Food issues v456

Food issues v456

Food issues

Introduction

Food issues
In this theme we address the issue of food.
With popular cooking programmes on our TV screens all the time, everyone is, or can be a chef.
We take photos of food and post daily on social media for our friends to check out our breakfast.
We have enough food, we actually have more than enough food, I mean, how often do you actually eat up everything in the fridge?
But it wasn’t always like that and for many people in the world, it still isn’t a land of plenty.

What are we going to do?
This theme looks at some of these 21st century food issues. We look at some facts. There are 9 billion people on the planet and by 2050 that number will have risen to 11 billion. On the one hand, this begs the question how can our planet feed everyone? On the other hand, we all know we throw food away.
So, what can be done to solve this problem?

So let’s begin!

Have fun!

Need to know

What do you need to know?
At the end of this theme, you should be able to speak, read and write about Food issues with ease.
But you don't have to be able to do all this perfectly right away! If you take the following lessons you'll find out what you need to know!

  • Read the questions.
  • Discuss these questions about 10 minutes.


What do you think?

  • Do you care where the food you eat comes from?
  • Do you often waste food?  
  • Do you think the world’s food will ever run out?
  • Food is well produced all over the world. So why is food shortage a problem do you think?
  • What steps can be taken to ensure that everyone worldwide receives sufficient food? 

Can do

In this theme you will focus on the following 'can do' statements.

Listening B2

  • Can understand recorded or broadcast audio material about sell by and best by dates of food.
  • I can understand extended speech and lectures and follow even complex lines of argument in extracts in which people are talking about working with food.


Reading C1

  • I can understand texts about current topics in which the writer takes a particular point of view.
  • I can understand a long and complex text about different farming methods and can answer the questions in my own words.
  • I can understand specialized articles about food waste and can draw conclusions from this text.
  • I can read and understand in detail an interview about the so-called millennial obsession with food. I can check my ideas with the ideas of the interview.

Speaking B2

  • Can give opinions, points of view and comments on food dates and how safe it is to eat expired food.  
  • I can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with a classmate quite possible.
  • I can take an active part in discussion about wasting food and obsessed with food, accounting for and sustaining my views.
  • I can present clear, detailed descriptions on the way social media can affect and change food choices. I can explain my viewpoint and examples of negative and positive collage of the media portraying food choices.


Writing B2

  • I can write a summary of a reading about 'Feed the world'.
  • I can write a letter of enquiry, in which I introduce myself and ask for information.
  • I can write clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects related to my interest.
  • I can write a review about a restaurant, passing on information and giving my point of view.

To do

The theme Feed the world contains an introduction, three sections and a final project. In the schedule below, you can see the titles of the sections and an estimate of the time required for each part.

Activity

Time

A Introduction

0,5 hour

B1 Food Throwing Away

3-4 hours

B2 How To Feed the World

3-4 hours

B3 Obsessed With Food

3-4 hours

C Final Project: A presentation

3 hours

Total

less than 20 hours


*hour = lesuur. Eén lesuur komt ongeveer overeen met 2 SLU.

Lessons

Food throwing away

Food throwing away

Introduction

In this first section we look at some facts.
There are 9 billion people on the planet and by 2050 that number will have risen to 11 billion. On the one hand, this begs the question; how can our planet feed everyone?
On the other hand, we all know we throw food away.
So, what can be done to solve this problem?

This first section contains 5 steps. Work them through step by step.

Step

Activity

 

 

Introduction

Find out what you already know.

Step 1

Speaking

Describe the pictures. Read a text about throwing away food. What is your reaction to the information?

Step 2

Reading

Answer questions about food waste. Read a text and do the exercise.

Step 3

 

Words

Match words with the definition. Complete sentences with the words.

Step 4

Grammar

About the passive, tenses and modal verbs. Rewrite sentences in passive form.

Step 5

Task

Write a letter of enquiry. You like to be a volunteer at The Harvest company.

 

Evaluation

Reflecting on what you have learned.

 

Difficult words? Search these on Cambridge Dictionaries

Step 1 - Speaking

Look at these images. Read the captions.
What do these pictures show? Describe them.

1. Harvesting                                               2. Battery farm                              3. Corn piles



Read the text. Choose the correct word.

Speaking

What is your reaction to this information?
How surprised are you? Why/Why not?
Why is throwing food away socially unacceptable?
Do you witness a lot of food waste around you (school, home)?
What will you do from now to reduce food waste?

Discuss with a classmate.

Step 2 - Reading

You are going to read an article about food waste. Answer these questions.
Write the answers in your notebook.

  1. Did you eat everything on your plate last night?
  2. How often do you throw food away?
  3. Why do you throw food away? Choose all that apply:
  • It doesn’t look good to eat.
  • It’s passed or near the sell-by-date.
  • I often have too much food on plate.
  • I change my mind about what I want to eat.
  • Other reason (say what it is)
  1. Why might it not be OK to throw food away?
  2. How careful are the people in your house about food waste? Why is that?

Read the article and answer the questions below.

Waste and recycling advisory body says 4.4m tonnes of household food waste thrown away in 2015 could have been eaten
By Rebecca Smithers Consumer affairs correspondent

UK households binned £13bn worth of food in 2015 that could have been eaten, according to new figures which suggest that progress in reducing the national food waste mountain has stalled. Despite concerted efforts to reduce food waste through the entire supply chain, a new national update from the waste and recycling advisory body Wrap revealed that an estimated 7.3m tonnes of household food waste was thrown away in 2015 – up from 7m tonnes in 2012.
Of the food thrown away, 4.4m tonnes were deemed to be “avoidable” waste that was edible at some point before it was put in the bin or food waste caddy – such as bread that goes mouldy – compared with 4.2m tonnes in 2012. The rest were scraps that could not be eaten such as meat bones, eggshells, tea bags, coffee grounds, apple cores and fruit and vegetable peelings.
That meant the average UK household wasted £470 worth of food, which went in the bin when it could have been eaten. The avoidable food waste generated 19m tonnes of greenhouse gases over its lifetime – and preventing that pollution would be equivalent to taking one in four cars off UK roads, Wrap said.
It pointed to progress made since it started assembling detailed records and analysis nine years ago, but said that falls in food prices and rising incomes since 2014 had reduced the incentive for people to cut their food waste, halting a previous downward trend.

Between 2007 and 2012, the total amount of household food waste fell by 15%, and avoidable food waste dropped by 21%, thanks to rising food prices and changes to labelling to simplify use by date advice – alongside campaigning to raise awareness. But the latest figures show the food industry has failed to meet a commitment to cut household food waste by 5% between 2012 and 2015.
“Citizens are wasting 1m tonnes less food per year, which means over 8m tonnes less food waste than when we started tackling this issue in 2007,” said Wrap’s chief executive, Marcus Gover. “But it is incredibly challenging to reduce food waste, and the stalling of progress shows just how difficult it is. “That’s why I’m calling on all businesses, organizations, campaigners and NGOs who work in this area to unite together in the fight against food waste. By working together we can win this battle.” A regional breakdown shows significant progress in Wales – possibly due to a devolved administration and greater availability of council-run food waste collections – with a reduction in household food waste of 12% per person since 2009.
Trewin Restorick, founder and chief executive of the environmental charity Hubbub – which is helping deliver a major food waste project for Sainsbury’s in Derbyshire – said: “Seeing food waste grow again is massively disappointing and should be a wake-up call for efforts to be redoubled. Defra* needs to copy the leadership being shown in Wales and Scotland.” Sainsbury’s is nearing the end of a year-long experiment involving an entire town – Swadlincote in Derbyshire – where it regularly checks householders’ bins while trialling new technology such as smart fridges and food-sharing apps to help reduce waste. Environment minister Therese Coffey said: “Good progress has been made by industry to tackle food and packaging waste in the supply chain. But we all have a role to play and despite a million-tonne fall in domestic food waste since 2007, there is clearly more we need to do.”

*Department for environment, food and rural affairs

Answer these questions with your partner.

  • What conclusions can be drawn from this text?
  • Do you think that supermarkets should be involved in food waste? Why?
  • How would you feel if you lived in Swadlincote? Why?

Step 3 - Words

Match the words with their definitions.

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the word from Exercise 1.

Step 4 - Grammar

Let’s look at... Passives. We use the passive form when we want to underline or focus on the action rather than the person of thing that caused the action. The subject of the passive verb is the object of the active verb.

ACTIVE:

  Action Object
The family threw away the household waste.



PASSIVE:

  Subject Passive verb
  Household waste was thrown away.


We use the passive when:

  • We don’t know who/what the agent is/was. It was thrown away. (who threw it away? We don’t know).
  • It’s clear who/what the agent is (already stated and we don’t want to repeat). The waiter cleared the table and the leftovers were thrown away. (by the waiter)
  • It’s not important. The food could have been eaten.
  • It refers to people generally. More information about food waste can be found (by you) at www….
  • It doesn’t want/need to be known. The machine has been broken (by me).

Present/past:
The family throws away/threw away nearly £500 worth of food.
Nearly £500 worth of food is /was thrown away.

Present/past continuous:
The family is/was reducing food waste.
Food waste is/was being reduced.

Present/past perfect:
The family has/had bought a food waste reducing app.
A food waste reducing app has/had been bought.

Present, future and past modals:
People may reduce food waste.
Food may be reduced.

Researchers will be creating new super crops.
New super crops will be being created.

Scientists might have solved the world’s food problems.
The world’s food problems might have been solved.

Study more theory in the Grammar Desks.

Harvest is Australia's leading food rescue charity.
Read about the company and use the verbs in brackets to complete the correct form of the passive.

Step 5 - Task

You read about a similar company in your country called The Harvest.
You decide that you would like to volunteer, by collecting and distributing food.
So you decide to write a letter of enquiry.
You would like to know:

  • What jobs they have available during your summer holidays.
  • Where they are located.
  • Approximate number of hours per week.

Introduce yourself and indicate why you would like to  work with The Harvest. Ask your questions and indicate that you are including a CV. Don’t forget to say that you would be available for an interview!

Read Writing tips to find out more about writing a letter of enquiry.
You write your letter in about 120 words.

Possible answer

Evaluation

Fill in this schedule and answer the questions below.

(Copy to Word or write down in your notebook)

Activity

 

Needs
Improvement

Satisfactory,
good

Excellent

 

Step 1 - Speaking

I can understand the text about throwing away food and can choose the correct word. I can react to the information.

 

 

 

Step 2 - Reading

I can understand the text about food waste and do the exercises. I can draw conclusions from the text. 

 

 

 

Step 3 - Words

I can use and understand the words.

 

 

 

Step 4 - Grammar

I can read and understand the theory about when you use the passive.

 

 

 

I understand and can use the grammar 'tenses', 'modal verbs' and 'Grammar Desks'.

 

 

 

I can rewrite sentences in passive form.

 

 

 

Step 5 - Task

I can write a letter of enquiry. 

 

 

  

 

What have you learnt in this period?
Answer the following questions:

  • What was the easiest part of this lesson?
  • What was the most difficult part?
  • What did you already know?
  • What was new to you in this lesson?
  • What do you have to ask your teacher?

How to Feed the World

How to Feed the World

Introduction

In this next section you are going to watch a video about expiry and best by dates and read an article entitled 'Feed the world'. It is an opinion article in which the author sets out some ideas for the problem that we will face in 2050:
how to feed 9 billion people?

This second section contains 4 steps. Work them through step by step.

Step

Activity

 

 

Introduction

Find out what you already know.

Step 1

Speaking and watching

Answer questions with your classmate. Watch a video about 'Food past its 'best before' date'. Answer questions about the video.

Step 2

Reading

Answer a question about different farming methods. Read the article 'How to Feed the World'. Answer questions in your own words.

Step 3

Words

Unjumble phrases. Complete sentences, tick the correct words and complete a text.

Step 4

Task

Write a summary in about 180-200 words. Tips are given.

 

Evaluation

Reflecting on what you have learned.


Difficult words? Search these on Cambridge Dictionaries

Step 1 - Speaking & Watching

Answer these questions with your partner:

  1. What is the difference between a use by date, sell by date and a best by date?
  2. Do you eat foods that have passed either one or all of these dates?
    Why/ why not?

Watch the video and check your answers.


Watch again and answer the questions of the exercise.

Step 2 - Reading

Before you read, what are different farming methods?
Think back to ways that people farmed in the past, and how farming is done nowadays.

Read the article and check your answers to the above question.

It’s been 50 years since President John F. Kennedy spoke of ending world hunger, yet on the eve of World Food Day, Oct. 16, the situation remains dire. The question “How will we feed the world?” implies that we have no choice but to intensify industrial agriculture, with more high-tech seeds, chemicals and collateral damage. Yet there are other, better options.

Something approaching a billion people are hungry, a number that’s been fairly stable for more than 50 years, although it has declined as a percentage of the total population.
“Feeding the world” might as well be a marketing slogan for Big Ag, a euphemism for “Let’s ramp up sales,” as if producing more cars would guarantee that everyone had one. But if it worked that way, surely the rate of hunger in the United States would not be the highest percentage of any developed nation, a rate closer to that of Indonesia than of Britain.
The world has long produced enough calories, around 2,700 per day per human, more than enough to meet the United Nations projection of a population of nine billion in 2050, up from the current seven billion. There are hungry people not because food is lacking, but because not all of those calories go to feed humans (a third go to feed animals, nearly 5 percent are used to produce biofuels, and as much as a third is wasted, all along the food chain).
The current system is neither environmentally nor economically sustainable, dependent as it is on fossil fuels and routinely resulting in environmental damage. It’s geared to letting the half of the planet with money eat well while everyone else scrambles to eat as cheaply as possible.

While a billion people are hungry, about three billion people are not eating well, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, if you count obese and overweight people alongside those with micronutrient deficiencies.
Paradoxically, as increasing numbers of people can afford to eat well, food for the poor will become scarcer, because demand for animal products will surge, and they require more resources like grain to produce. A global population growth of less than 30 percent is projected to double the demand for animal products. But there is not the land, water or fertilizer — let alone the health care funding — for the world to consume Western levels of meat.
Let’s at last recognize that there are two food systems, one industrial and one of small landholders, or peasants if you prefer. The peasant system is not only here for good, it’s arguably more efficient than the industrial model. According to the ETC Group, a research and advocacy organization based in Ottawa, the industrial food chain uses 70 percent of agricultural resources to provide 30 percent of the world’s food, whereas what ETC calls “the peasant food web” produces the remaining 70 percent using only 30 percent of the resources.

Yes, it is true that high-yielding varieties of any major commercial monoculture crop will produce more per acre than peasant-bred varieties of the same crop. But by diversifying crops, mixing plants and animals, planting trees — which provide not only fruit but shelter for birds, shade, fertility through nutrient recycling, and more — small landholders can produce more food (and more kinds of food) with fewer resources and lower transportation costs (which means a lower carbon footprint), while providing greater food security, maintaining greater biodiversity, and even better withstanding the effects of climate change.

Yet obviously not all poor people feed themselves well, because they lack the essentials: land, water, energy and nutrients. Often that’s a result of cruel dictatorship (North Korea) or war, displacement and strife (the Horn of Africa, Haiti and many other places), or drought or other calamities. But it can also be an intentional and direct result of land and food speculation and land and water grabs, which make it impossible for peasants to remain in their home villages. (Governments of many developing countries may also act as agents for industrial agriculture, seeing peasant farming as “inefficient.”)
The result is forced flight to cities, where peasants become poorly paid laborers, enter the cash market for (increasingly mass produced) food, and eat worse. (They’re no longer “peasants,” at this point, but more akin to the working poor of the United States, who also often cannot afford to eat well, though not to the point of starvation.) It’s a formula for making not only hunger but obesity: remove the ability to produce food, then remove the ability to pay for food, or replace it with only one choice: bad food.

We need to see more investment in researching the benefits of traditional farming. Even though simple techniques like those mentioned above give measurably excellent results, because they’re traditional — even ancient — “technologies,” and because their benefits in profiting multinationals or international trade are limited, they’ve never received investment on the same scale as corporate agriculture.
“The trick is to find the sweet spot,” says Mr. Foley of the University of Minnesota, “between better nutrition and eating too much meat and junk. The optimistic view is to hope that the conversation about what’s wrong with our diet may deflect some of this. Eating more meat is voluntary, and how the Chinese middle class winds up eating will determine a great deal.” Of course, at the moment, that middle class shows every indication that it’s moving in the wrong direction; China is the world’s leading consumer of meat, a trend that isn’t slowing.
But if the standard American diet represents the low point of eating, a question is whether the developing world, as it hurtles toward that nutritional nadir — the polar opposite of hunger, but almost as deadly — can see its destructive nature and pull out of the dive before its diet crashes. Because “solving” hunger by driving people into cities to take low-paying jobs so they can buy burgers and fries is hardly a desirable outcome.

Source: www.nytimes.com
By MARK BITTMAN. Mark is a food journalist, author and contributing opinion writer for The New York Times.
(adapted/changed/reduced)

What do you think? How far do you agree or disagree with the author?
Give at least three reasons.

Step 3 - Words

Step 4 - Task

Your teacher has asked you to write a summary of the reading about 'Feed the world' for some colleagues who were on a school trip.
Here are some tips for summary writing.

  1. Do not just copy the original text.
  2. Keep it short.
  3. Use your own words.
  4. Note down the main ideas and refer to them in your summary.
  5. Read the text with who, what, when, where, why and how questions in mind.
  6. You don’t need to include your own opinion or ideas.

Write up the notes in about 180-200 words.

Evaluation

Fill in this schedule and answer the questions below.

(Copy to Word or write down in your notebook)

Activity

 

Needs
Improvement

Satisfactory,
good

Excellent

 

Step 1 - Speaking

I can watch and understand the video about 'Food past its 'best before' date' and answer questions with my classmate.

 

 

 

Step 2 - Reading

I can answer a question about different farming methods, read and understand the article 'How to Feed the World' and answer questions in my own words.

 

 

 

Step 3 - Words

I can unjumble phrases, complete sentences, tick the correct words and complete the text.

      

Step 4 - Task

I can do the writing task.

 

 

  

 

What have you learnt in this period?
Answer the following questions:

  • What was the easiest part of this lesson?
  • What was the most difficult part?
  • What did you already know?
  • What was new to you in this lesson?
  • What do you have to ask your teacher?

Obsessed with food

Obsessed with food

Introduction

In this section we are going to read about more about food and specifically the idea that millennials, that’s you! are obsessed with food.
Or rather, there are some people in your age group, or maybe people who are targeting your age group, to become food addicts. There’s an interesting theory that you will read about that might explain why you enjoy and talk about your food in a way that your parents, at your age, never did. But first, we’re going to listen to some people who work with food.

This third section contains 5 steps. Work them through step by step.

Step

Activity

 

 

Introduction

Find out what you already know.

Step 1

Speaking

Ask and answer questions with your classmate about photos of food. Give reasons.

Step 2

Listening

Listen to 5 different extracts. Choose the person who is speaking. Decide what each speaker is expressing.

Step 3

Reading

Answer questions about a text, divided in three parts, about a millennial obsession for food. Do exercises relating to these texts.

Step 4

Words

Find words in the text according to the meanings. Complete sentences with words from the text.

Step 5

Task

Write an answer to an announcement. You will nominate your favourite cafe/restaurant for a TV program.

 

Evaluation

Reflecting on what you have learned.

 

Difficult words? Search these on Cambridge Dictionaries

Step 1 - Speaking

Ask and answer these questions with your partner.

  1. Do you take photos of food? Why/Why not? Give three reasons.
  2. Do you follow people on social media people who take photos of food?
    Why/Why not? Give three reasons.
  3. Why do you think that photos of food are so popular nowadays?
    Give three reasons.

Step 2 - Listening

You will hear five short extracts in which people are talking about working with food. Choose from the list the person who is speaking. There is one you do not need.

  • A baker
  • A barista
  • A chef
  • A waiter
  • A food blogger
  • A food photographer
  • An event organizer


Step 3 - Reading

You are going to read an article about the so-called millennial obsession with food.
Before you read, answer these questions.

  1. Do you agree with the idea that millennials are generally speaking obsessed with food?
  2. What evidence is there for that?
  3. Why do you think your generation is obsessed with food in a way that previous generations have not been?
  4. Some people say that people who take photos and post them are simply showing off. Do you agree? Why/Why not?
  5. Millennials are accused of being narcissistic. Have you heard this opinion? What do you think about it?
    Why might older generations say that about your generation?

Read the text and check if your ideas are the same as the ideas that came up in the interview.

The author Eve Turow argues that a generation’s taste for natural ingredients will shape the future of restaurants, grocery stores, and agriculture.

When Eve Turow, author of several books including A Taste of Generation Yum: How the Millennial Generation’s Love for Organic Fare, Celebrity Chefs, and Microbrews Will Make or Break the Future of Food, returned to her college campus for her five-year reunion, she realized that she’d changed. Back when she was in college, she was content subsisting on “gelatinous brown rice, pre-cooked mushy pinto beans, [and] blocks of bouncy tofu.” But if she were in college now, she says, she’d be taking rice-bowl inspiration from Pinterest and making good use of the nearby farmer’s market and the greenhouse attached to the science library. Turow’s theory is that in a digital-first era, many people latch onto food as something that engages all of the senses and brings people together in physical space. I spoke with her about why food culture has changed, whether it’s confined to the Millennial generation, and what that means for the food industry—chains, grocery stores, and big corporations included. The interview that follows has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Joe Pinsker: I want to start with a simple definitional question. When you say that young people are obsessed with food, what exactly do you mean and what are the best examples of this obsession?

Eve Turow: I think that a lot of people in our generation are thinking about, ‘What am I going to eat next?’ ‘Where am I going to go dine next?’ ‘What’s in the fridge and what can I put together tomorrow?’ I think that that’s expressed in social media. I think if an outsider were to come in and be like, ‘What’s your proof that people are actually interested in food?’ I would say, a) talk to anyone who lives in Brooklyn and b) go online. If you look at any of the statistics for Instagram or Pinterest or Twitter or Facebook: Pinterest, the food boards are the most popular boards. There’s a website that’s just foodporn.com where you can go look at food all day. Then there’s the Food Network, there’s Chopped, there’s the food proliferation on cable channels. I think it’s the most obvious way, so that you’re seeing the user-generated content and then also the media market's response to all of that interest.

Pinsker: Why has this happened?

Eve Turow: I really think it comes down to technology, for a few reasons. One, is sensory deprivation. We have formed into a society that’s so accustomed to sitting in front of a screen and typing, for the vast majority of the day. And the truth of the matter is that it’s not exciting all of our senses. Through interviews over and over again, I kept hearing that people want something that’s tangible, that they can see and feel and smell and taste and that we’re the guinea pigs of growing up in that [digital] world. At the same time, it’s also making us more isolated. We’re craving community. And food is also allowing us to access the globe, so we can find out what harissa is made with and how to prepare something with it, in two seconds on our phones.

Pinsker:
I feel like one reason that young people, or really, people, obsess over food is that it lets people have social currency. It’s a way of showing off. And there’s a weird dimension: You are demonstrating that you have the luxury to be very, very deliberate about something that a lot of people really struggle to have. Do these things cross your mind when you find yourself obsessing over cannoli or a pastrami sandwich?

Eve Turow:
I have a whole chapter dedicated to this, because I think it’s one of the most fascinating parts of the entire trend. And I think it’s one of the more uncomfortable ones. Because, even for myself, I had to look up at a certain point and say really, “Why am I posting this picture?” Is it for a sense of community or is it to show off? And if I was being honest with myself, it was a little bit of both, but mostly to show off. There’s commodity fetishism around organic kale at this point because we’re using it as an identifier. We’re using it as a signal of education, of knowledge, of income. One of the biggest things that’s thrown at this generation time and time again is that we’re narcissists. Part of the impetus for writing this book was a) I’m confused about why everyone is obsessed with food and b) does my generation really suck that much? Really asking a genuine question and part of the answer is well, yeah, we are more narcissistic because we are the kings of self-branding. You’re going to brand yourself differently for LinkedIn, than you are for Facebook, than you are for Snapchat, than you are for any other social media platform, OKCupid, or whatever.

Do you agree with Turrow? Why/Why not? Give your reasons.

Step 4 - Words

Find words in the text that have the following meanings:

  1. Real, not imaginary - you can touch, see or measure it.
  2. To become connected to something
  3. A strong feeling of wanting something
  4. A situation in which you don’t have things or conditions that are usually considered necessary for a pleasant life
  5. To increase a lot and suddenly in number
  6. To experience difficulty and make a very great effort in order to do something

     

The author Eve Turow argues that a generation’s taste for natural ingredients will shape the future of restaurants, grocery stores, and agriculture.

When Eve Turow, author of several books including A Taste of Generation Yum: How the Millennial Generation’s Love for Organic Fare, Celebrity Chefs, and Microbrews Will Make or Break the Future of Food, returned to her college campus for her five-year reunion, she realized that she’d changed. Back when she was in college, she was content subsisting on “gelatinous brown rice, pre-cooked mushy pinto beans, [and] blocks of bouncy tofu.” But if she were in college now, she says, she’d be taking rice-bowl inspiration from Pinterest and making good use of the nearby farmer’s market and the greenhouse attached to the science library. Turow’s theory is that in a digital-first era, many people latch onto food as something that engages all of the senses and brings people together in physical space. I spoke with her about why food culture has changed, whether it’s confined to the Millennial generation, and what that means for the food industry—chains, grocery stores, and big corporations included. The interview that follows has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Joe Pinsker: I want to start with a simple definitional question. When you say that young people are obsessed with food, what exactly do you mean and what are the best examples of this obsession?
Eve Turow: I think that a lot of people in our generation are thinking about, ‘What am I going to eat next?’ ‘Where am I going to go dine next?’ ‘What’s in the fridge and what can I put together tomorrow?’ I think that that’s expressed in social media. I think if an outsider were to come in and be like, ‘What’s your proof that people are actually interested in food?’ I would say, a) talk to anyone who lives in Brooklyn and b) go online. If you look at any of the statistics for Instagram or Pinterest or Twitter or Facebook: Pinterest, the food boards are the most popular boards. There’s a website that’s just foodporn.com where you can go look at food all day. Then there’s the Food Network, there’s Chopped, there’s the food proliferation on cable channels. I think it’s the most obvious way, so that you’re seeing the user-generated content and then also the media market's response to all of that interest.
Pinsker: Why has this happened?
Eve Turow: I really think it comes down to technology, for a few reasons. One, is sensory deprivation. We have formed into a society that’s so accustomed to sitting in front of a screen and typing, for the vast majority of the day. And the truth of the matter is that it’s not exciting all of our senses. Through interviews over and over again, I kept hearing that people want something that’s tangible, that they can see and feel and smell and taste and that we’re the guinea pigs of growing up in that [digital] world. At the same time, it’s also making us more isolated. We’re craving community. And food is also allowing us to access the globe, so we can find out what harissa is made with and how to prepare something with it, in two seconds on our phones.
Pinsker: I feel like one reason that young people, or really, people, obsess over food is that it lets people have social currency. It’s a way of showing off. And there’s a weird dimension: You are demonstrating that you have the luxury to be very, very deliberate about something that a lot of people really struggle to have. Do these things cross your mind when you find yourself obsessing over cannoli or a pastrami sandwich?
Eve Turow: I have a whole chapter dedicated to this, because I think it’s one of the most fascinating parts of the entire trend. And I think it’s one of the more uncomfortable ones. Because, even for myself, I had to look up at a certain point and say really, “Why am I posting this picture?” Is it for a sense of community or is it to show off? And if I was being honest with myself, it was a little bit of both, but mostly to show off. There’s commodity fetishism around organic kale at this point because we’re using it as an identifier. We’re using it as a signal of education, of knowledge, of income. One of the biggest things that’s thrown at this generation time and time again is that we’re narcissists. Part of the impetus for writing this book was a) I’m confused about why everyone is obsessed with food and b) does my generation really suck that much? Really asking a genuine question and part of the answer is well, yeah, we are more narcissistic because we are the kings of self-branding. You’re going to brand yourself differently for LinkedIn, than you are for Facebook, than you are for Snapchat, than you are for any other social media platform, OKCupid, or whatever.

I don’t think that overnight these big food companies are suddenly going to become entirely altruistic and say, “You know what? We’re going to make all of this stuff with more expensive, all-natural ingredients”—“all natural” meaning actually plant-based, because “natural” isn’t a word that’s subject to any legal regulation in the U.S.

I think they’re going to try to please their audience by making the small changes that they can, in hopes that no one looks really hard. That’s obviously not every food company. I am hoping that the Millennial dollars and decisions will begin to weed out those who are honest and those who are not. And there are so many people now who are looking at labels to see what's actually in these products. Certain things like big Chipotle* saying they’re going to go largely non-GMO, to me, is just playing into hype. Not that that’s a bad thing, necessarily. I personally don’t think that GMOs are anything to be afraid of, at this point, so that, for example, is playing into a trend. But, the fact that they’re buying all-organic produce is super important because that’s putting money into the hands of organic farmers, so it’s kind of a wait-and-see situation.

Pinsker: Do you think this is a fad or something that’s going to be a feature of American eating for a long time?
Eve Turow: I really hope that it’s not temporary. I do think that it’s possible this generation will move onto something else that’s also fulfilling the same needs. For example, you’re seeing that coloring books are taking off and it’s like, okay, that makes sense: That’s also something that’s a break from your screen. It’s tangible. It’s like your zen time.
It’s totally possible that something else will pick up on these needs for us, but I ended up asking these questions to Michael Pollan. He said that even if we’re just saying, “Oh my god, have you been to that restaurant?” “Do you know that chef?” “What’s that great recipe on Bon Appetit?” we’re going to be thinking about the way that we’re feeding our kids and we are thinking about what we put into our shopping baskets. That’s not likely to go away.
The other really exciting part of this is all of the students that we have in food-studies programs. A few decades ago, Marion Nestle started the first food-studies program, at NYU, and people told her no one was going to attend. Now, undergraduate and graduate programs are proliferating across the country and across the world. To me, it’s exciting that people aren’t just eating and talking about their meals, but thinking critically about food policy, food distribution, food equality, food deserts, all that stuff.
Pinsker: So do you hope that food obsession, as you defined it, is something that could be used to raise awareness about those bigger issues?
Eve Turow: I hope so, but there’s a lot to tackle. Some people are concerned about pesticides. Some are concerned about antibiotics. Some are concerned about animal welfare. When I talked to him, Michael Pollan brought up the analogy of the gay-rights movement: It wasn’t decided on that gay marriage was going to be the one thing they fought for first, but that decision was made and then they could come together in a cohesive movement. And they’ve clearly been extremely successful in that and the next question is well, okay, what’s next for the gay-rights movement?
Then you see the food movement. Well, what is that one topic for the food movement and who is our leader? I don’t necessarily think that we have one. He just looked at me and said, “Well, that's what I'm relying on your generation for.” And I was just like, “Oh, gosh. I wonder who that person is going to be.”


Complete these sentences.
Choose the correct word.

Step 5 - Task

You see the following announcement in an international magazine.

IT'S THE BEST IN TOWN!

We are planning a series of TV programs about local restaurants.
Which restaurant/café would you like to nominate to be included in the series?

Write to us describing the restaurant’s main achievements.
Explain why you feel it should be included.

 

You are going to write a positive review to nominate a restaurant in your area.

  1. Choose a restaurant in your area.
  2. In the title, give the main idea or positive opinion about the restaurant.
  3. Write about the restaurant's main achievements.
  4. Talk about the kind of food it offers.
  5. Maybe you can say something about the service and the decor.
  6. Use a semi-formal style.

Write your answer in 220–250 words.

Evaluation

Fill in this schedule and answer the questions below.

(Copy to Word or write down in your notebook)

Activity

 

Needs
Improvement

Satisfactory,
good

Excellent

 

Step 1 - Speaking

I can speak with my classmate about photos of food on social media.

 

 

 

Step 2 - Listening

I can listen and understand five different extracts about working with food.

 

 

 

Step 3 - Reading

I can answer questions about a text about millennial obsession for food.

 

 

 

Step 4 - Words

I can find words in the text according to the meanings and complete sentences with words from the text.

 

 

 

Step 5 - Task

I can write a review.

 

 

  

 

What have you learnt in this period?
Answer the following questions:

  • What was the easiest part of this lesson?
  • What was the most difficult part?
  • What did you already know?
  • What was new to you in this lesson?
  • What do you have to ask your teacher?

Finishing touch

Project: Feed the world

A presentation

You are going to do a presentation about the way social media can affect and change food choices.

  1. Find some images. Create two collages - one showing food in a positive light, and the other showing food in a negative way.
  2. You are going to explain your choices to your classmates. Consider these questions:
    • What criteria did you look for when you were selecting your positive and negative images? (e.g. words, internet search, hashtag .. .others?)
      What, for you, constitutes positive? And what is negative?
    • What are the differences between your negative and positive collage of the media portraying food choices?
    • Are words/colour/size the same or different in both collages? How are they different? Why?
    • On social media is an image of someone losing weight considered a positive influence on food choices or negative, why?
    • Imagine that you work for a marketing company. You have been asked to think of some ways to market a new brand of hotdog.
      How would you promote this hotdog on social media? (e.g. colours used, hashtags, imagery).

See below how your presentation will be judged.

 

Good

Sufficient

Insufficient

Organisation

Information is presented in a logical sequence.

Information is mostly presented in a logical sequence.

Information is not presented in a logical sequence.

Content

Interesting, clear information.

Information is mostly interesting. Some was already known.

There was not much that was of interest in this presentation.

Speaker style

Speaks clearly and at an understandable pace. Well-rehearsed.

Mostly speaks clearly and a good pace. Has rehearsed a bit.

Mostly unintelligible. Has not rehearsed.

Language

The vocabulary use is very good and the sentence structure is good.

The vocabulary use is fairly good and the sentence structure is good.

The vocabulary use is not very good, neither is the sentence structure.

Oefenprogramma Engels

If your school participates in VO-content, you can practice with the English practice program 'Oefenprogramma Engels'.


Here you find a part of this program.
This section fits in well with this theme.
Sign in with your 'School Entree account'!

The food-waste rebel

 

An abattoir for dodgy arguments

 


On www.oefenprogrammaengels.nl you can of course also practice with other reading, listening or viewing assignments!

Examentraining

On this page you will find Examenkracht exam questions of previous years.
The questions will correspond as much as possible to the exercise you have just finished.

While answering, use as much of what you have learned earlier. If you cannot answer the question right now, try again later. When you have answered a question, you can check and indicate the score yourself.

If you want your results to be saved, you will have to log in on ExamenKracht.

VWO 2019-TV1

VWO 2019-TV1 Vragen 3 en 4

VWO 2019-TV2

VWO 2019-TV2 Vragen 3-5

VWO 2016-TV1

VWO 2016-TV1 Vraag 12
VWO 2016-TV1 Vraag 13
VWO 2016-TV1 Vraag 14
VWO 2016-TV1 Vraag 16
VWO 2016-TV1 Vraag 17

 

More practice?
Go to Examenkracht where you will find the newest exams.

What did you learn?

At the end of each lesson you answered evaluation questions.
Use these answers to answer the following questions:

  • What new things did you learn?
  • Which assignment was the best one to learn from?
  • Are you able to do what you have to do?

Timing
In the introduction of each double period there is an indication of the amount of time you need to do the activity.

  • What do you think of this timing?

Finishing touch Project

  • Did you do the project? How did it go?
  • Was the 'rubric' at the end helpful for you?
  • Could you indicate yourself, how did it go?

  • Het arrangement Food issues v456 is gemaakt met Wikiwijs van Kennisnet. Wikiwijs is hét onderwijsplatform waar je leermiddelen zoekt, maakt en deelt.

    Auteur
    VO-content
    Laatst gewijzigd
    28-11-2025 12:05:04
    Licentie

    Dit lesmateriaal is gepubliceerd onder de Creative Commons Naamsvermelding-GelijkDelen 4.0 Internationale licentie. Dit houdt in dat je onder de voorwaarde van naamsvermelding en publicatie onder dezelfde licentie vrij bent om:

    • het werk te delen - te kopiëren, te verspreiden en door te geven via elk medium of bestandsformaat
    • het werk te bewerken - te remixen, te veranderen en afgeleide werken te maken
    • voor alle doeleinden, inclusief commerciële doeleinden.

    Meer informatie over de CC Naamsvermelding-GelijkDelen 4.0 Internationale licentie.

    Het thema 'Feed the world' (v456) is ontwikkeld door auteurs en medewerkers van StudioVO.

    Fair Use
    In de Stercollecties van StudioVO wordt gebruik gemaakt van beeld- en filmmateriaal dat beschikbaar is op internet. Bij het gebruik zijn we uitgegaan van fair use.
    Meer informatie: Fair use

    Mocht u vragen/opmerkingen hebben, neem dan contact op via de
    helpdesk VO-content.

    Aanvullende informatie over dit lesmateriaal

    Van dit lesmateriaal is de volgende aanvullende informatie beschikbaar:

    Toelichting
    Dit thema valt onder de arrangeerbare leerlijn van de Stercollectie voor Engels voor vwo, leerjaar 4, 5 en 6. Dit is thema: 'Food issues'. Dit thema omvat de volgende volgende onderwerpen: - Food Throwing Away - How To Feed the World - Obsessed With Food De grammaticaopdrachten gaan over passive, tenses and modal verbs.
    Leerniveau
    VWO 6; VWO 4; VWO 5;
    Leerinhoud en doelen
    Engels;
    Eindgebruiker
    leerling/student
    Moeilijkheidsgraad
    gemiddeld
    Studiebelasting
    16 uur 0 minuten
    Trefwoorden
    arrangeerbaar, engels, food issues, food throwing away, how to feed the world, obsessed with food, passive, tenses and modal verbs, stercollectie, v456

    Gebruikte Wikiwijs Arrangementen

    VO-content Engels. (2020).

    Food throwing away v456

    https://maken.wikiwijs.nl/165215/Food_throwing_away_v456

    VO-content Engels. (2020).

    How to Feed the World v456

    https://maken.wikiwijs.nl/165216/How_to_Feed_the_World_v456

    VO-content Engels. (2020).

    Obsessed with food v456

    https://maken.wikiwijs.nl/165217/Obsessed_with_food_v456

  • Downloaden

    Het volledige arrangement is in de onderstaande formaten te downloaden.

    Metadata

    LTI

    Leeromgevingen die gebruik maken van LTI kunnen Wikiwijs arrangementen en toetsen afspelen en resultaten terugkoppelen. Hiervoor moet de leeromgeving wel bij Wikiwijs aangemeld zijn. Wil je gebruik maken van de LTI koppeling? Meld je aan via info@wikiwijs.nl met het verzoek om een LTI koppeling aan te gaan.

    Maak je al gebruik van LTI? Gebruik dan de onderstaande Launch URL’s.

    Arrangement

    IMSCC package

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