In Area of Study 1, students are to select a ‘region other than Australia’ in order to research food history and culture. They should be free to choose any region, continent or country of interest to them outside Australia. If teachers prefer to direct students to regions that are well documented as early centres for agriculture, they could select from:

• the ‘Fertile Crescent’ of south-western Asia (which today includes parts of Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Israel)
• the Far East – (including the Yellow River and Yangtze River valleys in China)
• Mesoamerica – (Mexico)
• Eastern North America (parts of Canada and the US)
• the South American highlands (the coast of Ecuador and the Peruvian mountains)
• the New Guinea highlands
• West Africa.

Outcome 1

Analyse major factors in the development of a globalised food supply, and through practical activities critique the uses and adaptations of selected food from earlier cuisines in contemporary recipes

Examples of learning activities

• Consider the quote: ‘I know so much about the world because of food’ (Charmaine O’Brien, Australian food writer, educator and historian) as an introduction to Unit 1 provide students a graphic organiser using Padlet or Mural for them to consider ways in which food, culture, history and place intersect.
• Visit the ‘About’ page of New York’s Museum of Food and Drink website, summarise their vision statement and note their goals and values. Consider the questions: Are these goals worthwhile? Do their stated values ring true?
• Use a topic analysis mind map to focus on topics relating to the study of ‘Food origins’, beginning with an example of a common or favourite food item or ingredient in contemporary Australia. Use the central question ‘Where on earth did this come from?’ as a starting point for further questions, including ones that begin with the other Ws: what, why, who and when.
• Complete a practical activity based on the question ‘What was on the table before we even had a table?’ (Prior to agriculture arising in the Fertile Crescent (Middle East) around 10 000 years ago, people ate foods we still know and enjoy today.) Devise a meal or tasting plate that reflects ‘ancient’ foods from the earliest farms; for example, barley, wheat, rye, oats, rice, peas, chickpeas, lentils, faba beans, olives, almonds, pistachios, grapes, quinces, figs and cucumbers.
• Wherever humans have travelled, they have taken food with them. Complete a quick quiz about the geographic origins of foods that have become global and familiar over time; for example, wheat (the Middle East), rice (China), chicken (southeast Asia), tomatoes, potatoes (South America), apples (central Asia), chocolate (Mesoamerica / Mexico), bananas (Papua New Guinea), coffee (Ethiopia) and nutmeg (Indonesia). The quiz can be an online one such as Kahoot or Quizizz.
• Listen to ‘How did the chicken cross the world?’ – an episode of the BBC’s Food Programme. With the class divided into six groups, each group researches the journey of a protein, cereal or vegetable food staple important to human history, including any related social or cultural practices and customs, and shares their information with the rest of the class.
• Conduct research into the history of one chosen ancient food item with its related cultural and social practices and customs; then share findings with the class, including a tasting of a typical dish that uses this ingredient.
• Create an annotated timeline of agriculture’s beginnings; map the regions of the world in which agriculture was first practised, identifying each region’s major food crops and domesticated farm animals.
• Discover why the hunter-gatherer lifestyle did not survive by watching this National Geographic episode. Choose a region of the world and examine what advantages enabled an agrarian lifestyle.
• As a class, devise definitions or descriptions of a ‘hunter-gatherer community’ and an ‘agrarian civilisation’. Construct a ‘compare and contrast’ matrix or chart (such as a Venn diagram) to analyse these two systems of feeding human populations. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of each, from both historical and present-day perspectives.
• Complete a practical activity to compare ingredients, tools and cooking methods available to nomadic hunter-gatherers and / or early agricultural civilisations with those at our disposal today; for example, a class on making bread could begin with the question ‘How would I do this without electricity or gas, and without a supermarket?’
• Complete a practical activity based on the idea that we can connect to ‘hunter-gatherer’ or ‘agriculturalist’ identities in the 21st century; for example, by safely foraging for mushrooms or wild greens, accessing unwanted fruit trees (with permission), growing herbs in a pot, planting vegetables, having chickens in the backyard, or accessing a school garden (for example, through the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation program or similar). Collect and prepare recipes that include at least one ingredient sourced independently, i.e. not bought through a ‘food system’.
• Search for recent information about the extent to which traditional hunter-gatherer practices survive today. In groups, prepare presentations on food practices of, for example, the Inuits and Aliuts (North America), the Yanomomi (Amazon, South America), the Mbuti and Hadza people of (Africa).
• Explore and share knowledge about agricultural tools and equipment used then and now; for example, spade and plough, watering can and irrigation system. Consider how each implement has changed the ways that humans produce food. Suggest advantages and disadvantages of these changes.
• Participate in a local tour of edible wild plant sources or invite an expert to speak at your school.
• Conduct a practical activity such as making cheese and/or yoghurt from the milk of sheep and / or goats (two of the earliest animals to be domesticated in the Fertile Crescent region). Extend this with other practical activities such as a sensory analysis and product analysis.
• Complete a practical activity in which each student has a role in demonstrating and explaining different traditional breads from around the world, looking at types of grains used, methods of milling flour, use (or not) of leavening agents, and how they are cooked. Refer to the British Heart Foundation’s ‘An A–Z of breads from around the world’.
• Complete a practical activity with the theme of ‘Global food fair’ where students are divided into groups representing early agriculture (excluding Australia) – the Fertile Crescent (Middle East), China, Mesoamerica (Mexico), South America, West Africa or the highlands of Papua New Guinea, and they prepare dishes based on foods that originated in their region and are still known today.
• Watch the video The Agricultural Revolution – Crash Course World History #1 (11 mins) either on the PBS LearningMedia or on the Crash Course YouTube channel, and use a visual tool to summarise the positives and negatives of agriculture.
• Research the following: Of the world’s 148 species of large mammal, only 14 have ever been successfully domesticated for farming. What are those 14 animals? Why were these the only ones domesticated?
• Teachers present an explanation of ‘selective breeding’ and an analysis of the article ‘Here’s what fruits and vegetables looked like before we domesticated them’ (Science Alert  2016). Make clear the difference between selective breeding and genetic modification.
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  Select one of the world’s earliest agricultural regions and prepare a ‘Food Lovers’ Guide to …’ that will create interest in the food stories and cuisine of the selected region. Use the SBS site Food Lovers’ Guide to Australia for inspiration on how to present these materials but note that this Guide is not about regions other than Australia.
  
• Complete a practical activity to explore methods of food preservation relevant to the rise of food surpluses; for example, fermentation, salting, pickling, smoking and drying techniques.
• In groups, each one researches an historic food trading route such as the:
  
  • Silk Road (the Middle East–China)
  • Spice Routes (also known as Maritime Silk Roads, sea links between east and west)
  • Frankincense Trail (Oman, Yemen and Saudi Arabia)
  • Tea Horse Road (from the major tea growing area of China into Tibet and India)
  • Salt Route (from near Rome to the Adriatic Sea)
  • El Camino Real (Royal Road – from Mexico to southwest USA).
  Map these routes and identify when they were used, noting which major foodstuffs were traded and transported. Find examples of stories, myths or customs that elevated the price and status of some of these products.
• ‘We take a journey across the world every time we reach into the spice cabinet. More than any other foodstuffs, spices have been used as ‘political, economic, religious and cultural tools’ (Gary Paul Nabhan 2015, Cumin, camels and caravans: A spice odyssey). Choose one spice to research and write it up as a case study or alternatively produce a poster for display.
• Complete a practical activity that showcases the complexity of food origins and our ideas about them; for example, spices such as cinnamon, cumin and saffron, and vegetables such as capsicums and potatoes are all signature ingredients of different regional/national cuisines. Prepare diverse recipes/foods with similar ingredients; for example, use potatoes to make typically Peruvian and Irish dishes.
• Study the impact of politics and economics on the use of chicory as a replacement for coffee, using the article ‘Here’s what chicory is, and why it’s in your coffee’.
• Choose a food (for example, a spice, tea, coffee, chocolate, salt, sugar, oil or a staple grain such as wheat, corn, rice or soybeans) and tell its story in a four-minute presentation.
• Investigate and explain the Ark of Taste (an initiative of the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity) to explore how one consequence of global and industrial food systems is loss of traditional food skills and less variety and biodiversity in the foods we grow.
• Complete a practical activity with a theme of ‘My personal Ark of Taste’ or ‘What I would like to teach the next generation about food’. Identify, prepare, demonstrate and share food and/or food traditions relating to students’ own food histories, culture, practices and preferences.
• Explore and share ideas about the intersection of food, personal history and individual identity through art or literature; for example, favourite food films and food memoirs. Cookbooks can be a great source of food narratives; for example, the work of Yotam Ottolenghi, Rick Stein, Julia Child and Julia Bradbury.
• Study the food system map (from the Nourish website) and identify the four major categories of influence (around the outside of the circle). Within each category, analyse which factors most influence students’ own food choices. Try to explain, in 100 words or fewer, how a typical industrialised food system works today.
• Investigate the impact of the agricultural revolution on the health of humans at that time. Use the article ‘Dawn of Agriculture took toll on health’ to explore the reasons for a decline in health. What reasons were given for the changes in overall health? What caused these changes? What lessons might we learn from the impact on health of the changes in diet experienced by the people at that time?
• Adele Wessell, a food historian and Associate Professor at Southern Cross University, discusses the history of a series of foods on the Overnights radio program. In small groups, listen to one of the podcasts and report findings back to the class in a graphic organiser or as a timeline. Each of the podcasts are listed below and can be listened to online or downloaded as MP3 files.
  
  • The history of foods – Breakfast  (45 mins 17 secs)
  • The history of foods – Chocolate (19 mins 38 secs)
  • The history of foods – Coffee (18 mins 42 secs)
  • The history of foods – Eggs (24 mins 43 secs)
  • The history of foods – Ice cream (36 mins 38 secs)
  • The history of foods – Wine (26 mins 55 secs).

Detailed example

Prepare a Food Lovers’ Guide

Students either select an agricultural region of interest or are allocated a region by the teacher. The Guide can be presented in a written or multimodal form. Suggested regions for study for this unit are:

• the Middle East (the Fertile Crescent)
• China
• Mesoamerica (Mexico)
• South America (coastal Ecuador and Peru)
• Papua New Guinea highlands
• West Africa.

Components of the Food Lovers’ Guide

Students decide who their audience might be, as this will influence the Guide’s style and complexity. For example, it could be a colourful pictorial guide for children, or it could be a guide for adventurous adult travellers or home cooks. Students also consider their tone as author/presenter; for example, whether they want their Guide to be chatty, humorous or serious.

The following suggestions could be included in the Guide:

• A basic map and timeline (i.e. the ‘where and when’)
• The agriculture story: the early plants and animals domesticated for agriculture
• Sharing the bounty: foods that originated in the region, which were discovered by the rest of the world, and whether these foods travelled along one of the old trade routes (for example, the Silk Road, Spice Route or El Camino Real)
• Cooking tips: methods of preparing, cooking, preserving or storing food – especially techniques that are unique or original to the region
• Special cuisine: foods and dishes that are seen as typical of the region (including some sample recipes), and whether the cuisine dates back to the foods produced in early agricultural times and/or whether this cuisine has changed over time
• Food customs, celebrations and curiosities: the rituals, the traditions and anything else that will engage the reader’s interest
• Recommendations of delicious and enjoyable foods to try.

Suggested practical activity

Students prepare and demonstrate typical dishes from their regional cuisine. Records of practical activities to accompany this food preparation activity should refer to particular ingredients regarded as ‘traditional’, i.e. those that can be traced back to early agricultural history. Records could take the form of notes on shared tastings with the rest of the class and/or captioned photographs of the dish (step-by-step recipe shots or photos of the end result to annotate traditional ingredients and/or cooking techniques). Students could share with the class an overview of their Food Lovers’ Guide, and respond to questions that require them to critique the uses and adaptations of selected ingredients and/or cooking techniques according to the records they have collected.

Outcome 2

Describe patterns of change in Australia’s food industries and cultures, and through practical activities critique contemporary uses of foods indigenous to Australia and those foods introduced through migration.

Examples of learning activities

• Prepare and give a one- to two-minute oral presentation on ‘My Australian food’ from a personal, present-day perspective.
• Complete a practical activity based on a range of recipes that reflect a ‘time warp’ theme – foods from a past, present and future Australia.
• Listen to the episode of the BBC Food Programme podcast titled ‘Australia’s food revolution’ and construct an overview (visual, oral or written) of the milestones and influences that have led to Australia’s current status as an ‘exciting gastronomic destination’.
• Participate in a local culinary history walking tour.
• Explore consumer triggers and barriers to consuming native Australian foods by using the following resources:
  
  • ABC News’s Packed full of antioxidants, Australian Native foods are going global
  • ABC News’s Australian bush tucker industry push to transform native foods for international consumption
  • ABC News’s Back on country to build an industry for native grains and grasses
  • Horticulture Innovation Australia’s Realising the potential of native vegetables.
• Participate in an excursion or incursion that focuses on indigenous foods and Koorie culture.
• Discuss why Australian Aboriginals are considered the first agriculturalists, using resources such as the VCAA’s Indigenous agriculture and horticulture video, the ABC’s Rethinking Indigenous Australia’s agricultural past, and SBS’s The first farmers.
• Watch SBS’s Food Safari - A Look at Bush Tucker – where Neville gives Food Safari host Maeve O’Meara’s a tour of his ‘supermarket’ and ‘chemist’ out in the bush. List the examples of food and medicine identified. Conduct research into the history of one chosen ancient food item with its related cultural and social practices and customs; then share findings with the class, including a tasting of a typical dish that uses this ingredient.
• Complete a practical activity that focuses on foods – from nutritional as well as cultural perspectives – important to the Indigenous peoples of the school’s local area. Investigate contemporary availability and culinary possibilities. Create a collection of recipes that reflect a local indigenous theme and critique ways in which indigenous ingredients are used in contemporary recipes.
• Access Walking Tours of Melbourne’s ‘Aboriginal plants for food, tools and medicine’ page. Exploring the links and perusing the information on the page, create an ‘Interesting fact file’ on indigenous foods and practices.
• Watch the VCAA’s Indigenous agriculture and horticulture video that depicts the Budj Bim National Heritage Landscape and explains how the region’s Gunditjmara people constructed a vast network of weirs, dams and stone canals to manipulate water levels in various lake basins and provided year-round food supply. Discuss how the eel traps contributed to sustainability of the food supply.
• If your school has a vegetable garden, complete a class project to add some indigenous edible plants to the mix (tip: warrigal greens, river mint, saltbush and apple berries are recommended as easy-to-grow but also investigate what plants are native to your area). Many Victorian nurseries stock indigenous edible plants and are sources of information about what indigenous plants grow well in the local area.
• For each of Gardening Australia presenter Angus Stewart’s ‘Top five edible bush tucker plants’ find out where you can get the plant and find a recipe that uses that ingredient.
• Explore and review contemporary recipes that incorporate native Australian ingredients, for example at SBS’s Native Food. Conduct a PMI exercise on at least four of these recipes. Identify favourite recipes and justify the choice.
• Complete a practical activity to sample a range of indigenous herbs and spices, such as aniseed myrtle, saltbush, wattleseed, lemon myrtle, river mint and mountain pepperberry. Conduct a sensory analysis for each one and then discuss how each spice would be used to complement other foods.
• Undertake research of Victorian native foods used by the First Peoples, using the State Library of Victoria’s Library of Victoria’s Food in Victoriapage as a starting point.
• Undertake a sensory analysis of Victorian native foods where possible; alternatively conduct a focus group to gather data about Victorian native foods.
• Refer to ‘Indigenous plant use: A booklet on the medicinal, nutritional and technological use of indigenous plants’ to explore indigenous plants.
• Complete a practical activity based on developing a file of recipes adapted to substitute one or more native Australian ingredients. Conduct comparative taste-testings of original recipes and the adaptations.
• Complete a media analysis of the article ‘Australian bush tucker industry push to transform native foods for international consumption’ (2019 Rachel Riga, ABC) taking particular note of the ways in which ‘bush foods’ are of interest to international markets. Suggest reasons why Australian native foods have not enjoyed commercial value until now.
• Complete a media analysis of the article ‘Wild yams set for gourmet fame’.
• Research ‘Gurandgi Munjie’ (Food of the People Food Company), a program aiming to commercially grow a number of different indigenous food crops. Investigate the native crops the group is planning to grow or is already growing. Discover the goals of the program and report on the progress made by this group so far in making native crops a commercial product.
• Write a report on the research findings of writer / historian Bruce Pascoe in his book Dark Emu (2014) that ‘Aboriginal people right across the continent were using domesticated plants, sowing, harvesting, irrigating and storing – behaviours inconsistent with the hunter-gatherer tag’.
• Discuss the impact of Australia’s first settlers on food production and consumption by Australia’s First Peoples. For example, explore the impact of droving large mobs of sheep and cattle on Myrnong (or Daisy Yam) farming as exemplified in Bruce Pascoe’s book Dark Emu (2014).
• Watch YouTube’s ‘How Aboriginal Australians Made Australia’ and discuss why diaries and research documents of first settlers and explorers are important to understanding land management practices of Aboriginal Australians. Describe the indigenous land management practices that these documents reveal. Share with the class five things learnt after watching the video clip.
• Use Bill Gammage’s book The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia (2012) as a basis for discussion about how Aboriginal Australians managed the land in a systematic and scientific manner, displaying a complex system of land management using fire and the lifecycles of native plants to ensure plentiful wildlife and plant foods throughout the year.
• Research the food, livestock and food production tools brought to Australia by the First Fleet in 1788. Discuss: What were the plans for establishing a food supply for the penal settlement? Did things go according to plan?
• Explore Yerrabingin, a community indigenous rooftop farm located in Sydney and consisting of more than 2000 edible, medicinal or cultural plants. Take a virtual tour of Yerrabingin native rooftop farm and the Aboriginal cultural landscape garden. Discuss how Yerrabingin takes into consideration environmental, economic and social sustainability.
• Complete a practical activity based on the ‘rations’ given to convicts and marines in early 1788. Discuss how this food would have been prepared and eaten. Adapt and discuss what might be done with these foods in contemporary contexts.
• Read the first chapter (called ‘The indigenous pantry’) of Charmain O’Brien’s book Flavours of Melbourne: A culinary biography (2008). Create an infographic to explain O’Brien’s comment about the arrival of the first hungry Europeans: ‘If they had enjoyed the same knowledge of the local plants and animals as the area’s indigenous inhabitants, the possibilities would have been endless’.
• Explore ways in which Australia’s First Peoples assisted the European settlers with establishing their food supply. Listen to food writer / historian Barbara Santich on her 2013 Radio National Big Ideas episode (an imagined diary entry recording some food experimentation by an early European settler).
• Investigate the Australian Seed Savers Network and identify its aims and why its members want to save seeds in this manner. What health benefits are suggested from saving heritage seeds?
• Use the ‘History of the Department of Immigration’ to research patterns of immigration into Australia, and discuss their influence on Australia’s food systems.
• Complete a practical activity using the Sydney Living Museum’s ‘Eat your history blog’ as a resource; click on the Recipes tab to select some 19th-century Australian recipes that can be prepared and enjoyed as a shared meal. Select and investigate a number of ingredients from this recipe list that are not familiar today. How were they used? Why are they not common today? Another resource that could be used is the ABC’s Back In Time for Dinner and Further Back in Time for Dinner (both on iView). Episode One of Back In Time for Dinner can be used to gain a unique snapshot of food preparation, availability and influences of the new migrants arriving in the 1950s in Australia.
• Research the first Australian cookbooks: The English and Australian Cookery Book (Edward Abbott 1864) and The Queensland Cookery and Poultry Book (Wilhelmina ‘Mina’ Rawson 1878).
• Use the Chapter ‘Evolution of Australian agriculture: from cultivation to no-till’ by Jim Pratley and Lewis Rowell (in Principles of field crop production 2003, ed. Jim Pratley)to create a table of factors that have influenced our production of food on farms. Choose one of the ‘principles’ listed at the end of the article and explain how this relates to early Australian agriculture. Discuss mistakes that were made in setting up Australia’s agricultural industry. 
• Research and profile the history of an Australian food industry or food manufacturing company.
• Create your own ‘Interesting fact file’ to share with the class using the Australian food history timeline.
• Discuss foods that were once considered unusual but that are now part of our typical diet. Use SBS’s ‘A (brief) history of Australian food’ to stimulate discussion. Alternatively, make a concept map, infographic or timeline showing Australian food trends, influences, milestones and changes over time. Select one food and design a dish using it and critique its contemporary use.
• Participate in an excursion to Melbourne’s Immigration Museum or visit it online. Several of their education programs can be looked at through a ‘food lens’; for example, ‘Leaving and arrival: Understanding the waves of migration to Victoria that have shaped Australia’. The Immigration Museum also curates special culinary exhibitions, festivals and events.
• Participate in an excursion to a fresh food market and look for produce and ingredients that you have never seen before. Identify these products and find out how they are used. Write a report on these newly discovered foods, including at least one recipe for a dish to prepare either at home or in class.
• Complete a practical activity based on results of a class survey or focus group on favourite foods, flavours and restaurants. Collate the results according to particular cuisines that are represented. Prepare a range of recipes that reflect the tastes of the class and share results through tastings.
• Select a cuisine that has influenced food consumption patterns and tastes in Australia. Research typical ingredients and recipes, particular techniques and practices used during cooking and eating, and associated social and cultural customs and celebrations.
• Devise a survey to find out about recent changes in food practices and behaviours. Interview members of older generations who grew up in Australia to find out about changes during their lifetime. Present data and summarise findings in a written report or an infographic.
• Complete a practical activity based on discovering new foods and ingredients and learning new skills. Brainstorm the latest popular foods you would like to know how to make and experiment with new ideas in class and / or at home.
• Complete a practical activity using Global Food Forums as a guide. Identify the top trends and flavours for the year ahead and prepare some of the featured recipes in class and / or at home.
• Complete a practical activity based on the idea that in Australia we express many identities simultaneously through food. Prepare some recipes that define and demonstrate the idea of ‘fusion’ by critiquing the contemporary uses of particular ingredients. Identify the key ingredients and annotate where these ingredients have come from as a record of practical activity.
• Investigate restaurants that proclaim they are uniquely Australian in what they serve. Write a short article, such as a blog entry, outlining the features of the restaurant: key ingredients, recipes, dishes and any other relevant information about how it can claim to be uniquely Australian in its menu.
• As a class, discuss the following statement from SBS’s The Good Cooks series: ‘Modern Australian menus feature uniquely Australian flavours that reflect our colourful history’. Provide specific examples to support comments made in the discussion.
• Discuss Australians’ love of food, with a focus on how it has become part of our national identity and ways that it has inspired the development of new agricultural industries.
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  Complete a practical activity to design and prepare a recipe that reflects an interpretation of Australian cuisine. The choice of dish must include aspects of Australia’s food history while also appealing to contemporary Australian tastes.
  

Detailed example

Recipes of Australian cuisine

Students design and prepare a recipe that reflects their considered and justified interpretation of Australian cuisine. The choice of dish must include aspects of Australia’s food history while also appealing to contemporary Australian tastes.

The following is an example of a ‘practical activity’ and a ‘record of practical activity’.

Introduction and overview of the topic: What is Australian food anyway?

Australian chefs and food writers are forever pondering the above question. ‘Australian cuisine’ is both dynamic and evolving as well as being subject to perennial discussion. There should be no expectation that students reach a ‘correct’ position; this activity should provide ample opportunity for creative, enjoyable, hands-on participation.

Students devise their own answers to the question. To get them thinking about the question, present some of the prevalent opinions among Australian ‘foodies’ (or ask students to discover a range of opinions themselves). For example, consider the following quotations:

• ‘A uniquely Australian food culture can only be based upon foods indigenous to this country’ (Vic Cherikoff, author of Uniquely Australian: a wild cookbook: the beginnings of an Australian bushfood cuisine 1994)
• ‘Unlike other societies with a dominant agrarian history, we have inherited no cuisine in the traditional sense’ (Michael Symons, author of One continuous picnic 1982)
• ‘From earliest colonial days, Australian cooks have improvised and invented, transforming and ‘Australianising’ foods and recipes from other countries, along the way laying the foundations of a distinctive food culture’ (Barbara Santich, author of Bold palates: Australia’s gastronomic heritage 2012)
• ‘Restaurants whose product includes contemporary adaptations, interpretations or fusions of exotic influences are frequently termed Modern Australian’ (‘Australian cuisine’, Wikipedia).

Also consider some of the many sources (YouTube, Instagram, food blogs, online magazines) of ‘iconic Australian foods, which may include Vegemite, meat pies, Tim Tams, pavlova, Anzac biscuits, vanilla slices, burgers with beetroot, prawns on the barbecue and so on. Ask students to consider: Are these products important to a discussion on national cuisine or are they just about nostalgia and marketing?

Activity

Students draw conclusions about their own concept of ‘Australian cuisine’ and design a recipe based on that concept through critiquing contemporary uses of foods indigenous to Australia and those foods introduced through migration. Their records should include an explanation of their recipe design, as related to the topic of ‘What is Australian food’? Students critique contemporary uses of foods indigenous to Australia and those foods introduced through migration.

Students are encouraged to be creative in their approach but they should use ingredients indigenous to Australia and / or ingredients introduced through migration. Students reflect on these two factors in their decision-making and refer to them in their two- to three-minute podcast, which is their record of practical activity.

Outcome 1

Analyse relationships, opportunities and challenges within Australia’s food systems, and respond to a design brief that produces a food product and demonstrates the application of commercial food production principles.

Examples of learning activities

• Create a visual presentation, or use a graphic organiser, to illustrate a food system in Australia. Include the key components and activities of the food system. Annotate activities carried out within each component depicted in the presentation.
• Undertake an ‘alphabet brainstorm’ to recall as much information as possible about activities and components of food systems that begin with each letter of the alphabet.
• Using a description of food sovereignty (for example from the University of New South Wales website) or using the Table Explainer video, write a case study that demonstrates this description in action.
• Brainstorm and record examples of how the Australian food industry is demonstrating a move towards environmental sustainability and reacting to issues relating to social trends, food security and food sovereignty.
• Complete a practical activity in which prebiotics and / or probiotics are used to produce a dish (such as a breakfast bowl) to support the gut health trend. Discuss the role of prebiotics and probiotics to support gut health.
• Visit a local supermarket to develop a list of new products on sale. Observe the packaging. What justification statements are made about the product on the packaging (for example, vegan, paleo, FODMAP [fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols], gluten free, organic, etc.). What might be the drivers behind a company developing these products? Think in terms of environmental or economic sustainability, social trends and issues.
• Debate the topic ‘It is impossible to feed the increasing world population unless artificial fertilisers and / or herbicides and pesticides are used’.
• Discuss reasons why Australia exports and imports food by referring to the Australian government’s Department of Agriculture’s Analysis of Australia’s food security and the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Identify the factors that supermarket buyers would consider when approached by manufacturers to put a new product on the supermarket shelf.
• Search the internet for a new ingredient on the Australian market, such as hemp, cricket flour, meat-plant blends, seed butters, seaweed pasta or algal protein, and prepare a dish using this ingredient in a practical activity.
• Explore new types of vegetables being grown, such as kalette, caulini ‘baby’ cucumbers, ‘baby’ carrots and ‘sea vegetables’, and discuss reasons why consumers would purchase them.
• Working in small groups, complete a flow chart mapping a food system of a well-known product. Include the countries in which the product is sold, the sourcing of ingredients and packaging to manufacture the product, and the sites of production.
• Watch SBS’s The Good Cooks series that showcases the results of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)’s work that has played a brokering role in taking Australian agricultural know-how to developing countries on behalf of the Australian Government. Through each of the six case studies, explore the importance of the role that international agricultural research plays to support the food security of communities, focusing on environmental, social and economic sustainability.
• Examine the recipes from ‘The Good Cooks’ Journeys’ and discuss the provenance of these recipes and the fresh ingredients that resulted from an Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)’s agricultural research project. Discuss how agricultural science and culinary creativity have come together in kitchens around the world.
• Survey consumers or conduct focus groups about their preferences for buying locally grown/produced food grocery items versus imported ones; for example, Italian versus Australian tinned tomatoes. Investigate the reasons for their choice and analyse the information to decide personal preference for local or imported items.
• Complete a practical activity to prepare a dish using a local food product and compare the finished dish to one where the ingredient was not local. This can be carried out by conducting a sensory analysis and / or using focus groups. Evaluate the dishes according to factors such as taste, cost, availability, etc.
• Investigate the value of the Australian Made logo on products to manufacturers. Use the Australian Made, Australian Grown (AMAG) website to facilitate research.
• Using a fact sheet on the contribution of food to the Australian economy, each student is given a product to investigate; for example, wheat, beef, sheep (the focus is on meat rather than fibre), vegetables, fruit and nuts.
• Explore the characteristics of primary food production by undertaking a virtual tour. Examples of videos include: Australian Eggs Virtual Farm Tour or Australian Good Meat’s Paddock to Plate Story in Virtual Reality or Australian Chicken Meat Federation’s Australian Chicken Farms – How are meat chicken farmed? Then, complete a K-W-L by identifying ‘what you know’, ‘what you want to find out’ and ‘what you learnt’.
• 
  Research one of the food industries in Victoria and prepare a report about its characteristics and the role of the food supplier and the consumer in a food system that includes infographics. Next, complete a practical activity related to the research.
  
• Complete a practical activity to investigate foods produced in students’ local area/s. This could be in response to a teacher-generated design brief to research, design, prototype and test, produce, and evaluate a recipe created.
• Research the key facts about Australia’s food and beverage products manufacturing industry. The research should cover food manufacturing trends, research and development expenditure, total number of businesses by size and sector and the number of employees, government supports and restrictions. A good starting point is the Flanders Investment ‘Overview of the Australian Food and Beverage Industry Market in Australia’. Present the research in a blog for other students to comment on.
• Identify significant processing facilities in Victoria and label them on a map. Annotate the map by describing the characteristics of these manufacturing industries.
• Participate in a site visit to a food manufacturer in the school’s local area. Make observations and take notes about the characteristics of the food manufacturing process in focus and write a short written report on findings. Alternatively, undertake a virtual tour of a food manufacturer such as Yakult’s Virtual Factory Tour or Kialla Pure Foods.
• Investigate the main supermarket chains in Australia; represent the data graphically by the number of stores; and discuss the market share of one of the most concentrated food retail sectors in the world.
• Consider the roles of speciality food outlets and farmers’ markets in Australia by interviewing a shop / stall holder.
• Read the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources’ ‘FOODmap An analysis of the Australian food supply chain’ document and discuss the implications of consumer aspirations on brand and product development by suppliers and retailers Consumer aspirations should include healthy eating, sustainability, waste reduction and integrity of food production systems.
• Visit a food retailer (for example, a supermarket) and find examples of how suppliers and manufacturers have responded to consumer needs by producing new products. Report findings to the class in an oral presentation.
• Visit the website of an Australian food manufacturer to select one of the latest food products available to consumers. Develop a list of the key features of the product and the reasons for the development of the product that relate to consumer demand.
• Use the Shop Ethical app to gain an understanding about how major food companies have responded to the needs of consumers wanting integrity in food production. Explore their commitment to sustainability and fair trade.
• Select a food-related review or article in CHOICE magazine, for example What $1 milk means to the dairy industry, and complete the thinking routine, I used to think, now I think. Write a conclusion on the value of having a consumer advocacy group such as CHOICE.
• Work in small groups to prepare a flowchart identifying the key stages in the process of developing a new food product that a manufacturer may use. Share the findings between the groups and note any variations in the commercial design process of developing a new product.
• Watch a video on the development of a food product. Identify and explain the steps in the process of developing the new food product in an organisational chart.
• Read the article ‘5 ways food entrepreneurs can use social media to grow business’ and conduct a PMI by identifying two positive, two minuses and two interesting points.
• As a class, design a new nutritious food product for a local or school event (such as a sporting or cultural day or celebration) using a design process that would be similar to that which is used in industry. Then, produce a batch of the food item. Using processes for evaluation of the product, such as market research, focus groups and tastings, determine the potential of this new food product for its intended purpose. How might this food product be evaluated for its health / nutritional content?
• Watch the episode of Heston Bloomental ‘Dinner in Space’ and answer the questions: What was Heston’s design brief? What factors did he need to take into account when designing foods for astronauts? What processes did he use to solve these issues? What innovations did he use in the production of the foods he made? How successful was he? How did he measure his success?
• Prepare a Venn diagram that demonstrates the similarities and differences between Standard 3.2.1 on Food Safety Programs and Codex HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) using information from Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).
• Watch a video of a commercial food process in primary production or processing and packaging, and follow through with an example of how the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) steps would be applied.
• Investigate templates available for use by Class 1 and Class 2 businesses when setting up their food safety program. Describe the information and processes that a business would need to consider. [Class 1 businesses serve food to older or ill people and young children; examples include hospitals and child care centres. Class 2 businesses handle unpackaged, potentially hazardous foods, such as hamburgers and sushi; examples include restaurants, fast food outlets and most manufacturers.]
• Identify the food safety hazards through a practical activity. Construct a chart or table using the following headings as a guide: key steps in food operation, potential hazards likely to occur at each step, control for each hazard identified, monitoring of each control and corrective action to record food safety information that reduces the risks of food contamination.
• As a class, prepare a range of healthy recipes that support primary food industries in Australia. Promote the ingredients and recipes to local or school communities. A possible framework for this practical activity is preparation, cooking techniques or foods for a particular occasion; for example, school lunch, child’s birthday party.
• Complete a media analysis of instances of food poisoning or food contamination. Consider the questions: What are the causes of food poisoning and / or food contamination? What might the businesses involved have done to reduce the risk from it? Evaluate where food safety procedures may have failed, broken down or been ignored in each reported circumstance.

Detailed example

Food industries in Victoria

Research a food industry in Australia; for example: beef, chicken, dairy, egg, fruit and nut, grain, containerised grain, grape, pig / goat / deer, sheep or vegetable. One industry could be allocated to each student or group of students, or they could select their own industry. Develop a presentation that includes infographics.

The following advice provides guidance about how to structure the research of a food industry

•  Characteristics of the industry
• location
• structure of the industry
• production systems used
• export of the product (if applicable)
• domestic consumption of the product
• prices and financial performance of the industry
• employment details
• government policy / regulation influences on the industry

The Victorian government’s Agriculture Victoria website provides information about agricultural services and initiatives in Victoria.

• relationships between the food supplier and the consumer in a food system that reflect this food industry.

Use the internet to research organisations that promote the consumption of the product and / or ensure a safe supply of the product to the consumer.

• practical and innovative ways to use the product using commercial principles

Complete a practical activity to explore innovative ways of using the product researched, using commercial principles.

• Develop a recipe using the product in focus: write a design brief, research the properties of the product in focus and the different cooking techniques to optimise the sensory properties, generate ideas, trial a prototype, modify and iterate ideas, create a marketing plan, produce the recipe, and evaluate the success of the product.

Outcome 2

Use a range of measures to evaluate food products prepared in different settings for a range of dietary requirements, and create a food product that illustrates potential adaptation in a commercial context.

Examples of learning activities

• Watch animations of how the human body tastes and smells and write a series of steps for each, explaining the processes involved.
• Explain the difference between qualitative and quantitative testing, using examples of each.
• Complete a practical activity to explore the effect of sight on perceived taste, using coloured drink or food.
• Discuss the concept of ‘gastrophysics’ and explore how our experiences of food and drink are affected by our senses and surroundings, not just the food itself. Read the article ‘The strange science of gastrophysics’ that highlights things that can affect our sense of taste. They include the colour and shape of the plate, the weight and material of the cutlery, the shape of the table and the feel of the chair you’re sitting on. Conduct some practical activities related to gastrophysics; for example, determining whether ‘high-pitched and tinkling’ increases the sweetness of food or whether eating off red plates can suppress appetite.
• Complete a practical activity that involves undertaking a sensory analysis of unfamiliar foods; for example: ancient grains, types of breads, edible marine algae or seaweed, unusual fruits that are currently in season. Use a hedonic scale to identify feedback trends from each sample. Discuss findings as a class.
• Complete a practical activity in which a food item is produced and compared to a similar commercial one. Each item is evaluated using qualitative tests, such as the hedonic scale, sensory analysis, or star diagram / charts found on the Food a Fact of Life website.
• Discuss when qualitative testing may be undertaken in commercial food preparation.
• Complete testing on foods to quantitatively measure sugars, starches, fats or oils and / or proteins in different ingredients / foods.
• Use a graphic organiser to illustrate the influences on effective meal planning, management and decision-making in the provision and preparation of food in the home.
• Use a questionnaire on the influences of effective meal planning. Each student surveys a person/s who does the grocery shopping and food preparation in a family. The results are collated and graphed before being analysed and the final results are presented as an infographic.
• Find and prepare a budget recipe designed for a family of four using an online recipe site. Calculate the cost of the meal and analyse the results. Research the seasonal produce in the recipe and discuss the benefits of using fruits and vegetables that are in season. Discuss what other ‘budget’ ingredients were used. Read Matt Preston’s article entitled Guide for budget eating and summarise his key points in six comic strip scenes using ComicLife or Canva.
• Select and annotate a range of recipes from a popular chef’s most recent recipe book/s, indicating the influences on effective meal planning, management and decision-making in the provision and preparation of food in the home. As a class, discuss and reflect on how the chef has catered for the meal preparer.
• Complete a practical activity to prepare a healthy meal that takes 15–30 minutes to produce. Discuss strategies that can be used to prepare quick healthy meals.
• Create three short videos or photo stories on conduction, convection and radiation, to explain the principles of heat transfer in the cooking of food.
• Use a digital tool to create an instruction manual for the user of a microwave oven, explaining how the microwave oven works, its functions and the food / equipment suitable to use in it.
• Develop a persuasive argument as to why the following statement is correct or incorrect: ‘For the best retention of nutrients when cooking vegetables, boiling is better than steaming or microwaving’.
• Create two collages of recipe images, one that illustrates dry and the other that illustrates moist cooking methods.
• Cook one chicken fillet using a grill and another poached in liquid. Undertake a sensory analysis on the sensory differences between the two chicken fillets.
• Identify different acids and bases used in cooking and investigate their effect on different foods when cooked.
• Explore the science behind gluten and describe why using different flours can lead to different results. Use the instructions at: Exploratorium.
• Prepare bread doughs using differing quantities and types of core ingredients, such as bread flour / cake flour; fat / oil; more/less sugar and / or salt. Describe the differences in the resultant bread products and the reason behind these results.
• Using examples of food preparation and cooking techniques, discuss the differences between physical and chemical changes and complete a Venn diagram to illustrate these differences.
• Select one of the following physical and chemical changes that occur during food preparation and cooking: dextrinisation, caramelisation, gelatinisation, emulsification, denaturation and coagulation, aeration or the Maillard reaction. Develop an educational presentation that demonstrates and describes the process.
• Create a mind map identifying different physical and chemical changes that occur during food preparation and cooking, and make links to a range of different nutritious recipes.
• Write descriptions for dextrinisation, caramelisation, gelatinisation, emulsification, denaturation and coagulation, aeration, the Maillard reaction, chemical change and physical change. Learn this technical food terminology related to different physical and chemical changes that occur to protein, sugar, starch and fats and oils during preparation and cooking. One way to facilitate this is by playing virtual bingo.
• Conduct a scientific experiment to determine factors that affect aeration of egg whites. Whip egg whites and measure the volume of egg white foam for different amounts of time. Data collected is one record of the practical activity. Use the data to discuss suitability of different egg white volumes for particular recipes.
• Learn about emulsion by making mayonnaise using olive oil, vinegar, egg yolk and flavourings such as mustard and lemon. Create a record of the practical activity by drawing a diagram and labelling it to demonstrate understanding of the process of an emulsion and the role of egg yolk.
• 
  Design a portable salad in a jar using ‘superfoods’ and use a range of cooking techniques for a domestic or small-scale setting.
  
• Discuss the three dimensions of sustainability, identify foods or ingredients that are sustainable and reasons why they relate to the three dimensions of sustainability. Present ideas using a graphic organiser such as a mind map. Prepare a meal that uses these foods or ingredients and compare the meals the class has prepared. Discuss the various ways that a meal can be sustainable and determine which dimensions of sustainability were more prominent in the meals prepared
• As a class, discuss whether the Australian Dietary Guidelines adequately consider issues related to environmental sustainability of food systems. Is there a link between overconsumption, environmental sustainability and obesity? What recommendations for future iterations of the Australian Dietary Guidelines can be made in regard to environmental sustainability?
• Investigate ways in which six ingredients (excluding salt, pepper and oil) and limited equipment can be used to create a variety of quick and easy-to-prepare meals. Working in small groups, prepare one of these meals, conduct a taste-testing of the various meals prepared and discuss findings.
• Design and prepare a breakfast smoothie to consume ‘on the go’. Consider the ingredients, preparation and transport when designing the recipe.
• Conduct a survey within the class to determine what small equipment each family uses and how often. Which piece of equipment is most common / most commonly used or not used very much at all? Discuss why small equipment has become popular to assist food preparers in the home.
• Investigate how to reduce food waste in order to promote economic and environmental sustainability, referring to the Oz Harvest website as a starting point. Create a class blog to share strategies about minimising food waste and promoting environmental and economic sustainability.
• Investigate the most popular food and beverage apps that promote effective meal planning for individuals and families. Write a review and share results with the class in an oral presentation. A useful site for tips is VicHealth’s top 10 tips for choosing a healthy living app.
• Create a recipe book of suitable and healthy meals for primary school-aged children, focusing on seasonal produce. Demonstrate some of the recipes to the students at a local primary school and gather their feedback.
• Use the University of New South Wales’s No Money No Time website to explore a range of economical, quick healthy recipes based on using limited equipment.
• Prepare a three- to four-minute oral presentation on the dietary requirements of one of the following: an athlete, someone who is sedentary, someone who is from another culture or religion, someone who has a food intolerance / allergy. Use the Australian government’s Eat for Health Serving sizes website to discuss factors that contribute to dietary requirements.
• Modify a commercial snack food sold at the school canteen to cater more specifically to the nutritional needs of students with higher activity levels, such as rowers, swimmers or representative netball or football players. Make annotations to the ingredient list to identify changes and justify reasons for these changes.
• Select a specific nutritional requirement, such as low fat or high fibre, and design or adapt a recipe to cater for the nutritional concern. Conduct a sensory analysis of the original and modified recipe by undertaking a triangle test whereby other students are presented with three food samples, two of which are alike (original recipe) and one is different (modified recipe); the students are asked to identify the odd sample out and record and analyse their results.
• Use a design process to investigate, generate, produce and evaluate a type of bread that incorporates a particular cultural style. Use a foundation bread recipe as a basis and design but adapt it to reflect the culture in focus.
• Research the food requirements for people who choose a vegetarian diet; identify the foods suitable to provide a balanced diet for specific types of vegetarians; select a main meal in a magazine with appealing sensory properties and provide variations of the recipe to suit different types of vegetarians.
• Work in small groups to research associations that assist people living with food intolerances; for example, lactose or FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols; i.e. short-chain carbohydrates). Investigate the food requirements for each food intolerance and design a range of recipes that satisfy their food requirements. As a class, produce some of the recipes as practical activities.
• Research a food allergy; focus on describing the term ‘food allergy’ and listing foods that are likely to cause an allergy as identified by Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Design a recipe for a person with this food allergy and develop an electronic recipe card. Prepare the recipe, taking images of how the dish was made and identifying ingredients that were modified. Include the images on the card, along with annotations for each step that relate to the identified allergy; A useful resource is Nutrition Australia’s ‘Healthy Eating Advisory Service’.
• Research the reasons why people are choosing gluten-free diets and the scientific evidence related to the value of this dietary pattern in light of the rise in popularity of gluten-free products. Debate the question: ‘Should people without gluten intolerance adhere to a gluten-free diet?’ Present information as a persuasion map.
• Write an editorial piece for a food magazine, promoting the benefits of developing individual food skills and applying them in the home.
• Demonstrate a recipe to students from a younger year level, explaining the benefits of developing their individual food skills as part of their discussion. Ensure economic, social, emotional and physical benefits are covered.
• Investigate how the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation promotes food education and food skills among children.
• Write a biography of a food entrepreneur, such as Carolyn Creswell from Carman’s Kitchen, Callum Hann from Sprout Cooking School or Kate Johansson from KOJA. Outline the transition of practical food skills to a commercial setting.
• Investigate how social media is helping home cooks become entrepreneurs or influencers. 
• View some of the stories of contestants from the MasterChef television series, who have create commercial food products. Note some of the challenges in getting these products from a domestic setting to the supermarket shelf.
• Read the article ‘Fresh crop: The young entrepreneurs seeking their fortune in food’ and discuss reasons for the business idea of each young food entrepreneur. This activity could be completed in small groups, each with a different food entrepreneur.
• Invite a food entrepreneur (for example, chef, cook, canteen manager) to talk about how they got their jobs. Ask them questions such as: What useful skills and knowledge did they have before entering their chosen job? What skills and knowledge did they have to learn? What would they recommend a young person learn about or do if they wished to enter the commercial area of food preparation?
• Investigate pre-requisites or suggested skills for entry into the commercial food preparation industry.
• Undertake a virtual field trip to an Australian hotel, such as Marriott Surfers Paradise, Sofitel Brisbane Central or Intercontinental Double Bay, and discuss the challenges to daily operations of a commercial food business.
• Discuss the development of the strawberry industry in Victoria and take a virtual farm tour to gain an insight into the 'paddock to plate' journey of strawberries.

Detailed example

The portable salad

1. Select a salad that is commonly prepared in the home. Consult with family members to evaluate it and compare it with a similar commercial variety, using sensory considerations as a basis for the discussion.
2. Interview the person who plans the family meals to determine which product they prefer, based on sensory, physiological, economic and social considerations.
3. Design a portable salad to sell at a farmers’ market in order to promote healthy eating. Design it for people who have little time for food preparation, or who have few resources. The salad should incorporate ‘superfoods’ and use a range of cooking techniques in its preparation. Portion size, sustainability and preservation should all be considered as part of the design solution.
   • Write a design brief and identify the specifications.
   • Formulate a list of criteria for success to evaluate the product.
   • Identify and investigate suitable ‘superfoods’ to be used in the designed solution, along with the cooking techniques used to prepare them to maximise their sensory properties.
   • Generate possible salad ideas. Conduct taste-tests or focus groups with family members. Use findings from taste-tests or focus groups to analyse suitability of combinations of ingredients to select a suitable salad recipe that addresses the brief. Justify why you have selected this option over the other ideas.
   • Provide an annotated visual representation of the salad in the jar, integrating the specifications into the notes. Include a list of ingredients that includes the ‘superfoods’ and write a list of instructions to prepare the salad that incorporates a range of cooking techniques.
   • Trial your prototype and then refine the ideas before the final practical activity.
   • Produce the salad in the portable jar as a practical activity and take an image of the final product. Perform a sensory analysis of the salad using a star diagram / chart.
   • Evaluate the success of the designed solution based on the criteria for success.

This activity could be modified for other food products, such as granola or muesli.

Outcome 1

Explain the processes of eating and digesting food, and the utilisation of macronutrients, and justify the science behind the development of the Australian Dietary Guidelines, and apply principles of nutrition in practical activities to examine specific dietary needs.

Examples of learning activities

• Research the effect that the sense of smell has on our enjoyment of eating food and the potential health implications associated with loss of smell.
• Undertake a blind sensory analysis of one food type, such as yoghurt or a canned tuna product, including different brands of the one food type. Explain the sensory components underpinning each sample and how that affects the way we think and feel about food, such as appetite, sensory appreciation and satiety.
• Investigate the external influences on appetite and the potential health implications associated with loss of appetite.
• Investigate the role of leptin and ghrelin in the regulation of food intake and body weight in humans.
• Design and produce a food product that is naturally high in glutamates (for the umami taste) and describe the effect on taste.
• Investigate the scientific principles behind how food makes us feel full and why some foods are better at achieving this than others.
• Participate in a scientific experiment to determine the effect of amylase on starch or the effect of protease on protein, using the methodology set out in Digestion experiments 1.
• Watch a demonstration that recreates the digestion process using basic household items (on Stem Learning) and conduct the experiment in class.
• Learn about the process of digestion by watching the CSIRO’s video Hungry Microbiome: The Digestive System.
• Prepare a chicken and avocado nori roll as a practical activity. Describe the processes that take place when the rice (carbohydrate), avocado (unsaturated fat) and chicken (protein) in the nori roll travel through the digestive system and experience the organs and chemicals of digestion.
• Learn about the process of digestion of carbohydrate by watching the CSIRO’s video Hungry Microbiome: Starch Digestion.
• Watch the CSIRO’s video Hungry Microbiome: Starch, an animated overview of how carbohydrate (starch and resistant starch) is eaten, digested and absorbed into the body.
• Discuss how eating foods high in resistant starch is important for healthy gut microbiome after watching the CSIRO’s video The Hungry Microbiome: Why resistant starch is good for you. Also discuss how this starch that is resistant to digestion can get broken down and fermented by bacteria in our large intestines by watching CSRIO’s Hungry Microbiome: Starch fermentation.
• Learn about the gut microbiome by watching the CSIRO’s video Human gut microbiome.
• Research the rationale behind ‘detox’ diets and present an argument for or against these diets with reference to the role of the body’s organs.
• Prepare a fact sheet describing the mechanism through which a ketogenic diet can be successful for weight loss.
• Develop and execute a multimodal presentation on the evidence behind the role of the gut microbiome on physical and mental health, and how food can affect gut microbiome.
• Discuss how the statement ‘eat a rainbow of vegetables’ reflects the nutritional rationale of the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. Present information in a persuasion map.
• Design a daily meal plan that aligns with the Australian Dietary Guidelines and includes foods that positively influence gut microbiota.
• Prepare a poster that informs the general public on the development process for the Australian Dietary Guidelines.
• Review the process for the development of the Evidence Statements used to inform the Australian Dietary Guidelines (developed through the Evidence Report) and described briefly in the Australian Dietary Guidelines (page 5).
• Select one of the Evidence Statements from the Australian Dietary Guidelines Evidence Report. As a class, review and discuss the decision-making process taken by the reviewers to reach the final evidence statement.
• Investigate why the evidence used for dietary guideline development is not rated as highly as other health fields, in particular the medical field. (Teacher note: consider the design of nutrition studies).
• Students examine the fictious examples of foods eaten by three adolescents in one day using data from Eat for Health’s website for Recommended number of serves for children, adolescents and toddlers. Ensure the examples show the type and amount of food eaten. Specify the age and sex of each person. View the Eat for Health web page for details on how to set this out and the specific details to provide. Students use their knowledge of the Australian Dietary Guidelines to review the foods eaten and describe which student has the most and least favourable diet and why. Ensure a balance of favourable and unfavourable foods among each adolescent, as this will ensure students use their judgement and make an ‘on balance’ assessment.
• Design a sample daily eating plan that meets your sensory and dietary requirements (with reference to the recommended serves from the Eat for Health website).
• Summarise the key differences in the food group requirements of pregnant women (as outlined in the Australian Dietary Guidelines) compared with non-pregnant women. Suggest reasons for the differences using information from the Eat for Health website.
• Women aged 51 years and over require 4 serves of dairy foods and alternatives each day, compared with 2.5 serves for women aged 19–50 years and men aged 19–70 years (as outlined in the Australian Dietary Guidelines. Explain the basis for this higher number of recommended serves.
• Review the change in food group requirements that occur with age for either males or females (as outlined in the Australian Dietary Guidelines. Identify key reasons for changes at different age points.
• Research the similarities and differences between food allergies and food intolerances and represent the findings in a Venn diagram.
• 
  Develop a daily eating plan for someone your age, who has a food allergy, with each ingredient documented. Discuss the differences in the eating plans and any difficulties experienced in developing them.
  
• Modify a recipe to meet the needs of an individual with a food allergy or a food intolerance. Annotate the original recipe by adding text boxes with explanations justifying the substitution of ingredients and identifying how they relate to meeting the nutritional rationale of the Australian Dietary Guidelines.
• Demonstrate how to prepare a recipe that has been modified to address a food allergy or a food intolerance.

Detailed example

Develop an allergen friendly daily eating plan

Overview:

Students complete the following:

• develop a daily eating plan for someone their age who has a food allergy, with each ingredient / food documented
• research and identify the range of allergens by referring to the website: Food Standards Australia New Zealand which has a list of the most common food allergies. The eating plan must meet their recommended food group serves for the age and sex of the person, according to the Australian Dietary Guidelines
• discuss the differences in the eating plans developed by the class, and any difficulties experienced in developing them. Refer to this allergy facts resource.

Detailed plan:

• As a class, identify the different food allergies that may be experienced and assign one to each student.
• Students identify the recommended food group serves for their age group (and specify whether male or female).
• Students research the food allergen, including information on how the foods are typically eaten. Eggs, for example, can be eaten on their own or as part of a dish, such as a frittata. Therefore, it is important to consider the individual ingredients of prepared meals and dishes. It is also important to know possible ways in which a person with a particular allergy can mistakenly consume the allergen. Soy sauce, for example, can be made with and without wheat so when eating out it is important that the information provided by the food provider is informed and accurate.
• When developing the daily eating plan, students need to ensure appropriate substitutes are used. For example, calcium-fortified soy milk is used in place of cow’s milk (for a milk allergy), a different type of cereal product is used in place of wheat.
• Students make a high-level daily eating plan that includes a supplementary detailed account of ingredients where recipes are used. Students ensure the eating plan is suitable in terms of sensory appeal and cost and time considerations.
• As a group, students discuss the eating plans they have devised and compare these across the different allergens, including any difficulties experienced in developing the plans. Questions to consider include:
• Were there any foods that included the allergen that you were not aware of?
• What constraints did you find in terms of creating suitable recipes?
• Were there difficulties with ensuring each of the food groups were met?
• Were there any perceived effects on the sensory appeal of foods through excluding the food allergen?
• Are there likely to be cost implications associated with creating a nutritious eating plan for someone with a particular food allergy?

Outcome 2

Analyse factors affecting food behaviours of individuals through examining the relationships between food access, values, beliefs and choices, and demonstrate practical skills to evaluate factors affecting planning and preparing healthy meals for children and families.

Examples of learning activities

• Brainstorm the factors affecting food access and choice in Australia and discuss those that are most amenable to change. A useful publication is EUFIC’s Food facts for healthy choices.
• Analyse the impact of lifestyle on food intake and develop an action plan for achieving a balanced diet to optimise health.
• Identify the key aspects of Australians’ current eating behaviour, as well as any notable trends. A useful publication is The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s Nutrition across the life stages.
• Investigate the current and changing food-purchasing behaviours of Australians. A useful publication is the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s Food demand in Australia: trends and issues 2018.
• Brainstorm key factors that may have influenced our change in purchasing and eating behaviours, and group these into key categories.
• Explore how COVID-19 influenced the purchasing and eating behaviours of Australians and present information as an infographic.
• Investigate the diet of a typical family in the 1950s compared with that of today. Prepare a main meal from each of these time periods and discuss key differences, such as time to prepare, cost of ingredients, number of ingredients, nutrition. A useful resource is the ABC’s Back in time for dinner.
• Watch Nutrition Australia’s video ‘How we can make it easier to eat healthier’ and discuss factors that influence food choices, focusing on how government policies, health promotion initiatives, food manufacturing and consumer education are all important tools to help make healthy choices the easier choices.
• Discuss the findings published in the Nutrition Journal article ‘The affordability of a healthy and sustainable diet: an Australian case study’ in regard to the Planetary Health Diet being more affordable than the Typical Australian Diet for metropolitan-dwelling Australians.
• Share personal experiences of how food plays a role in expressing individual identity and connectedness with family, peer groups and community.
• Discuss why learning about native edible plants in your local environment (such as where to find them, and when and how to eat them) is important to understanding Aboriginal culture and connection to Country. See the online article ‘How bringing Australian edible plants into your classroom can deepen understanding of Indigenous cultures and histories’.
• Discuss, as a class, students’ social occasions that involve food. Describe the food consumed and their significance, and the social role that food plays at these events. Discuss the similarities and differences of these experiences.
• Prepare a dish / food item that has shaped students in some way. Prepare the food as a group and share experiences associated with their chosen meal.
• Share ideas on how food may be associated with emotions (positive and negative) and mental health. The Conversation has several useful articles:
  • Health Check: how food affects mood and mood affects food
  • Five types of food to increase your psychological well-being
  • The psychology of comfort food - why we look to carbs for solace
• Explore how diet is a recognised modifiable factor in the prevention and treatment of mental illness by reading the Food and Mood Centre’s article ‘Looking through the lens of how food can improve our mood’.
• Review and summarise the literature on the impact of ‘fast food’ advertising on food preferences, purchasing and eating behaviours (with acknowledgement of the credibility of sources).
• 
  Stage a debate, with one side arguing that advertising of energy-dense, nutrient-poor food to children should be banned to help curb poor dietary behaviours and the prevalence of overweight and obesity, and the other arguing that banning such advertising is not justified.
  
• Research the different ways in which food products are advertised by the food industry (such as McDonalds  or Kellogg’s) and compare this with advertising by government and public health organisations (such as the Australian Government’s advertisement Swap it, don't stop it). Consider this range of food and nutrition information and discuss the possible effects on our food behaviours, including any conflicts in information.
• Explore the role of the media (including social media) in influencing people’s food choice about the paleo diet. Generate a list of influences that shape information about the diet.
• Undertake a review of how social media has influenced food marketing.
• Discuss barriers within society that may impede consumption of foods that align with the Australian Dietary Guidelines and the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating.
• Undertake a mapping exercise, using the methods outlined in the Medical Journal of Australia, looking at the availability of healthy food in comparison to energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods within walking distance of school or home. Consider the effects that the results may have on eating behaviours.
• Develop a case study on the rise of food delivery services in Australia (for example, Uber Eats and Deliveroo) and include commentary on their possible effects on eating behaviours, both positive and negative.
• Debate the topic: ‘People who have more flexible dietary rules are more successful in maintaining their body weight’.
• Design two separate daily food plans for a family of four (two adults and two children) that follow the healthy eating recommendations of the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. One plan is to be prepared on a minimal budget, while the other has no restrictions. Discuss any challenges encountered in developing these plans in relation to meeting the nutrition guidelines.
• Identify political influences on the food system and discuss the potential impacts on food choices, including food sovereignty.
• Research the range of political influences on a food system, such as industry bodies and public health organisations, and identify their key messages in relation to the operation of a food system.
• Led by the Obesity Policy Coalition and Deakin University’s Global Obesity Centre (GLOBE), the Tipping the Scales report identifies eight recommended actions for the federal government to take that would halt and reverse the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Australia. Select three of the recommendations that relate to food, and develop an argument for or against these using appropriate supportive evidence.
• Review the Australian Beverages Council’s Senate submission on Obesity Epidemic in Australia and summarise the key arguments. Discuss the merits of these as a class.
• As a class, develop a daily food plan that aligns with the healthy eating recommendations of the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. Include other parameters identified by the class (such as low family income, cultural background, access to food).
• Identify the key messages in health professional advice regarding getting ‘fussy’ children to eat a healthy diet. Useful websites include Raising Children Network and the Better Health Channel.
• Develop a school recipe book that includes a collection of meals and snacks that align with the healthy eating recommendations of the Australian Dietary Guidelines. Submissions could be sought from the wider school community, with each recipe reviewed for appropriateness.
• Review the school food environment and identify areas where changes could be made to enhance the nutritional quality of food intake (students and families). Develop and implement a strategy for bringing about change in one of these identified areas.
  

Detailed example

Effect of food advertising on dietary behaviours

Stage a debate, with one side arguing that advertising of energy-dense, nutrient-poor food to children should be banned to help curb poor dietary behaviours and reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity, and the other arguing that banning such advertising is not justified.

• Assign students to one of two groups.
• Each group researches the evidence relating to the effects of advertising energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods (discretionary food) to children on their dietary behaviour, followed by links with overweight and obesity. Each group gathers evidence to support their argument and to rebut their opponents.
• Ensure key terms related to the debate are defined (such as what age constitutes ‘children’, time / place of restrictions), which may be shaped by the available evidence.
• Ensure that the evidence is from credible sources, such as peer-reviewed literature or literature reviews using peer-reviewed sources.
• Suggested issues to address in the debate or to put to students include:
  • Strength of evidence suggesting advertising discretionary food to children influences their food preferences, behaviours and body weight. Each of these should be reviewed separately.
  • Strength of evidence to suggest that restricting discretionary food advertising to children will have an impact on body weight.
  • Lessons that can be learned from action in other countries.
  • Other areas of action that could influence the quality of food intake and reduce body weight or prevent weight gain. Consider the benefits of initiatives as a collective.
  • Links with health promotion practices.

Resources:

The Obesity Policy coalition has conducted a lot of work in this area, including the Tipping the Scales report, which addresses food advertising to children.

A Senate Committee comprised of members of the Australian Senate undertook a review of the obesity epidemic in Australia and their final report includes commentary on food advertising to children. While the final report provides recommendations for the Australian Government to consider, it is important to note that there were a number of reports published alongside the final report. These reports provide an overview of the evidence for and against the issue.

Outcome 1

Analyse food information by applying principles of evidence-based research and healthy eating recommendations to evaluate a selected food trend, fad or diet, and claims on food packaging and advertisements, and undertake practical activities that meet the healthy eating recommendations of the Australian Dietary Guidelines.

Examples of learning activities

• Consider the following scenario: a fitness personality has released a new cookbook based on a ‘low carbohydrate’ diet, which advocates for carbohydrate foods in the form of fruits and vegetables as opposed to grains and cereals. Conduct a critique of such an eating plan with reference to the healthy eating recommendations of the Australian Dietary Guidelines and the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating.
• 
  Investigate a current non-traditional dietary approach (such as paleo, ketogenic, pegan, 5:2) and present an argument for or against this diet for short- and long-term health, with reference to the healthy eating recommendations of the Australian Dietary Guidelines.
  
• Select a contemporary food fad or popular weight-loss diet and assess a typical day’s food intake against the healthy eating recommendations of the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating.
• Apply the principles of evidence-based research to debunk the health claims about a food fad such as coconut oil. Or refer to The Conversation article ‘5 claims about coconut oil debunked’ to discuss how the principles of evidence-based research are used to debunk this food fad.
• Examine the range of sources of nutrition information and advice and present this visually, based on predetermined criteria regarding reliable and unreliable sources.
• Select a popular reality food and cookery TV show or YouTube channel as a case study to analyse the content in terms of food and nutrition information. What does it say about food and nutrition? Draw conclusions about why the program is so popular and whether the program has value for food and nutrition education.
• Analyse a food or nutrition article by an author widely acknowledged as a qualified, credible and experienced voice in the field. Identify the criteria that give the reader confidence in the information and strengthen the writer’s arguments and conclusions. What makes this writer a trustworthy source of information? Use the Essay Map template to help structure this analysis.
• Prepare an annotated visual report critiquing a social media video (on YouTube, Instagram or other visual medium) that presents food and nutrition information.
• Review the blog post at: Medical Medium Blog It claims that celery juice is the saviour for a range of health ailments. Critique this article with reference to issues such as:
  • reference to research
  • credentials / credibility of the author
  • solutions to diet-related health problems
  • headlines
  • persuasive and emotional language
  • methods of data collection and reporting
  • conflicts of interest.
  The Essay Map template can be used to help structure this analysis.
• Complete a practical activity by visiting a supermarket and collecting examples (by taking notes or photos; making sure to seek store permission) of labels that imply that a product is nutritious – using words such as ‘healthy’, ‘real’, ‘natural’, ‘antioxidant’, ‘lite’, etc. Conduct a nutrient analysis of several products using an app such as FoodWorks, FoodSwitch or CalorieKing. Report on the findings and draw conclusions.
• Review Figure 5.32 in the AIHW publication Nutrition across the life stages and create a summary that could be used as talking points for a radio interview looking into the diet of teenagers The data behind the figure are available at Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
• As a class, review the video called ‘Facts about the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE)’ by Associate Professor Amanda Devine, who explains the nutritional rationale behind the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating and how this can be applied. Discuss whether this is a credible source of nutritional information and why.
• Discuss the controversy surrounding the funding of nutrition research by food companies. Develop arguments for and against this approach as a means of enhancing the information we have about food and its effect on health.
• As a class, discuss the topic: The term ‘superfood’ has been used to promote healthy eating for a number of years. Consider issues such as its validity with reference to the nutritional rationale and healthy eating recommendations of the Australian Dietary Guidelines.
• Create a short video or podcast (or write the script) to explain to the public Food Standard 1.2.7 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, with which all food businesses must comply.
• Consider the following scenario: You are a regulatory scientist working for a global food company. Your marketing team wishes to promote a new ice cream product as being ‘High in calcium, which is important for bone structure’. The product contains 210 mg of calcium per serve, and per 100 g: 869 kJ energy, 3.2 g protein, 11.6 g total fat, 8.2 g saturated fat, 19.8 g total sugars, 45 mg sodium. Report back to your marketing team outlining whether this claim is or is not permitted under the Food Standards Code.
• Investigate the relationship between the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code and Australian Consumer Law in relation to food labelling in Australia.
• Develop a new food product and produce a label that pleases the marketing department of the company you work for while also adhering to Australia’s food labelling and Australian Consumer Law.
• Discuss the merits of the aspect of the Health Star Rating System that  was introduced to help consumers compare the nutritional quality of foods from within the same categories (information video is here) with reference to the recent five year review (submissions, final report and government response).
• Conduct primary and secondary research and compile a class collection of case studies that show the importance of accurate food labels for consumers.
• Conduct a practical activity where students are presented with several snack products (across different food categories). Through reading the nutrition information provided on the packet, students are to reach a decision on which is the most nutritious product. If there is not a consensus, students are to defend their decision to their peers.
• Develop a label for a fictitious food product that uses at least three eye-catching marketing claims, yet adheres to all regulatory food standards and Australian Consumer Law.
• Compare and contrast three different labels for similar products; for example, three types of bread, tinned fruit or savoury biscuit. For each product type, decide which one to buy, based on what can be learnt from the label and knowledge of the healthy eating recommendations of the Australian Dietary Guidelines. Justify choices and share findings with the class.
• As a class, discuss the message and the emotion behind the oft-quoted comment ‘Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels’ (Kate Moss 2009). Use knowledge about the importance of tasty, healthy, convivial food experiences – and marketing savvy – to come up with an alternative slogan that champions healthy eating and healthy bodies.
• As a class, complete a practical activity that is underpinned by the healthy eating recommendations of the Australian Dietary Guidelines and Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. Design a daily meal plan for a male / female aged 14–18 that follows the recommended number of serves on the Eat for Health website and fits in with the theme of ‘guided deliciousness’. Records of this activity could include personal reflections on how easy or difficult it was to meld ‘healthy’ with ‘delicious’. As an extension, this meal plan can be prepared and enjoyed, with sensory analysis undertaken on the foods prepared.
• Complete a practical activity with a theme of ‘No excuses!’ Choose, adapt and prepare recipes that consider the healthy eating recommendations of the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating and at the same time respond to a familiar catchcry that tries to throw healthy eating into the ‘too-hard basket’; for example, ‘But I’m celebrating!’; ‘I can’t afford fresh healthy food’; ‘I haven’t got time to cook’; ‘I heard that makes you fat’.
• Develop and execute a script on behalf of your customer, the Australian Government, that aims to educate consumers on using food labels to choose nutritious foods for families.
• Discuss the limitations that some consumers may experience when reading and understanding food labels that are intended to help make safe and nutritious food choices.

Detailed example

Non-traditional dietary approaches for short- and long-term health

Investigate a current non-traditional dietary approach (such as paleo, ketogenic, 5:2) and present an argument for or against this diet for short- and long-term health, with reference to the healthy eating recommendations of the Australian Dietary Guidelines.

• Each student selects a non-traditional dietary approach, which is essentially any dietary approach that strays from the core nutritional principles of the Australian Dietary Guidelines. Examples include paleo, ketogenic, 5:2, raw food, vegan and pegan.
• Students research the nutritional principles of the diet and map how it aligns or differs from those of the Australian Dietary Guidelines.
• In their research, students investigate the positive or negative effects on short-term as well as long-term health. For example, the ketogenic diet has been found to be beneficial for weight loss; however, it can have detrimental long-term health effects; for example, as a result of its lack of calcium and excess saturated fat intake.
• Students ensure their evidence is from credible sources, such as peer-reviewed literature or literature reviews using peer-reviewed sources.
• In their research, it may be useful for students to review evidence from non-credible sources (such as opinion pieces from unqualified individuals) and assess the types of claims made and any evidence presented to support these claims.
• Students develop an argument for or against the diet for short- and long-term health. This could be in the form of a:
• written piece in essay style
• information paper / fact sheet
• report
• submission to a government agency.
The Essay Map template can be used to help structure the argument.
• Students use appropriate referencing throughout to support their evidence-based findings.
• Students are made aware of the possibility that the dietary approach may be beneficial to short-term health but not long-term health (or vice versa).
• If students are recommending their dietary approach for either long- or short-term health (or both), they justify this with reference to the Australian Dietary Guidelines.

Outcome 2

Critique issues affecting food systems in terms of ethics, sustainability and food sovereignty, and through practical activities propose future solutions that reflect sociocultural, sustainable and ethical food values and goals.

Examples of learning activities

• Create an annotated visual diagram to demonstrate understanding of the many components and activities of food systems.
• Access the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s fact sheet ‘An introduction to the basic concepts of food security’ to define food security and identify the four dimensions of food security objectives.
• Investigate how food insecurity is measured in Australia and other parts of the world. Include an assessment of how frequently the data are collected and whether direct comparisons across countries are possible.
• Review the latest data on food insecurity in Australia (see the Foodbank hunger report) noting the sources of data.
• Discuss the following statistic, considering the current rate of food insecurity in Australia: The Australian food industry currently produces enough food to feed the Australian population (around 25 million people) and an additional 36 million people.
• Refer to the Australian Government’s Analysis of Australia’s food security and the COVID-19 pandemic and identify reasons why it states that Australia does not have food security problem. Discuss this as a class to see if there is agreement (or not) with the article.
• Read and consider the article by Martin Caraher, Professor of Food and Health Policy, City, University of London, on The Conversation. Discuss the statement: ‘Not only does recycling food waste from places like supermarkets and cafes not address the roots of food poverty, it is incredibly undignified to give people leftovers.’ Research the basis of this statement and more effective long-term solutions to addressing food insecurity across the population.
• Research an innovative approach taken by a food business in Australia, with the aim of enhancing food security in Australia.
• Consider the following statement from Appendix G of the Australian Dietary Guidelines, which provides an overview of the issue of food, nutrition and environmental sustainability, stating: ‘… in easing the pressure on the food system, it is also important to balance nutritional requirements for health and the prevention of chronic disease’ (page 131). Discuss this issue and mechanisms for ensuring nutritional AND population health.
• Consider the 2005 Giessen Declaration which states that ‘Nutrition science needs to incorporate comprehensive understanding of food systems. These shape and are shaped by biological, social and environmental relationships and interactions.’ Conduct a class discussion to examine possible meanings of such an approach for the way we think about our food. Include discussion on whether Appendix G of the Australian Dietary Guidelines captures this issue.
• Read an article in The Conversation called ‘How many people can Australia feed?’ Identify and discuss the key points raised in the article.
• Consider the paleo / keto or organic approaches to eating and whether this would be a viable long-term approach to feeding the Australian population. Discuss this topic with reference to environmental sustainability and food access.
• Investigate strategies currently being implemented across Australia as solutions for overcoming food insecurity.
• Consider the issue of meat production in Australia and the identified environmental and animal rights issues (the Sustainable Table). The Australian Dietary Guidelines identify lean meats as important for nutritional health. Examine how Australians can enjoy lean meats for nutritional, environmental and animal health.
• Research the concept of artificially-produced meat, including any benefits for, or detrimental effects on, the environment and food security. Work in groups to design an advertising concept that takes a position on this issue, either promoting or criticising the concept of artificial meat.
• Critique the potential benefits of algae or insects which are emerging products for human consumption, in terms of nutritional health and environmental sustainability.
• Profile the Youth Food Movement (Australia). Discuss the questions: What are they talking about? What are they doing?
• Complete a practical activity with the theme of ‘food provenance’; query where the foods they are working with have travelled from (if you can’t find out, ask why not); generate your own environment / ethics criteria or questions that could be applied to the purchase of foods and ingredients.
• 
  Develop a case study that addresses government and food industry responses to the ‘panic buying’ in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on the perceived notion of a shortage of food.
  
• Develop a hypothetical shopping list. Research the ingredients / foods and identify the most ethical brand / method of production for each ingredient / foods in terms of ethics and sustainability. Visit a supermarket and price these ingredients / foods, along with the cheapest alternative for each product. Calculate the cost of each basket of items and discuss the findings in relation to equity in access.
• Research the actions of farmers who have successfully modified their practices to cope with the unfavourable growing conditions related to droughts.
• Research the similarities and differences between the terms ‘food sovereignty’ and ‘food security’, noting the information in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation’s ‘Food Security and Sovereignty’ report.
• Consider researched evidence and discuss the statement ‘There appears to be no clear definition of food citizenship’. State whether you agree or disagree with this statement, and, where possible, describe the links with food security and food sovereignty.
• Watch the video ‘What is Food Citizenship?’ and discuss why a collective voice is an important part of food citizenship.
• Explore the various roles of food citizenship that are depicted in the Brisbane Food City 2050 graphic and create a graphic of your food town or city for 2050. Share thoughts with the class.
• Research and critique the corporate responsibility actions taken by Australia’s supermarkets, with a focus on food security and food sovereignty. Use the Essay Map template to help structure this.
• Discuss how food security as the main driver of food systems is a contentious concept in regard to food citizenship.
• Explore how participation in food system policy making may contribute to food citizenship.
• Watch Dr Philip Baker’s TEDx presentation ‘The politics of food: Who influences what we eat?’ and discuss political influences on food systems.
• Research the role of farmers’ markets in the supply of food in Australia, with consideration given to food security, food sovereignty and food citizenship.
• Use the Food Ethics Council’s report ‘Food Citizenship’ as a basis for discussion about the following two statements in relation to food citizenship:
  • Thinking of ourselves differently can change the future of our food systems.
  • We all have meaningful power in our food systems, and we can and must shape it for the better and encourage others to do the same.
• Complete a practical activity where a list of whole food items is costed at a supermarket, a farmers market and smaller food outlets. Discuss the results in terms of price, availability and perceived quality. Identify any barriers affecting consumers’ ability to access and purchase foods sold at the different food outlets.
• Debate the topic: ‘Genetically modified foods are a solution to food insecurity’. A persuasion map can be used to structure the debate.
• Research the regulatory process for the approval of genetically modified foods to be grown in Australia.
• Visit a local primary food producer and examine their philosophy on food production.
• Visit a local outlet of a food waste program such as OzHarvest and SecondBite and investigate the environmental and social benefits of these programs.
• Watch several of the video clips from the ABC documentary ‘War on Waste (Food Waste)’ and take notes on the key issues discussed and figures presented. Discuss these in the light of learnings to date, such as the stated efforts of supermarkets in the ‘corporate responsibility’ space, and food waste programs.
• Develop an information sheet for the community that addresses the issue of food waste and steps that can be taken to reduce food waste.
• Design recipes using ingredients that may typically be thrown out, such as leftovers, ripe bananas, bruised apples, milk close to its use-by date. Complete a practical activity by testing recipes in class. Refine the recipes and compile them into a recipe book as a school fundraiser.

Detailed example

COVID-19 case study

Students develop a case study that addresses government and food industry response to the ‘panic buying’ in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on the perceived notion of a shortage of food.
Preparation:

• Revisit the ‘panic buying’ that took place in Australia in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, for example by watching a Channel 9 news report (2:10mins) and other broadcasts during 2021.
• While there were many reasons for this purchasing behaviour, a contributing factor was the fear of a shortage in food availability.
• The Australian food industry and the Australian Government responded to allay fears by issuing the report ‘Analysis of Australia’s food security and the COVID-19 pandemic’  from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARES), and the National Farmers Federation provided their response. Identify additional responses from government and industry.
• Much of the government and industry response addressed primary- and minimally-processed food. Consider, also, issues such as imported food or processed food that rely on imported ingredients.
• Identify the key issues outlined in the responses from government and the food industry and prepare a case study that covers the issue.