The Food Chain
Nourishing our communities during the pandemic
Washington State is one of the most agriculturally productive places in the world, but COVID-19 has changed the way we produce, distribute, and share the food we grow.
Farmers need to get food to customers. Restaurants need to keep their doors open. We all need healthy, affordable food to eat. The pandemic makes these things harder than ever.
How can we ensure that every Washingtonian has access to healthy, affordable, and environmentally sustainable food during the pandemic?
What the community has to say:
To take on this challenge, you can choose from one of the following problem-solving prompts, or create one of your own using the following themes:
School Meals & Healthy Foods
Design a plan for school meals containing food that is grown locally in Washington, and provides healthy, good tasting food to students.
Background information
After backlash, USDA agrees to extend free-meal program for children - Washington Post
Eligible families encouraged to apply for free and reduced-price meal programs - OSPI
Free and reduced priced meals in King County - Communities Count 📊
Hungry with children: 1 in 3 U.S. families with kids don't have enough food - CBS News
Meal plans organized for Washington students amid coronavirus school closures - King 5 News
Food Waste and Climate Science
Reversing the impacts of climate change is one of the top priorities for Washington State. Food waste contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, which in turn drive up the negative impacts of climate change.
Background information
COVID-19 is making our food waste problem even worse - Food & Wine
Fight climate change by preventing food waste - World Wildlife Foundation
How the USDA’s food box initiative overpaid and underdelivered - KUOW
Smashing eggs, dumping milk: Farmers waste more food than ever - Bloomberg
Why coronavirus is causing a massive amount of food waste - CNBC 🎥
Food Production & Distribution
How can we help food banks connect with surplus food from farmers, restaurants, or homes?
Background Information
Coronavirus pandemic: Purchase and distribution of food eligible for public assistance - FEMA
Drive-thru food distribution paired with COVID-19 testing - KUOW
Food banks expecting a surge in new customers during COVID-19 - KUOW
Food insecurity rates in King County nearly double as pandemic continues - KUOW
Feeding America CEO: Unprecedented levels of food insecurity - Bloomberg 🎥
Potato giveaway draws huge crowd to Tacoma Dome - The News Tribune 🎥
Consumer Science
What are some ways that shopping for and eating food have changed because of the COVID-19 pandemic in your community? How do you know that these changes have occured?
Create a meal plan and a budget for and individual's weekly food consumption that shows some of these changes.
Background Information
Restaurants & Hospitality
If you were a restaurant owner today, how would you change your business to respond better to COVID-19?
Background Information
21 ways restaurants could change forever, according to chefs - Food and Wine
Economic recovery dashboard - WA State Department of Commerce 📊
How coronavirus decimated the restaurant industry overnight - CNBC 🎥
The Paycheck Protection Program is complicated for restaurants - Bon Appetit
What Seattle chefs and owners think about reopening restaurants at 50% capacity - Eater
Why I can’t afford to close my restaurant during the pandemic - Eater
Tools to help you implement this challenge case:
Get Instructional Guide
Use this guide to support your lesson/activity planning. Contains challenge case background research to share with youth and suggested activities.
Getting Started Guide
Use this checklist to help you plan your engagement with the challenge.
Submission Guidelines
The most creative solutions submitted will be recognized in Spring 2021. Take a look at the list of criteria, and learn how to submit.
Engage with Industry
Learn directly from industry leaders who work on them every day. Visit our schedule page to see the next engagement opportunity, and learn how to register.
Explore Future Pathways
Find information you can share with the youth you serve about college, Career Launch, apprenticeships, or postsecondary training in these fields.
Share on Lesson Bank
Share your lesson and activity plans with other teachers/program leaders statewide, and see what they are using with their students