Educational scenario
Agriculture and climate change
“Over the last few decades we have created a food production bubble – one based on environmental trends that cannot be sustained, including over-pumping aquifers, over-plowing land, and overloading the atmosphere with carbon dioxide. ”
Agriculture is highly exposed to climate change, as agricultural and livestock activities are directly dependent on climatic conditions. The most common climate changes impact on agricultural activity are: floods, droughts, new pests, pathogens, weed problems and others.
In turn, agricultural activity contributes to climate change by releasing two powerful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere: methane and nitrous oxide.
Threats and adaptation at local level
Agriculture, livestock and fisheries are the main sources of food and other resources. They are also important sectors of the global economy, providing income for over 1 billion people worldwide.
Discuss with students how climate change may affect food production in your region, answering the questions:
- What are the main agricultural activities in the area?
- What proportion (approximately) of the population is engaged in agricultural activity?
- What climate changes have been observed in recent years?
- Is your area prone to extreme weather events (droughts, heat waves, floods, storms, etc.)?
- How does climate change affect agriculture, livestock or fisheries?
- Are climate change adaptation actions being taken in the area in terms of agricultural activity? What kind? (The answer to this question can be sought with the help of previously conducted conversations with specialists and representatives of local authorities.)
Raising livestock requires large amounts of energy, water and feed. However, cows, sheep and goats are also "guilty" of something else: they produce a lot of methane gas. These ruminants have a special stomach in which food is digested better with the help of bacteria. Unfortunately, this process is accompanied by the release of a lot of methane, which is a powerful greenhouse gas. Manure from ruminants also contains large amounts of methane.
Overall, methane emissions from livestock account for about 80 percent of agricultural methane and 35 percent of total human methane emissions. Scientists are trying to change the diet of ruminants so that they emit less methane. Technologies have been developed to recycle cow manure and use the released methane to produce energy to power farms.
Present to the students and discuss Worksheet “Vegetarianism and Еnvironment".
Plan daily menu that doesn’t require a lot of energy, such as cooking local vegetarian food with as few packaged and processed products as possible.
Choose your favorite food and do research to find out how much and what kind of energy is used to produce it. Compare students' research findings. Whose favorite food is "hungriest" energetically? Prepare a list of all foods in ascending order according to their energy consumption. Do your findings make you want to change some eating habits?
How would you comment on the thought of Lisa Kemmerer (an American scientist, Environmental Ethics and Dietary Choice)?
“Animal agriculture causes more environmental damage than any other industry, but it makes no sense to hate bovines with hamburger in hand. Cheap meat, dairy, and eggs are an illusion–we pay for each with depleted forests, polluted freshwater, soil degradation, and climate change."
Vegetarianism and Еnvironment
A farmer (also known as husbandman or agronomist) grows crops or raises animals. Different types of farmers produce different food products that are essential to human existence.
Discuss with the students the information provided in Worksheet “Profession Farmer". How would you comment on the impact of agricultural activity on the environment?
Profession Farmer
Present the video "Challenges to Agriculture and Climate Change" to the class. Discuss the following questions:
- What are the four main factors which food production depends on (temperature, water, extreme natural events and carbon dioxide)?
- How does rising temperature affect crop production (initially productivity increases but then rapidly declines)?
- How does the increase in temperature affect domestic animals (more difficult pregnancy, less milk yield, more difficult products transportation to the market)?
- Who benefits from warmer temperatures (parasitic insects and disease vectors)?
- How does drought affect agricultural activity (lower productivity and more parasites)?
- How can sea level rise affect agricultural land in close proximity to the sea coast (soil salinization)?
- How do extreme weather events affect the soil (increased erosion)?
- What is the role of increased amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (on the one hand – more intensive development of plant production, on the other – faster growth of weeds along with the onset of invasive, atypical species for the area)?
The food path
Trace the path of bread presented in Worksheet “Tracing the path of food". Brainstorm and in similar way trace the processes that meat, vegetables, butter and water go through to reach the sandwich we consume.
Tracing the path of food
You are the mayor of a small town in a mountainous area. Under a funding program of the European Union, it is possible to receive funds for the development of agriculture. What would you decide:
- You will encourage the creation of modern sheep farms;
- You will encourage artificial cultivation of plants and herbs;
- You will support companies growing raspberries and blackberries;
- You will be interested in more drought-resistant agricultural practices, given climate change;
- You will call a team of consultants to propose appropriate solutions;
- Other.
Climate changes, the use of agrochemicals, and a number of other agricultural practices are believed to be responsible for the alarming decline in bee populations worldwide. Familiarize yourself with the model story “Bees and agriculture" and discuss the issues raised in it.
Required time – 30 minutes.
Bees and agriculture
Bees and agriculture
Organize a role-play based on the model story “Bees and agriculture" in which several volunteers take on the roles of:
- 1 representative of the local authority,
- 2-3 farmers,
- 2-3 beekeepers,
- 1-2 environmentalists,
- all the other are residents of the settlement in an agricultural area where bees are raised.
In advance, give the volunteers the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the model story, as well as to search for additional information on the Internet about the dangerous decline in the bee population.
Organize the role-play as a public debate between the parties, where local residents have the opportunity to take a stand and ask questions.
What feelings arise in the class after the role play is over? Share them with others.
Required time – 30 minutes.
Bees and agriculture
Stubble burning
The burning of dry vegetation on agricultural land is the main cause of the majority of forest and domestic fires.
Familiarize the class with the Worksheet “Stubble Burning" and discuss possible actions in your locality/region depending on the circumstances.
Stubble Burning
Organic farming and climate
Organic farming helps the soil stay healthy and retain its ability to store carbon, which helps reduce climate change. Look for organic and fair trade products available at your local supermarket or farmer market. Discuss:
- Where do products come from?
- Are they grown in the region or imported by farmers from the other side of the world?
- What are the pros and cons of each situation?
- How can the production of these organic and "fair" goods help the environment as well?
- Is there a significant price difference between those ones and other products? What’s the reason?
Collect your findings in the form of pictures and graphs and then present them to your peers, parents or other adults. Encourage them to buy more organic and fair trade goods whenever possible.
Score: | 10
Question: | 10
Associations without words
Divide the class into small groups and give each group a task for a certain time to prepare and present by using postures, gestures and facial expressions a certain type of agricultural activity, which is typical for the region. You can organize the game as a competition or as a puzzle game – after the presentation of each group, the others recognize the activity – for example: sheep farming; beekeeping; growing apples, vines, roses; etc. If necessary, give an appropriate example.
At the end of the game, ask the children to share their impressions of the game.
Food menu and climate (math problem)
A very large number of people do not know that our every- day food choices have a huge impact on carbon emissions (about 30%). A person consumes about 500 kg of food per year, generating carbon emissions that depend on the type of food, its production, preparation and storage.
Carbon emissions data (grams):
- a portion of beef emits 330 g of carbon emissions;
- portion of fish – 44 g ;
- portion of chicken meat – 52 g ;
- portion of eggs – 24 g ;
- portion of rice /vegetables/, spinach – 14 g ;
- portion of beans/lentils – 2 g .
Divide the students into small groups (3-4 per group), provide them with data on the carbon emissions of different foods and give them a task to choose 21 simple portions of food needed by one person per week. Ask each group to make their choice and calculate the amount of carbon emissions released into the atmosphere by the food they have chosen.
Present and compare each group menu results.
Explain that the climate diet (which has become increasingly talked about in recent years) includes lots of vegetables and grains and more limited amounts of meat and dairy products. It is especially important to do everything possible not to throw away excess food. Foods of local origin and those that are consumed fresh have an advantage in the fight against climate change.
- Share with the family what you have learned from the activities described above. Discuss what changes in your behavior as buyers of agricultural products can help to promote more environmentally friendly practices in this sector of the Bulgarian economy.
- Mark with various activities important dates related to agricultural activities, such as Beekeeper's Day - February 10, Midsummer (Day of Herbs and Herbalists) - June 24 and others. Find out what local agricultural festivals exist such as pumpkin, watermelon, plum, cabbage, rose and more, and include various creative activities in them.
- Visit a local ethnographic museum and learn about the development of local economic activities historically.
- Collect recipes for meals that fit the climatic diet. Consider whether it is worth organizing a culinary bazaar.
Kiss the Ground
Assign students to watch the video “Kiss the Ground" (1 hour and 25 minutes) at home, focusing on individual specific topics presented in the film, for example
- What is the soil capacity to absorb carbon?
- How is soil supplied with carbon?
- What causes soil erosion?
- How does agrochemical treatment affect the soil? What about people's health?
- What causes desertification?
- What are the scales of ecological migration and what are the consequences?
- How the increasing vegetated areas help the greenhouse effect reduction?
- What is the program of the French scientific agricultural institution INRA? Is Bulgaria part of this program?
- What are the two most powerful pathways for carbon sequestration (photosynthesis and soil microorganisms)?
- What is regenerative agriculture? What is the role of the Know-Till tillage machine?
- How does industrial animal husbandry affect the climate? What is the alternative (implementing controlled grazing in open spaces)?
- What is the essence of Permaculture?
- How can composting help soil fertility?
- What is the essence and the lesson of the project in Haiti?
- How does free-range hens practice affect hens' eggs?
- What are the principles of soil fertility (minimum mechanical tillage, growing a variety of crops, keeping the soil covered all the time, keep living roots and integrating animals)?
- What was the state of the Loess Plateau in China in 1994? And 14 years later?
Reducing meat and dairy consumption will have positive effects on greenhouse gas emissions and human health. It will also help biodiversity, which must be conserved to ensure the world’s growing population is fed. Changing our diets will lead to a more sustainable future and complement food security goals while addressing global food inequalities.Dr Roslyn Henry, School of Geosciences
