Implementation of Lessons Plan in schools by 2024

Through the KITCHEN ADVENTURE project, BIOAZUL, together with Ciencia Divertida and the CEIPs Acapulco (in Fuengirola) and El Chaparral (in La Cala de Mijas), had the opportunity to end 2024 learning about the impact of food on the environment and the importance of sustainability in the food chain.

KITCHEN ADVENTURE is a project that aims to highlight the importance of responsible consumption and family home cooking as a vehicle for healthier eating. Among its activities are the lessons plans, such as those held last December at the Acapulco and El Chaparral primary schools, where the students were able to learn through playing. On this occasion, students learned about the carbon and water footprints of food and then competed in teams to create the most sustainable menu.

A total of 8 lessons plan were given to 5^th and 6^th grade students, sharing knowledge and learning with more than 400 students. Sustainability in food production is key to reducing its environmental impact, preserving natural resources and ensuring a safe and healthy future for people and the planet. Concepts such as the carbon footprint —greenhouse gases emitted during a product’s lifecycle— and the water footprint —the amount of water used in its production, processing and transport— help to better understand of the environmental impact of food.

Tips to reduce footprints

As an example of the concepts learned by the students, here are some practical tips to reduce both the water and the carbon footprints of our food:

1) Eat less meat: Reducing meat consumption, especially intensive beef, can significantly reduce both your water footprint —livestock require more water than plant-based foods— and your carbon footprint— by reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with methane production from livestock

2) Choose better meat: Choose meat from extensive livestock systems —such as the dehesa agroforestry system—, that feed mainly on natural pastures. This is less reliant on cultivated feed, which requires more water to produce and generates emissions derived from its production and transport.

3) Choose organic produce: Choosing organic produce often supports sustainable farming that use less water and promote better soil health and carbon sequestration.

4) Eat more whole foods: Focusing on whole, unprocessed foods, such as fruits, vegetables and grains, often requires less water to produce than processed foods. Processed foods use more energy and produce more emissions from processing, packaging and transport.

5) Buy local: Buying food from local sources reduces the water footprint associated with transport, as well as CO₂ emissions, especially if long-distance air or refrigerated transport is avoided.

6) Reduce food waste: Planning meals and storing food properly can help minimise waste, which would involve wasting all the resources used to produce it —including water, energy and fertiliser. In addition, organic waste in landfills produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.