14: Exercises

Visit a store and study the labels for one kind of processed food. List all of the additives it contains and research them at the library or on the Internet. Why was each substance included during the processing stage?
Create a brochure for tourists to explain the kinds of foods they can expect to encounter in one region of the world. Reference a few popular dishes and a few considerations they might need to keep in mind during their travels.
How can you move toward a more sustainable diet? Make a list of the kinds of changes you could make to the foods you choose and the ways you prepare them.

Create a short newsletter for parents explaining the value of home-cooked, family meals. Describe how sitting down together for a few meals each week can benefit different members of the family. You may also wish to include one or two tips that parents can use to encourage their children to make mealtimes a priority.
Plan a website that addresses the rising price of food around the world. Describe the look and focus of the main page, along with subsections that you will include. Also provide links to related material already available online.
Research one of the different cuisines described in this chapter, such as the Indian or Ethiopian diet. Explore the history of the diet, along with the climate, soil, and other factors that affect the foods that farmers grow and how consumers prepare them. Then create a report to explain your findings.

Write a short script for a public service announcement that explains the benefits and risks of food additives. What do you believe the public should know about the natural and synthetic substances that are introduced to foods during the processing stage?
Summarize in a written discussion why economic experts believe the era of cheap food is over. What factors have contributed to rising food prices around the globe?
Draw a comic strip that shows the different facets of a food system for a particular crop, from production to consumption.