School lunches are key to sustainable development, and now I would like to explore the potential of school lunches as a potential “doorway to the world”.
Child Labor
Did you know that the cocoa beans in today’s school lunches are produced by children in Africa?
I’m pretty sure that’s child labor, right?
I’ve heard of it, but I’m not sure…
Please tell me!
Child labor is any work that interferes with compulsory education or is dangerous or harmful to children under the age of 18, which is prohibited by law. There are 152 million children in the world, or 1 in 10 children, who engage in child labor.
Child labor is most common in Africa.
In developing countries, children work in agriculture-related jobs in plantation agriculture, while in industrially developed countries, some children work in factories.
IOL2013Marking Progress against Child
Labourより
So what can we do to solve child labor?
I think that if we all know about these problems, we can develop a high level of awareness for long term solutions.
I realized that sustainability is hidden in what I see in front of me, and I want to actively learn more about it in the future.
School lunches are a great way to get to know the world!
Science and Technology
How can science and technology be incorporated into today’s school lunches?
1. Substitute Food
They are foods that are made artificially using plant and animal cells and ingredients.
The goal is to incorporate nutrients that are still the same as they are in nature and to ensure that they are produced in large quantities in an environmentally friendly manner
School lunches are very important for children to get their nutrition for the day.
When alternative foods evolve, the protein and calcium in natto, miso soup and milk, and the foods themselves will be made artificially.
2. Cultured Meat
They are cultured meat made by taking cells from cows, pigs and other animals and culturing them.
The goal is to provide equal amounts of protein for people who cannot eat meat due to a variety of factors such as veganism, allergies or religion. It tastes and looks as close to meat as possible, but it’s not the real meat.
The production of meat has a negative impact on the environment, as it consumes large amounts of water and land to raise the animals and the carbon dioxide emitted by the animals affects global warming.
Cultured meat does not require the raising of animals, which would reduce the burden on the environment.
In the future, hamburgers and other meat products that we used to eat in school lunches will gradually be replaced by cultured meat.
Someday, we may not be able to eat real meat anymore.
However…
・It takes a lot of money to make food with science and technology. When it is introduced in school lunches, the challenge is to see if families can afford it.
・There are many issues that need to be discussed, such as whether the food is really safe, whether it is environmentally friendly, and whether children can eat the same food as before.
・And some of the foods you eat now, such as meat, may be gone in the future.
It’s important to consider the various ways in which our food, including school lunches, will be affected by scientific and technological advances.
School lunches are a resource for thinking about the future!
