Assignment

This assignment asks students to trace the path of a food product(s) backwards from consumption to distribution to production. In order to do this, students will work in groups of two or three to research and document the processes and stages a food item goes through starting with its purchase in Hong Kong through to its source(s), including outputs and inputs along its lifecycle (such as fuel, fertilizer, waste etc) and present the project as a short written essay (1000-1500) accompanied by photographic documentation, diagrams and maps.

This group project and presentation will allow students to synthesize their learning in the course, use the information and skills acquired in the course, and apply these concepts to their real life and practices. The course instructors have chosen several common Hong Kong dishes and food categories (see list below). Each tutorial group will be divided into smaller groups, each taking an ingredient in the larger dish, or a sub-category of food. The larger tutorial group will work together to put together a consolidated map(s) of food sources and statistics to summarizes the work of their tutorial, while the smaller groups will research their own product from the point of purchase to its source, tracing it through its lifecycle and contributing to the work of the larger tutorial group. The project will also compile information on the environmental and health impacts and costs of the food product’s production, distribution and eventual disposal, including an examination of natural resources inputs and impacts, and the embedded energy required to produce and dispose of packaging. The assignment requirements will include a short written description (1000-1500 words), photographic documentation, diagrams and maps that will be presented as a pdf and presentation to the class. The work will also be collected online and into a publication which will be distributed to the students as a future resource and record of the course.