Food Security

Green Schools Challenge Activities:

STE(A)M Activity - The Case for Eating Bugs

CREATE YOUR OWN - Submit Lesson Plan click here

Points for participation will be based on a rubric. Download here.

Food Security Activity Submission Form Click Here

What's the problem?

Food security, defined by the USDA as access to enough food for an active, healthy life, encompasses access, distribution, supply stability, and utilization. Conversely, food insecurity, characterized by limited or uncertain access to adequate food, impacts both quantity and nutritional quality. Food deserts, often rooted in socioeconomic and racial biases, restrict access to nutritious food. Climate change and unsustainable farming practices exacerbate food insecurity by degrading once-fertile land and reducing aquatic food harvests due to overexploitation and overfishing. The U.S. Department of State’s Global Food Security Strategy Plan highlights climate change, droughts, floods, and extreme temperatures as major threats to global food security. 

Why should we care?

South Florida boasts one of the nation's most diverse agricultural industries, benefiting from a year-round growing season. Our dependence on agriculture underscores the importance of sustainable practices to safeguard its longevity and economic contributions. According to USAID, sustainable agriculture integrates environmental health, economic viability, and social equity to ensure the long-term productivity of natural resources and enhance livelihoods. Addressing climate challenges is crucial to mitigating stress on terrestrial and marine ecosystems, fisheries, and vital natural resources that support productive agriculture. 

What can we do?

Locally, schools can support sustainability through local food sourcing and garden-based education. Individually, choosing locally farmed and sustainable foods and making informed seafood choices reduce carbon footprints. Developing new tools and methods to boost agricultural productivity, managing threats to natural resources critical for food supply, adapting to climate change, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture are critical solutions. Technologies like aquaponics improve aquaculture sustainability. Aquaculture addresses seafood demand while curbing overfishing in vulnerable marine ecosystems affected by climate impacts.