RISE, A Modern Guide for the Purpose Driven Woman Spring 2014 | Page 41

5. Understand the importance of biodiversity. SeedMap.org is a website dedicated to seeds, biodiversity and food with an interactive map showing seed diversity around the world and a map of the origins of food.
6. Start a school campaign dedicated to food security issues. The World Food Programme
is partnering with eBay’s Giving Works project to raise money to provide healthy school meals to kids to raise money
to provide healthy school meals to kids in need. And Tesco’s Eat Happy Project tackles children’s diet-related health
problems and helps the next generation have a healthier and happier relationship with food through farm to fork trails,
teaching toolkits, and virtual field trips.
7. Start a family garden. Families can begin gardening on a small scale with herbs that can grow on the
windowsill. And when kids are involved in the process of planting, watering, harvesting, and preparing food with the
herbs they grow, they feel more connected to food.
8. Watch educational programmes. Catherine Gund’s What’s on Your Plate Project follows multiple kids
and their families in their journey to learn more about the food system. Along the way, they discover the importance
of being aware of what goes into food, where it comes from, and who creates it.
9. Include kids in meal planning. Family trips to the grocery store and farmer’s market will provide a
learning experience outside of the home and the classroom. Creating shopping lists together will help children read
and develop organizsational skills. They can also learn how to categorise food and at the grocery store they’ll be able to
interact with fruits and vegetables, work out how many are necessary for a meal, identify colours, and touch and feel
the food.
10. Establish family meal times. Sharing meals as a family fosters better communication skills and a
stronger sense of belonging, according to a study by North Dakota State University. A University of Florida study
found that eating together at mealtimes builds stronger family bonds, reduces the likelihood of obesity, and increases
the likelihood that each family member is getting a nutrious, balanced diet.
Danielle Nierenberg is the president of Food Tank: The Food Think Tank; Sarah Small is a research associate with Food
Tank.