, the carbon footprint, food loss and waste, and toxicity.
1 The food system is dynamic and highly integrated within other systems. It must be considered in the context of rapid population growth, urbanization, growing wealth, changing consumption patterns, and globalization.
1 Increased concerns related to the climate crisis and the state of the environment as well as the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the growing divide in equitable access to affordable and nutritious food on a global scale. But the question remains, how can we consume food sustainably? We can’t forget economic and social sustainability –
ensuring that everyone
is food secure. To address this question, we need to better understand where our food comes from, what influences food production/consumption, and what food security really means. In this lab, you will individually complete an active learning exercise, investigating the cost of food by doing some virtual grocery “shopping” and critically reflecting on the impacts to the global food system.
You will use this knowledge as a foundation to build on in your group presentation next week. 1
FAO. (2018). Sustainable food systems: Concept and framework. Retrieved from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization website http://www.fao.org/3/ca2079en/CA2079EN.pdf
© Catherine Reining 2023, Wilfrid Laurier University 2 Learning Outcomes: By the end of this lab, you will: 1.
Develop a better understanding of the agriculture and food system; 2.
Reflect on the complex relationship between agriculture, human interactions, and the environment; and 3.
Discover emerging opportunities and challenges at all scales, as it relates to food security. Materials Needed: Come prepared to your assigned lab section with the following materials and a positive attitude: •
Lab #7 Submission Template (
available on MyLS
) •
Grocery List (see instructions below) •
Bring your charged laptop to the lab. If you do not have a laptop, speak with your Lab Coordinator in advance. Lab Instructions: Before To prepare for Lab #7, please ensure you do the following before
coming to your lab session: •
Read these complete lab instructions thoroughly •
Download the Lab #7 Submission Template to your computer (available on MyLS)
•
Read the following three articles:
o
Edmiston, J. (2022).
What your fruit has been through: A green grape’s journey through a global supply chain on edge
. Retrieved February 2022, from the Financial Post website. o
Flanagan, R. (2020). $20 hamburgers and $2 bananas: The cost of food insecurity in Canada’s North.
Retrieved February 2022, from the CTV News website. o
Fraser, E., and Newman, L. (2021
) Food is poised to get a lot more expansive, but it doesn’t have to
. Retrieved February 2022, from The Conversation website.
•
Draft a grocery list ahead of time to save some time during the lab session (see instructions below)
•
Optional
: Listen to the Handpicked Podcast Ep. 1 –
Because Everybody Eats: Exploring Sustainable Food Systems for a Better World, located here: https://handpickedpodcast.libsyn.com/
During 1)
(~30 min) We will unpack sustainable food systems, paying particular attention to the human-
environment relationship. As a class, we will begin to examine changing food prices and the impacts these changes may have on food security, which you will build on in your assignment. 2)
(~10 min) We will dive into the assignment for Lab #7. Your Lab Coordinator will review the instructions for the active learning exercise and make a few general comments in preparation for the next lab.
3)
(~70 min) You will have the remaining time to work independently on your assignment, due at the end of the session.
Lab #7 is DUE at the END OF THIS LAB SESSION. See instructions for submitting your assignment below. __________________________________________________________________________________
© Catherine Reining 2023, Wilfrid Laurier University 3 LAB #7 –
TO BE SUBMITTED FOR GRADING Step 1: Draft a grocery list. Irrespective of your real-life living situation (i.e., in residence or your family home), imagine you are living on your own with a fully functioning kitchen and very bare cupboards. Y
ou are about to go to the grocery store to purchase one week’s worth of groceries for yourself (Only you. Do not factor in family, roommates, etc. into this equation). Write down a list of the ingredients you will need to prepare your meals for the week, don’t forget to include staples such as oil, salt, etc. Keep the following in mind while drafting your list: •
Include a minimum of 10 items •
Include a variety of items (i.e., fruits/vegetables, protein, grains, condiments, etc.) •
Follow your food preferences (i.e., vegetarian, gluten free, etc.) Be honest! Create a list based on meals you would actually eat and not what you think I want to see. If that includes a frozen pizza and bag of chips, so be it! Step 2: Answer the following questions. In the following questions, you will be asked to examine changing food prices and the impacts these changes may have on food security. Use the “Lab #7 Submission Template” to organize and submit your responses. Please read the instructions carefully. If you use external sources in this assignment you are expected to cite this material using APA referencing style with in-text citations and a reference list at the end. 1.
Using the table in the “
Lab #7 Submission Template,” list the items on your grocery list you created in Step 1. Navigate to Sobeys’
online grocery store, Voilà: https://voila.ca/ Use the search bar at the top of the page to go on your virtual “shopping” trip. For each product, record the brand, price, whether it’s on sale, and the original price if applicable, in the table. Choose the brand and quantity of products that you prefer to purchase. (12.5 marks, 0.25 marks per box)
2.
Reflect on the total cost of your food for one week. Are you surprised? Was it higher or lower than you expected? Do you think this is sustainable? Why or why not? Explain. (3 marks, 1 mark for stating your thoughts and 2 marks for explaining)
3.
How might food prices in southern Ontario compare to northern communities across Canada? Use external sources to support your response. (3 marks, 1 mark for identifying and 2 marks for support)
4.
With the United Nations now classifying more than 50% of the world’s population as “urban”
, urban agriculture is an increasingly important practice (i.e., home, community, & schoolyard gardens). Urban community gardens are gaining popularity to provide a source of fresh local food, help promote outdoor physical activity, and provide productive spaces for community members. Even Laurier’s Northdale campus in Waterloo has a Community Garden
. Identify and explain one reason you think community gardens are a feasible option for urban dwellers, and one reason they are not a feasible option. (
4 marks, 2 marks each for explaining why is/is not feasible)
After
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© Catherine Reining 2023, Wilfrid Laurier University 4 •
Use the research you submitted today to begin thinking about how you will present this to the rest of the class next week with your group members. Read the Lab #8 instructions when they become available for further details. Submitting Your Assignment: Lab #7 is DUE at the end of
your
assigned lab session THIS week of March 4, 2024 (E.g., If your lab session is scheduled for Monday from 9:30 –
11:20 am, your assignment is due on Monday at 11:30 am). You must submit your assignment as a
PDF
document to the M
y
LS Dropbox titled “
Lab #7: Investigating Food Prices
” by the end of
your
assigned lab session. You can submit
more than one file to the Dropbox. If you submit multiple versions of a document, the last version of the document submitted will be graded pending it is handed in by the deadline.
Late Assignments: Late submissions will not be accepted and result in a mark of zero. Assessment and Evaluation: In total, this lab is worth 5% of your final grade in this course. You will receive a mark out of 22.5, see the rubric below. You will receive an individual mark for this submission. You will earn up to 1% of your final grade for participation. To receive full participation marks this week, you must actively contribute to the class discussion. Note: Attendance alone is not participation.
Next Week: In Lab #8, you will continue to explore food security and work with your group members to create a short presentation that summarizes your research findings. Instructions for Lab #8 will be posted to MyLS by end of day on Thursday March 7, 2024.
© Catherine Reining 2023, Wilfrid Laurier University 5 GG102 INVESTIGATING FOOD PRICES GRADING RUBRIC Criteria Fails to Meet Expectations Needs Improvement Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations /3.15 Marks /6.25 Marks /9.75 Marks /12.5 Marks 1. Grocery Shopping Table Had difficulty in completing field notes; entries are of poor quality and not detailed; multiple spaces were left blank Produced a fair set of field notes; entries were of fair quality and not very detailed; some spaces were left blank Produced a comprehensive set of field notes; entries were of good quality and detailed; few spaces were left blank Produced an exceptional & comprehensive set of field notes; entries were of excellent quality and extremely detailed; no spaces were left blank /0.75 Marks
/1.5 Marks
/2.25 Marks
/3 Marks
2. Reaction to Food Prices Had great difficulty Identifying and explaining r
eactions
and likelihood of sustainability; poor quality and not detail, no reference to appropriate lab material Struggled to identify and explain r
eactions
and likelihood of sustainability; poor quality and somewhat detailed, some referencing to appropriate lab material Identified and explained r
eactions
and likelihood of sustainability; good quality and detail, referencing appropriate lab material Identified and explained r
eactions
and likelihood of sustainability; excellent quality and detail, referencing appropriate lab material /0.75 Marks
/1.5 Marks
/2.25 Marks
/3 Marks
3. Northern Communities Had great difficulty comparing potential outcomes; poor quality and not detail, no external sources Struggled to compare potential outcomes; poor quality and somewhat detailed, some external sources Able to compare potential outcomes; good quality and detail, use of external sources Able to compare potential outcomes; excellent quality and detail, good use of external sources /1 Mark
/2 Marks
/3 Marks
/4 Marks
4. Community Garden Had d
ifficulty in providing any reasons as to the feasibility of community gardens; answer was of poor quality and not detailed
Struggled to provide two or less reasons for the feasibility of community gardens; answer was of fair quality and somewhat detailed Provided two well-
thought and supported reasons for the feasibility of community gardens; answer was of good quality and detailed Provided two exceptionally well-
thought out and supported reasons for the feasibility of community gardens, excellent quality and very detailed
Total: /22.5 marks