Children's Opportunity: International Children's Painting Competition "Wasting Our Food is Wasting Our Planet"

The United Nations Environment Programme is once again hosting International Children's Painting Competition. According to UNEP:

The International Children’s Painting Competition (ICPC) on the Environment is organized every year by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Japan-based Foundation for Global Peace and Environment (FGPE), Bayer and Nikon Corporation. Some 3 million entries from children in more than 150 countries have been received since the competition’s inception in 1991.

UNEP’s Regional for Office of North America in partnership with Bayer Corporation has launched the 23^rd annual International Children's Painting Competition (ICPC) for the 2013-2014 school year. We are calling for entries to all six to 14- year-olds in the United States and Canada to express their creativity and environmental awareness by participating in this year’s competition. 

The theme is “Wasting Our Food is Wasting Our Planet.” The Students are expected to focus on the responsibility we all have in reducing the enormous amount of food that is lost or wasted each year worldwide. Please look at the attached brochure for the entry requirements and the press release for more information. 

All entries must be submitted by March 15, 2013.  Click here for more details!

Food Focus Event: Recap!

Girls look out at the view from the Dana Center

Recently, the World Assn of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) UN NYC Team hosted an event "Food Focus: Enough for Everyone!" to raise awareness about food waste. Over 30 Junior girls (grades 4-5) from the Girl Scouts of Greater New York attended the event, which was held on November 9 in the beautiful Dana Center in the north end of Central Park. Girls who participated in the event earned the WAGGGS Climate Challenge Badge (more info on the badge available here: http://www.wagggs.org/en/take_action/activities/climatechange). "Think, Eat, Save" t-shirts and youth magazines on food & the environment were provided by UN Environment Programme (UNEP) for all of the girls who attended the event. Oxfam provided informational booklets on food waste, paper place mats with food facts on them, and stickers for girls to take home. Special thank you to our youth volunteers from the Forever Green Leadership Team (more info on the team is available here: http://www.girlscoutsnyc.org/girls/Environmental-Leadership-Programs/forever-green).

Girls making their own compost bins to take home with them

Resources:

Video

 

"The Rotten Journey" by Wildlife Watch UK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jruwgDcK2C0
Discussion Questions on "The Rotten Journey"
1. What did the apple core eventually become? (soil)
2. How long does composting take? (many months)
3. What are some things you can compost? (apple, grass, paper, etc.)
4. What do you need to break down the items into soil? (oxygen, water, worms)
5. What were the benefits to composting? (benefits the plants)

"Food Wastage Footprint" by FAO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoCVrkcaH6Q
Questions on "Food Wastage Footprint"
1. What are some of the negatives of food waste? (wasted food, money, water, land, carbon emissions)
2. If food is not fit for humans, who could it be given to? (animals)
3. What are some other food waste solutions provided in the video? (adjusting prices of irregular shaped food, storing food, food portions, adjust sell by date)
4. What is the base of the food waste pyramid? (minimize landfill)
5. Who can play a role in reducing food waste? (producer, supermarket, household, restaurant, nation)

Girls watch the two short videos

Websites

Oxfam booklets that were distributed at the event are available online here: http://www.oxfamamerica.org/campaigns/food-justice/five-principles-for-feeding-the-planet

TUNZA, the youth component of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), has a website with information for children & youth to get involved in saving the environment: http://www.unep.org/tunza/

A girl presents the "advertisement" she made on composting

YUNGA, or the Youth & UN Global Alliance, has some great information and resources on climate change: http://yunga-youth.weebly.com/

The FAO, or the Food & Agriculture Organization of the UN, which was a co-sponsor of the Climate Change badge, has a ton of climate change information available here: http://www.fao.org/climatechange/youth/en/

Information on composting in New York City: http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycwasteless/html/compost/compostproj.shtml