Sustainable Food Fortnight Quiz! Trivia

1. Almost 80% of world fish stocks are over exploited. Fish is a valuable source of protein and a key part of the diet of most nations. In Bangladesh, fish play a vital role in the economy for employment, dietary protein supply and for foreign currency earning. What change has proved successful for fish farmers?

Raising fish in flooded rice paddies

Feeding fish more frequently

Adding lime to the water

Undernutrition is one of the world’s most serious challenges. Nearly one-third of children in developing countries are underweight or stunted and undernutrition contributes to one-third of all child deaths.
Practical Action has been working with small scale farmers on raising fish in rice paddies. Fish thrive among the dense rice plants and fertilise them with their droppings, eat insect pests and help to circulate oxygen around the rice field. This can increase rice yields by up to 10% – plus they have the additional supplies of fish. Fish is an excellent source of protein and so improves people’s health and extra rice yields enable farmers to sell some of their surplus crop.

Explanation

Undernutrition is one of the world’s most serious challenges. Nearly one-third of children in developing countries are underweight or stunted and undernutrition contributes to one-third of all child deaths.
Practical Action has been working with small scale farmers on raising fish in rice paddies. Fish thrive among the dense rice plants and fertilise them with their droppings, eat insect pests and help to circulate oxygen around the rice field. This can increase rice yields by up to 10% – plus they have the additional supplies of fish. Fish is an excellent source of protein and so improves people’s health and extra rice yields enable farmers to sell some of their surplus crop.

2. 2016 is the is the international year of pulses. Pulses are an important food group, especially in the developing world, being nutritious, cheap and easy to cultivate. They can also be stored for long periods without losing their nutritional value so have a low food wastage rate. Which of the following is NOT a pulse?

Lentil

Chickpea

Soya bean

The soya bean is classified by the FAO as an oilseed. Parts of far western Nepal suffer from chronic food insecurity. Many farmers are unable to produce enough food from their average land to support their family for the whole year. Practical Action has been working with these communities to improve their access to technical knowledge to improve their productivity and to provide better markets for their produce. Pulses are a highly sustainable food crop and will be an essential part of an improved diet.

Explanation

The soya bean is classified by the FAO as an oilseed. Parts of far western Nepal suffer from chronic food insecurity. Many farmers are unable to produce enough food from their average land to support their family for the whole year. Practical Action has been working with these communities to improve their access to technical knowledge to improve their productivity and to provide better markets for their produce. Pulses are a highly sustainable food crop and will be an essential part of an improved diet.

3. Food sustainability advice suggests that we reduce the proportion of meat in our diet and have at least one meat free day per week. Meat production is both energy and water intensive so eating less meat is not only good for our health but good for the planet. How many litres of water does it take to produce a kilogram of beef?

27,800

15,400

1,845

Beef has the largest water footprint of any meat because of the amount required to grow feed for beef cattle. Chicken has the lowest. Meat production puts more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than transport – so eating less meat is not only good for our health but good for the planet. Livestock farming provides vital income generation for people living in the Andes in Peru, where the land is unsuitable for arable farming. Alpacas are reared primarily for their wool, which is highly prized but the meat is also eaten as an occasional treat.

Explanation

Beef has the largest water footprint of any meat because of the amount required to grow feed for beef cattle. Chicken has the lowest. Meat production puts more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than transport – so eating less meat is not only good for our health but good for the planet. Livestock farming provides vital income generation for people living in the Andes in Peru, where the land is unsuitable for arable farming. Alpacas are reared primarily for their wool, which is highly prized but the meat is also eaten as an occasional treat.

4. Tomatoes are so versatile! Actually a fruit rather than a vegetable, they are grown across the world. They are rich in vitamins and antioxidants. In which continent did tomatoes originate?

Europe

Asia

South America

Fruit and vegetables form the major part of the diet of rural families in Zimbabwe. Ensuring sufficient produce both to feed the family and to sell in the market is challenging in a country where drought is frequent. A micro-hydro scheme has given farmers in the Himalaya region the ability to irrigate their crops. They are now able to cultivate more land and grow larger quantities of vegetables and fruit. Find out more.

Explanation

Fruit and vegetables form the major part of the diet of rural families in Zimbabwe. Ensuring sufficient produce both to feed the family and to sell in the market is challenging in a country where drought is frequent. A micro-hydro scheme has given farmers in the Himalaya region the ability to irrigate their crops. They are now able to cultivate more land and grow larger quantities of vegetables and fruit. Find out more.

5. Bangladesh is almost self-sufficient in rice production, although its growing city population is threatening this. Varieties of rice that are drought-tolerant, salt-tolerant, disease-resistant, and submergence-resistant are vital because of the effects of climate change in Bangladesh. How much rice per person is consumed in Bangladesh?

54 kilos

197 kilos

89 kilos

In Sri Lanka, increased sea levels have caused sea water intrusion into coastal lagoons and estuary systems, causing the destruction and slow change of existing habitats. Using organic farming practices and planting traditional rice varieties proved successful at growing rice in areas affected by salinity. Find out more.

Explanation

In Sri Lanka, increased sea levels have caused sea water intrusion into coastal lagoons and estuary systems, causing the destruction and slow change of existing habitats. Using organic farming practices and planting traditional rice varieties proved successful at growing rice in areas affected by salinity. Find out more.

6. Coffee is one of the most valuable commodities exported by developing countries. Unroasted coffee is one of the most traded agricultural commodities in the world. Trade issues and the impact of coffee cultivation on the environment have created an expanding market for fair trade and organic coffee.Kopi Luwak is the world's most expensive coffee. It is special because

It is grown at a higher altitude than any other coffee?

It is harvested exclusively by monks?

It is made from beans eaten and excreted by a wild cat?

Many acres of the Amazon rain forest has been cleared for coffee plantations. Practical Action has been working with coffee farmers to promote an agroforestry system where coffee bushes are grown sustainably under the existing rainforest canopy.

Explanation

Many acres of the Amazon rain forest has been cleared for coffee plantations. Practical Action has been working with coffee farmers to promote an agroforestry system where coffee bushes are grown sustainably under the existing rainforest canopy.

7. One in nine people does not have enough food to lead a healthy active life. The second of the world's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2) aims to: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. Rural communities in Bangladesh, living along the banks of its mighty rivers, are on the front line of climate change. Each year flooding destroys homes and livelihoods and washes away agricultural land resulting in reduced yields and hunger. How many people are affected by flooding worldwide each year?

40 million

250 million

1 billion

Practical Action are working with flood prone communities to grow crops on the sandbars created as the floodwaters recede. The sand left behind is infertile but soil can be made productive by using the technique of pit cultivation for pumpkins and other crops.

Explanation

Practical Action are working with flood prone communities to grow crops on the sandbars created as the floodwaters recede. The sand left behind is infertile but soil can be made productive by using the technique of pit cultivation for pumpkins and other crops.

8. Almost 50% of the total amount of food thrown away in the UK comes from our homes. We throw away 7 million tonnes of food and drink from our homes every year in the UK, and more than half of this is food and drink we could have eaten. What is the major reason given for throwing food away?

Cooked too much

Didn't like it

Didn't use it in time

Food and drink waste (worth £5.6 billion) was thrown away in the UK in 2012 because it had either gone off or passed the date on the packaging. This included large amounts of bread, milk, and fresh potatoes. Find out more at Love Food Hate Waste.

We rely on farmers from all over the world to produce our food. 75% of the world population is fed with food provided locally by small-scale farmers, fishers or herders. But many of these are themselves undernourished. Minimizing food waste will help to ensure that there is enough for everyone in the world. The Zeer pot is a simple technology that helps people in hot climates keep food fresh for longer.

Explanation

Food and drink waste (worth £5.6 billion) was thrown away in the UK in 2012 because it had either gone off or passed the date on the packaging. This included large amounts of bread, milk, and fresh potatoes. Find out more at Love Food Hate Waste.

We rely on farmers from all over the world to produce our food. 75% of the world population is fed with food provided locally by small-scale farmers, fishers or herders. But many of these are themselves undernourished. Minimizing food waste will help to ensure that there is enough for everyone in the world. The Zeer pot is a simple technology that helps people in hot climates keep food fresh for longer.