ACTIVITY Climate is

BOOK changing
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ISBN 978-92-5-130624-6
© FAO, 2018

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Climate is changing.
Food and agriculture must too.

About FAO

FAO helps countries to fight hunger and malnutrition, Every year, we celebrate World Food Day on 16
making sure that everyone has enough nutritious food October to remember the birth of FAO in 1945 and
to lead active, healthy lives. We work mostly in rural call on people to join the fight against hunger. Over
areas, where nearly 80 percent of the world's poor and 150 countries across the world celebrate with us to
hungry people live. Our main goals are to end hunger raise awareness about hunger and the need to ensure
and poverty, make sure that people eat nutritious food, that everyone has access to safe and nutritious food.
and help countries to better manage their natural The theme for World Food Day 2016 was “Climate is
resources. FAO is present in over 130 countries around changing. Food and agriculture must too.”
the world, and is headquartered in Rome, Italy.

3
4
Colour the white Climate is Changing
sections to complete
the picture. What would happen if we cut down all the forests and solutions to climate change and hunger. Each of these
if we did nothing to protect our oceans or the people solutions can become a reality if we all do our part,
affected by climate change? This Activity Book looks and the tips we provide at the end of this book are a
at key issues related to climate change and agriculture great place to start! Every picture is incomplete, and we
in an enchanted world, through illustrations by Lorenzo need you to use your imagination to colour in the white
Terranera. Each illustration explores an important spaces. Show us how by working together, we can fight
message related to the 2016 World Food Day theme. climate change, protect our planet and end hunger.
Join your favourite fairytale characters in finding

Climate change, food and agriculture Adapting to climate change We are the Zero Hunger Generation
Our everyday actions, decisions and behavior all have an Adapting to climate change means changing how we Did you know that around 1 in 9 people go to bed hungry
impact on the climate. Climate change is affecting the grow food to make sure that our planet remains healthy every night? That’s more than 800 million people. We
health of our planet and changing our world. It is causing and able to produce the food we will need in the future. It already produce enough food in the world to feed everyone,
more natural disasters and environmental problems, also means protecting the poorest people, affected most so why are there still hungry people? Hunger exists for
which make it harder for us to grow food. Growing by climate change, by preparing them for natural disasters many reasons: poor people may not have the money to buy
food is part of the problem too, as we have been taking such as drought and increasing their ability to recover food; war can prevent people from having access to food;
shortcuts and harming our planet, to produce what we faster from disasters that can’t be avoided. natural disasters can cause hunger; and too much food is
need. wasted. The good news is that leaders around the world
We need to adapt food and agriculture to climate change want to end hunger. In 2015, 193 countries committed to 17
In order to feed a growing population, set to reach 9.6 in a sustainable way. Sustainability is all about the future Sustainable Development Goals, with an overall aim to end
billion by the year 2050, we will have to learn to grow – it’s about building and maintaining a healthy planet that hunger by 2030. But leaders can’t do this alone. They need
what we need in a way that doesn’t continue to destroy can feed our growing population and the generations the help of international organizations, farmers, schools,
the planet. to come. universities, companies and you. We can become the first
generation to cancel hunger from the planet – the Zero
Hunger Generation – if we work together. Ending hunger
is everyone’s responsibility and all of us have a role to play,
even through changing our simple day-to-day actions and
decisions.

5
Seven areas for change

This book looks at seven different areas related to food

and agriculture where change needs to happen if we
want to deal with climate change. This is the only way
that we can end world hunger.

These are:

• Forestry
• Agriculture
• Livestock management
• Food Waste
• Natural Resources
• Fisheries
• Food Systems

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Forestry

Many people around the

world live in forests or
depend on them for food.
Forests not only provide
shelter and food for people
and other creatures, they
also produce oxygen,
clean the air we breathe by
absorbing gases like carbon
dioxide, and give us plenty
of fresh water. Our forests
are quickly disappearing,
with thousands of trees
being cut down each year
to clear land for farming,
among other uses. We have
to protect and care for our
forests to keep our planet
and those who live on
it healthy.

Colour the white

sections to complete
the picture.
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Agriculture

As the climate changes,

the way food is grown and
produced must change
too. Climate change is
making it harder to grow
food because of natural
disasters, like floods,
droughts, and warmer
seasons. Food and
agriculture need to adapt
to the effects of climate
change in order to produce
more for a growing global
population in a sustainable
way. Many of the world’s
poorest people are farmers,
who are hit hardest by
the increase in natural
disasters caused by
climate change. We need
to strengthen their ability
to prepare for bad weather,
but when it’s particularly
bad and disasters are
unavoidable, we need
to help them recover by
reducing the damage
and losses.

Colour the white

sections to complete
the picture.
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Livestock
Management
The way that farmers look
after animals, including
cows, goats, sheep, pigs,
donkeys and camels,
produces most of the
greenhouse gases that
come from agriculture.
Changing the way farmers
look after these animals
is an important step in
making sure they produce
less harmful gasses. This
is especially important,
considering that we will
need even more animals
in the future to feed the
growing population. More
natural resources are also
used to provide meat than
vegetables or pulses (e.g.
lentils, beans, peas and
chickpeas), especially
water. Eating at least one
meat-free meal every
week is something you
can do to help.

Colour the white

sections to complete
the picture.
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Food waste

A large amount of
greenhouse gases are
released to produce the
food we eat every day.
But the worst thing is that
over one third of the food
produced worldwide is lost
or wasted. Wasting food
means wasting the money,
labour, and resources such
as energy, land and water
that go into producing
the food. Wasted food
usually ends up in landfills
where it rots, and rotting
food is harmful to our
environment, because it
releases methane gas,
one of the most powerful
greenhouse gases. You
can throw away less
food by saving leftovers,
freezing portions of food,
helping your parents to
plan your meals, buying
only what you need at the
supermarket and trying
to buy ugly fruits and
vegetables.

Colour the white

sections to complete
the picture.
10
Natural Resources

At the moment, we’re

using far more natural
resources than we need
to produce food. There
are only a limited amount
of these resources and
they need to be available
for families in the future.
We’re also using the earth’s
precious resources poorly
and damaging important
ecosystems. We’re cutting
down forests, polluting our
water systems and ruining
our soils. When managed
sustainably, soils can store
a large amount of carbon
and therefore they have a
huge potential to decrease
the greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere. If we manage
our natural resources
sustainably, not only can
we help to end hunger, but
we can also fight climate
change.

Colour the white

sections to complete
the picture.
11
Fisheries

Many people around the

world depend on oceans
and wetlands to make
a living and feed their
families. Oceans also store
a large amount of carbon
dioxide in their depths
and are home to over half
of all life on earth. Rising
ocean levels, warmer water
temperatures, pollution
and over-fishing mean that
our oceans and wetlands
are no longer healthy, and
that among other things,
we will run out of fish soon,
unless we do something.
Changing how we fish and
what fish we eat will help to
keep our oceans full of fish
for years to come.

Colour the white

sections to complete
the picture.
12
Food Systems

One of the things that will

help us to end hunger by
2030 is to make sure that
we create sustainable food
systems. What is a food
system? Food goes through
many stages before making
it onto your plate, travelling
from farms and fields to the
market and supermarkets,
and finally to your home.
This long process is linked
like a chain and is known
as a food system. If a link
breaks (or doesn’t work like
we expect it to because
there isn’t enough food for
example), the whole process
is interrupted. A sustainable
food system can feed our
growing population without
damaging the planet. It’s
the key to ending hunger for
good and becoming the Zero
Hunger Generation. You can
help by choosing to buy food
that is sustainably produced,
locally grown and has the
fair trade stamp.

Colour the white

sections to complete
the picture.
13
 What Climate actions to
change our world
Preserve the earth’s
precious natural resources

can
Our planet is heating
up. Glaciers are melting, The earth provides us with everything we need to
sea levels are rising, and grow food and live healthy lives, in the form of natural

I do?
extreme weather events resources. These resources are land, water, animals and
like droughts, cyclones plants. We can’t grow food without water and soil, and we
and floods are becoming will have a much harder time growing enough healthy and
more common. All of these nutritious food if the water we have is polluted and the
events have two things in soil has been stripped of all the rich minerals that make it
common: 1. they have the fertile. If we want to be able to continue to grow enough
worst effect on the world’s safe and nutritious food for everyone on the planet we
poorest people, many of have to protect our natural resources.
whom work as farmers, and
make it harder for them
to grow food; and 2. they
threaten the global goal to
end hunger by 2030.

The good news is that we

can help. We need to waste
less food, save our forests,
consume less energy or
use energy sources that
cause less pollution, and
protect the earth’s precious
natural resources like water
and land, among other
things.

What can YOU do about

it? You can tackle climate
change by changing your
daily habits and making
simple decisions. We
challenge you to pick four
of the actions and stick
to them.

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Don’t waste water. Take a short shower rather Keep our oceans full of fish. Convince your Buy organic. Organic farming helps our soil to stay
than a bath. Bathtubs use gallons more water than a 5-10 friends and family to eat fish species that are more healthy and retain its ability to store carbon, which helps
minute shower. And turn off the water while brushing your abundant, such as mackerel or herring, rather than those reduce climate change. Help your parents to find organic
teeth. Cleaning your teeth with the tap running uses 6 litres that are at risk of being overfished, like cod or tuna. You can and fair-trade products in your local supermarkets or
of water, while cleaning them with the tap off uses less also buy fish that has been caught or farmed sustainably, farmers’ markets.
than 1 litre of water. Remind your parents to fix any leaks such as eco-labelled or certified fish, and if you order
- a leaky tap can waste more than 11,000 litres of water in seafood at a restaurant, always ask if it’s sustainable. Keep soils and water clean. Pick up litter and
a year! The plants in your garden can also be watered with ask your parents to choose household cleaners, paint
collected rainwater and ‘grey water’, which is the water you Energy efficient is best. If your family is thinking and other products that are free from bleach or other
use to wash your hands and/or dirty dishes. of replacing household appliances, like a fridge or a strong chemicals. By reducing litter and using eco-friendly
washing machine, you can recommend that they buy products we can limit water contamination and soil
Eat new things. Try to eat an all-veggie meal energy-efficient appliances, that use less electricity. Save degradation.
(including pulses like lentils, beans, peas and chickpeas) energy also by turning off the lights when you leave a room,
instead of one meat meal a week. More natural resources unplugging your TV, stereo or computer, rather than leaving Use solar panels or other green energy
are used to provide meat than plants or pulses, especially them on standby, and by using energy efficient light bulbs. systems. Find out if you can do so at home, school or at
water. Millions of acres of rainforest are also slashed and You could also put on an extra jumper in the winter and work by asking your teacher or parents to research available
burned in order to turn the land into grass pastures for ask your parents to turn down the heating, or shade the grants and government incentives.
livestock including cows. windows from the sun in summertime.

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Waste less and reduce your foodprint Buy only what you need. Help your parents to Don’t let labels fool you. There’s a big difference
plan family meals by preparing a weekly shopping list and between “best-before” and “use-by” dates. Sometimes food
Just like the carbon footprint we produce every year, stick to it! Not only will your family waste less food, they will is still safe to eat after the “best before” date, whereas it’s
through the release of greenhouse gases like carbon also save money! the “use by” date, which tells you when it‘s no longer safe to
dioxide (by travelling in cars or planes and using eat. Teach your family the difference and ask your parents
electricity for example), we also produce a foodprint to check things carefully before they throw them out.
through the hidden emissions of the foods we choose to
eat. Unlike a car, you can’t see the release of greenhouse Pick ugly fruit and vegetables. Funny fruit or
gases from your dinner, but the hidden trail of a meal’s vegetables are often thrown away because people don’t
entire trip from the farm to your plate is filled with want to buy them but in fact, they taste the same, if not Limit your plastic. Ask your family to buy food with
carbon-emitting processes. In addition to eating more better. Talk to your parents about buying ugly fruit and less packaging, bring their own bags when they shop, and
vegetables or pulses and less meat, we can also reduce vegetables and make use of food that might otherwise go use refillable water bottles and coffee cups.
waste in the following ways: to waste.

Recycle paper, plastic, glass and aluminum and reduce

the amount of waste that goes to landfills (pits of buried
rubbish).

Store food wisely. When your family stacks up the

cupboards or fridge, suggest that you move older products
to the front and new ones to the back. Once open, use
air-tight containers to keep food fresh in the fridge or close
packets to prevent insects from spoiling them.

Love your leftovers. If your family has cooked too

much, don’t throw it away! Ask your parents to freeze a
portion for another day or to transform it into something
else for the next day’s meal. If you’re at a restaurant, less is
more. Ask for half a portion if you think a full one might be
too big and ask to take your leftovers home. Again, you’ll
save food and money.

Make plant food. Sometimes food waste is

unavoidable, but that doesn’t mean it needs to end up in a
landfill. Instead of throwing your fruit and veggie peelings
and eggshells in the rubbish bin, ask your parents to help
you to set up a compost bin. This is a great way to recycle
foods that otherwise release greenhouse gases into the air,
and at the same time, you can give your garden a nutrient-
filled boost.
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Other ways to be climate smart Be rubbish-savvy. In addition to reducing, Spread the word! If you see an interesting social
re-using and recycling, learn about how to recycle or media post about combating climate change, click share
We’ve shown you different ways to look after the earth’s dispose of items that should never be thrown in a regular rather than like. And make yourself heard! Find out more
natural resources and waste less food, but there are other rubbish bin – batteries, paints, mobile phones, medicine, about your local and national authorities and think of
things you can do that will also help us to keep our planet chemicals, fertilizers, tires, ink cartridges, etc. These are ways they could be engaged in initiatives that are aimed at
healthy and to end hunger. Do you do any of these things terrible for the environment, especially if they get into helping the planet.
already? Is there something you could try? water systems.

Pass it on. See what clothes, toys or books you can

Bike, walk or use public transport. Reduce pass on to friends, family and charity organizations. Better
your family’s carbon footprint by asking if you can walk or yet, buy second-hand books, clothes and other goods as
cycle to places close by or, if possible, suggesting that you much as possible to save energy and money.
sometimes take public transport.

Be an eco-traveler. When you go on holiday with

Shop locally. Shop KM 0. By buying local produce, your your family, consider not travelling by plane if you can.
family can support neighbourhood businesses and lower Planes emit a huge amount of CO2 into the atmosphere.
your foodprint, for example, by preventing trucks from If you can’t avoid it, either try to choose air companies that
driving long distances. have carbon emission offset programmes, or participate
in a tree planting campaign or renewable energy project to
help to offset your emissions.
Make cities greener. Add some green to the scene
by encouraging your teacher to help create and maintain a
school garden. You could also create your own vegetable
garden at home, or a container garden on your rooftop or
balcony. If there’s no space available, talk to your family
about teaming up with neighbors to grow a community
garden on a vacant lot. Plants or green areas create shade,
clean the air, cool the cityscape, and reduce water pollution.

Protect forests and save paper. Use as little

paper as possible: photocopy and print on both sides and
print only when you really need to. Collect scrap paper
at school and at home to use for drawing and notes and
encourage your school and family to buy and use forest-
friendly recycled paper, paper towels, toilet paper, etc.

Keep up to date on climate change. Follow

your local news and stay in touch with FAO’s climate
change website or social media at @FAOclimate.

17
Tell your friends and family about the actions you have
chosen to combat climate change, and ask them to
choose some of their own!

1. _______________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________

4. _______________________________________________________

Look at the pictures to the right.

What do you see? Does one scene look better than the
other? What do you think they both mean?

Climate change can change our world in many ways,

some for the better, but others for the worse. We need to
make sure that families don’t suffer because of climate
change, and that these changes don’t stop future families
from being able to grow enough food to feed a growing
global population.

To make sure that climate change doesn’t change our

world for the worse, we need to change the way we do
things TODAY. The four actions you picked may seem
small, but if everyone joins in and does their part, we will
be able to keep our world and its people fed, and become
the Zero Hunger Generation.

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Activity Book Series
You can download the FAO Activity Book Series on our “Building the #ZeroHunger
Generation” portal together with a range of material to support educators and parents
in the preparation of activities or classes on important global issues at the core of
FAO’s work: www.fao.org/building-the-zerohunger-generation

• Your guide to FAO • Working for Zero Hunger • Change the future
of Migration

Contact us:

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

Viale delle Terme di Caracalla

00153 Rome, Italy

[email protected]

www.fao.org

ISBN 978-92-5-130624-6

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