Lesson 3:

Zero hunger

Social Studies & Religion

Lesson Title: Zero Hunger

Summary & Background Information:

This lesson will begin with an overview of the United Nations' second Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), Zero Hunger. Students will begin to examine their thoughts on food insecurity and hunger. Students will explore videos, articles and government resources to understand food insecurity as it affects the world abroad and here at home. Students will be introduced to and asked to connect the Catholic social teachings of Solidarity and Care for God's Creation to their actions and attitudes toward adopting a more sustainable lifestyle that respects all humanity and the earth that supports us all.

Curriculum Links:

Social Studies/Geography

Grade 6

B1.2 analyse responses of Canadian governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and individual citizens to an economic, environmental, political, and/or social issue of international significance.

B1.3 explain why some environmental issues are of international importance and require the participation of other regions of the world, along with that of Canada, if they are to be effectively addressed.

B2.1 formulate questions to guide investigations into global issues of political, social, economic, and/or environmental importance and their impact on the global community, and responses to the issues.

B2.2 gather and organize information on global issues of political, social, economic, and/or environmental importance, including their impact and responses to them, using a variety of resources and various technologies.

B3.3 describe several groups or organizations through which Canada and Canadians are involved in global issues.

Grade 7 - Geography

B1.3 assess the efforts of some groups, agencies, and/or organizations in helping to preserve natural resources.

B2.1 formulate questions to guide investigations into issues related to the impact of the extraction/harvesting and/or use of natural resources around the world from a geographic perspective.

B3.5 identify various groups and organizations that work to improve quality of life.

Grade 8 - Geography

B1.1 analyse some interrelationships among factors that can contribute to quality of life.

B1.2 analyse how various factors have affected the economies of specific developed and developing countries around the world.

B1.3 assess the effectiveness of various programs and policies aimed at improving the quality of life in various countries.

B2.1 formulate questions to guide investigations into issues related to global development and quality of life from a geographic perspective.

B2.2 gather and organize data and information from a variety of sources and using various technologies to investigate issues related to global development and quality of life from a geographic perspective.

B3.1 identify and describe the significance of several indicators that are commonly used to measure quality of life on a global scale.

Religious Education:

Grade 6:

LS2.3: Identify situations of injustice in society, our country and the world which oppose the virtue of human dignity and fundamental human rights and use examples to describe social justice which reflect the principle that “everyone should look upon his neighbour (without any exception) as another self.”

ML1.2: Explain through example, how God’s gift of human reason promotes human dignity.

Grade 7:

LS2.2: Describe the forms of solidarity which can effectively address socio-economic problems and explain through example how these forms of solidarity can promote social change and respect for the common good.

LS2.3: Describe the ways that the “principle of solidarity” is manifested by the distribution of goods (i.e. food, clean water, shelter, and basic necessities) and the remuneration for work (i.e. just wage, working conditions, etc.) in the local and global communities.

ML2.2: Describe through the use of example, how making moral choices promotes a life of virtue.

Grade 8:

LS1.4: Articulate the three essential elements of the Common Good and link them to ecological justice and the universal common good of protecting the earth’s resources for future generations.

LS2.3: Define the Church’s social teaching with respect to personal responsibility and participation in public life and give examples of how each promotes the good of individuals and the common good of society.

ML2.3: Identify some of the moral situations that have arisen in society as a result of globalization, advances in technology and science and examine them in light of the Church’s moral teachings.

Catholic Graduate Expectations:

1. DISCERNING BELIEVER formed in the Catholic Faith Community who celebrates the signs and sacred mystery of God's presence through work, sacrament, prayer, forgiveness, reflection and moral living.

3. REFLECTIVE, CREATIVE AND HOLISTIC THINKER who solves problems and makes responsible decisions with an informed moral conscience for the common good.

5. A COLLABORATIVE CONTRIBUTOR who finds meaning and dignity and vocation in work which respects the rights of all and contributes to the common good.

6. A CARING FAMILY MEMBER who attends to family, school, parish and the wider community.

7. A RESPONSIBLE CITIZEN who gives witness to Catholic Social Teaching by promoting peace, justice and the sacredness of human life.

Guiding Questions:

What are the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?
How is Canada responding to the SDGs both globally and at home?
What are some of the ways in which countries around the world are practicing environmental stewardship? What can we learn from these practices?
What factors influence the quality of life in different countries?
Why is it important to be aware of and to address global inequalities of wealth and quality of life?
As Catholic Christians, how can we make a positive contribution to society and the world?
How can we work for the common good of all people and be the change we want to see?
How do we ensure we are living and acting in ways that reflects human dignity?

Learning Goals:

By the end of this unit, students will be able to:

explain the importance of the UN's SDGs.
see the connection between the SDGs and Canada's response both at home and abroad.
understand that we can learn from the environmental stewardship practices of other nations.
understand the importance of being aware of and addressing global inequalities of wealth and quality of life.
develop attitudes and values founded on the principles of Catholic social teaching and act to promote social responsibility, human solidarity and the common good.
become models of Christian living for all those we encounter in our daily lives.
understand the difference between justice and charity and the need for both.

Success Criteria:

I can…

explain the importance of the UN's SDGs.
see the connection between the SDGs and Canada's response both here at home and abroad.
understand that we can learn from the environmental stewardship practices of other nations.
better understand the Catholic social teachings and act to promote responsibility and solidarity for the common good.
become a model for Christian living for my school and local community.
demonstrate I understand the difference between justice and charity.

Activities

Part A: Minds On - What do you know about food security? (Approx. 20min)

Vocabulary:

Acute hunger is when a person’s inability to consume adequate food puts their lives or livelihoods in immediate danger. It draws on internationally accepted measures of extreme hunger.

Diversified seed bank is a place where seeds are stored to preserve genetic diversity for the future. They are usually flood, bomb and radiation-proof vaults holding jars of seeds from different plant species. (Woodland Trust)

Food insecurity, also known as household food insecurity, is when not all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. (FAO Food Security Programme)

Food supply chain encompasses all of the activities involved in the transformation of foodstuffs (i.e. raw materials) into consumer-ready food products – from sourcing, to processing, handling, distribution, and sale – as well as the management and documentation of these activities. (Siemens)

Malnutrition is a condition in which a person does not get the right amount of nutrients. The human body needs nutrients in order to live and grow. It gets the nutrients from food. Some forms of malnutrition happen because the body gets too much of a nutrient. Other forms happen because the body does not get enough of a nutrient. (Kids Britannica)

Rural infrastructure includes road connectivity, irrigation facilities, water supply, rural electrification, tube wells, primary health, sanitation and sewage, education facilities, storage and fertilizer sales depots.

Scarcity is the state of being in short supply; shortage. The idea that there is a gap between limited resources and theoretically limitless need/want.

Small-scale farming describes farming methods using very little land and often using very little to no expensive technologies. Small-scale farming is closely tied with more sustainable agricultural methods.

Stunting is the impaired growth and development that children experience from poor nutrition, repeated infection, and inadequate psychosocial stimulation. (WHO)

Sustainable food production are methods of production using processes and systems that are non-polluting, conserve non-renewable energy and natural resources, are economically efficient, are safe for workers, communities and consumers, and do not compromise the needs of future generations. (EUFIC)

Wasting is defined as low weight-for-height. It often indicates recent and severe weight loss, although it can also persist for a long time. It usually occurs when a person has not had food of adequate quality and quantity. Wasting in children is associated with a higher risk of death if not treated properly. (WHO)

What is Food Insecurity?

Complete "Hot Potato Food Security" as a class:
- Put students into groups and give each student in the group a sheet of paper with a different question pertaining to food security written at the top of the page (see "Hot Potato Food Security" questions).
- Students are given 1-2 minutes to brainstorm and write down all the key points they can think of that are related to the question before passing their paper on to the next group member.
- Each time they receive a new question the students must read what is already written and add their statements. Key points cannot be repeated.
- The paper keeps getting passed around until it arrives back with its original owner.
- Once the cycle is complete, ask the group to take a few minutes to discuss and identify what the most important point is for each question.
- Have groups briefly share their points or concerns with the class to garner discussion.
In pairs have students skim through "An Introduction to the Basic Concepts of Food Security" from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN.
Pairs are to complete the "At First I Thought..." graphic organizer detailing how what they thought about food insecurity changed during these Minds On activities.

Online Alternative: The "Hot Potato Food Security" activity could alternatively be done on Google Slides assigned to specific groups or on Google Jamboard.

Part B: Action - WHy is food security important abroad and at home? (Approx. 40min)

1. Zero Hunger (UN's second SDG)

Share with students the following information on ending hunger, achieving food security and improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture (adapted from the United Nations):

The Problem:

Current estimates show that nearly 690 million people are hungry, or 8.9 percent of the world population.
The world is not on track to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030. If recent trends continue, the number of people affected by hunger would surpass 840 million by 2030.
According to the World Food Programme, 135 million suffer from acute hunger largely due to man-made conflicts, climate change and economic downturns. The COVID-19 pandemic could now double that number, putting an additional 130 million people at risk of suffering acute hunger by the end of 2020.
With more than a quarter of a billion people potentially at the brink of starvation, swift action needs to be taken to provide food and humanitarian relief to the most at-risk regions.
At the same time, a profound change of the global food and agriculture system is needed if we are to nourish the more than 690 million people who are hungry today – and the additional 2 billion people the world will have by 2050. Increasing agricultural productivity and sustainable food production are crucial to help alleviate the perils of hunger.

The Targets of Goal 2 by 2030 (only a few to focus on):

Goal 2 seeks sustainable solutions to end hunger in all its forms by 2030 and to achieve food security. The aim is to ensure that everyone everywhere has enough good-quality food to lead a healthy life. Achieving this Goal will require better access to food and the widespread promotion of sustainable agriculture. This entails improving the productivity and incomes of small-scale farmers by promoting equal access to land, technology and markets, sustainable food production systems and resilient agricultural practices. It also requires increased investments through international cooperation to bolster the productive capacity of agriculture in developing countries.
End hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.
End all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons.
Double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, and fishers through secure and equal access to land.
Ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality.
Maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated and their related wild species through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at the national, regional and international levels.
For more information on ending hunger, achieving food security and improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture see the "Zero Hunger: Why it is Matters" infographic from the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals.
Have students watch the videos "Zero Hunger" by The Global Goals and "The State of Food Security and Nutrition in 2020" from FAO.
Students are to fill out the "See, Think, Wonder" graphic organizer during the videos.
Take up the graphic organizer with students clarifying any points of confusion.

2. On a Global Level

Ask students to silently reflect for a moment on some of the questions they examined and contributed to during the Minds On activity.
Say: The issue of food security is such a big one with many possible solutions that need to work in tandem in order to really make an impact. Food insecurity is tied to everything: health; agriculture; climate change; women empowerment. Three possible solutions that the second SDG focuses on to ensure food security and eradicate all forms of malnutrition and other consequences of food insecurity are small-scale food production (family farms), sustainable food production, and maintaining seed genetic diversification.
Have students review the infographic "Three Faces of Malnutrition, 2021" from Unicef.
Watch the following videos: "Agricultural Innovation for Family Farmers" by FAO; "Mini-grids: Powering the Next Green Revolution" by Power for All; and "A Rare Look Inside The Doomsday Seed Vault Deep In The Arctic" from Seeker.
Pause to ask clarifying questions and to clear up any points of confusion.
Have students do a timed journal:
- After all of the videos (or after each one), have students quickly jot down any thoughts that come to mind about what they have just seen.
- Set the timer for 2-4 minutes.
- Ask students to share their thoughts.
Ask students: "Why are these strategies from the videos so important to the food crisis?"

3. How is Canada Helping Around the World?

Share with students the information below:
- Canada is considered one of the wealthiest and most advanced countries in the world.
- Canada is wealthy enough to often engage in helping countries through aid programs that provide basic needs in the form of donated necessities, medicines and medical supplies, school supplies, food, building materials, money to fund humanitarian projects, and much more.
- Canada spent 5 billion dollars on foreign aid in 2020, some of which went to food assistance and sustainable food production
- The Canadian government and Canadian not-for-profits are currently taking steps to support the efforts of SDG 2.
Have students skim the Government of Canada's "Understanding Food Assistance" website and answer the following questions:

What 2 types of assistance does Canada provide to combat world hunger
Who are some of the Government of Canada's humanitarian partners? What do they do?
What are some ways the Canadian government helps small-scale farmers?
How is the Canadian government helping developing countries through research and development?

Understanding Food Assistance Government of Canada

4. What is Canada Doing Domestically?

Say: When considering the Human Development Index, Canada scores 16th out of 189 countries and territories. That is very high and means most Canadians should be enjoying a very high quality of life. Yet, the Canadian government estimates that close to 1.2 million Canadian households experience some level of food insecurity.
Share with students the information below:
- PROOF, a University of Toronto interdisciplinary research program investigating household food insecurity in Canada, provided an in-depth look into the current state of food security. Based on data from Statistics Canada’s 2017-2018 Canadian Community Health Survey, 1 in 8 households are food insecure. This means 4.4 million people in Canada don’t have food security, the largest number recorded since the country first started monitoring. Since the survey doesn’t include vulnerable populations – those living on First Nations reserves, in remote northern areas, or the homeless – this number is likely a gross underestimate.
- Programs that provide food for free or make it more accessible and affordable can help in the short-term but have the potential to miss the bigger picture. The deprivation in food-insecure households is not limited to food but also extends to other necessities like housing and prescription medications. This finding suggests the issue is dependent on income issues. (The Basics of Food Security, World Vision)
- In fact, Inuit in Canada face the highest rates of food insecurity of any Indigenous population in an industrialized nation. The government program Nutrition North has been put on hold until the increase in food insecurity can be explained. Food items can cost 3-10 times more than in urban areas.
- While it is not easy to get the food to remote places, and cost a lot to keep fresh and store, many northern Canadians blame the lack of infrastructure as a leading issue.
- Colonialism forced Indigenous populations to create permanent settlements instead of leaving the land and coming back according to the seasons.

Watch the video "Food Security in Canada at Crisis Level" from Global News and look at the "Food Insecurity in Canada" infographic by the Government of Canada and the prevalence of household food insecurity by race table. Systemic racism is a large factor in determining access to food. This needs to change.
In pairs have students create a social media Tweet regarding food insecurity in Canada (280 characters max). (i.e. How do they feel about this injustice? What needs to be done?)

Part C: Consolidation - Catholic Connection (Approx. 15min)

Catholic Social Teachings

Say: "The Catholic Church requires that we show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation and by showing solidarity for our fellow persons. These are requirements of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God's creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored."

Watch the video "CST 101: Solidarity" from Catholic Relief Services.
Read and discuss the following Catholic writings as a class:

The solidarity which binds all men together as members of a common family makes it impossible for wealthy nations to look with indifference upon the hunger, misery and poverty of other nations whose citizens are unable to enjoy even elementary human rights. The nations of the world are becoming more and more dependent on one another and it will not be possible to preserve a lasting peace so long as glaring economic and social imbalances persist. (St. John XXIII, On Christianity and Social Progress [Mater et Magistra], no. 157)

A true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. . . Everything is connected. Concern for the environment thus needs to be joined to a sincere love for our fellow human beings and an unwavering commitment to resolving the problems of society. (Pope Francis, On Care for Our Common Home [Laudato Si'],nos. 49, 91)

Have students respond to the following questions in a social media Tweet (280 characters max): How is the call to care for God’s creation connected with our concern for the life and dignity of every person—both at home and around the world, now and in future generations? How can we show solidarity with our brothers and sisters who are food insecure?

Part D: extension

Have students research the cost of basic foods in Canada's north.
Then have students visit the following websites and complete the "Geographic Perspectives Graphic Organizer" (Best suited for grade 7 & 8):
- "The Basics of Food Security" from World Vision
- "Goal 2: Zero Hunger" from the United Nations

Lesson Resources

Hot Potato - Food Security: PDF| Google Slides

"An Introduction to the Basic Concepts of Food Security," FAO, United Nations: PDF

At First I Thought Graphic Organizer: PDF| Google Slide

"Zero Hunger - Why it Matters?" United Nations: Infographic

"Zero Hunger," Global Goals: Video

"The State of Food Security and Nutrition in 2020," FAO, UN: Video

See, Think, Wonder Graphic Organizer: PDF | Google Slide

"Three Faces of Malnutrition 2021," Unicef: Link

"Agricultural Innovation for Family Farmers," FAO, UN: Video

"Mini-grids: Powering the Next Green Revolution," Power for All: Video

"A Rare Look Inside The Doomsday Seed Vault Deep In The Arctic," Seeker: Video

"Understanding Food Assistance," Government of Canada: Link

"Food Security at Crisis Level," Global News: Link

"Food Insecurity in Canada," Government of Canada: Infographic

"Prevalence of household food insecurity in relation to racial/cultural identity and Indigenous Status." Reproduced from Household Food Insecurity in Canada, PROOF - Food Insecurity Poicy Research: Link

"CST 101: Solidarity," Catholic Relief Services: Video

St. John XXIII, On Christianity and Social Progress [Mater et Magistra], no. 157: Link

Pope Francis, On Care for Our Common Home [Laudato Si'],nos. 49, 91: Link

"The Basics of Food Security," World Vision: Link

"The UN's webpage Goal 2: Zero Hunger": Link

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