WHERE AM I EATING? AN ADVENTURE THROUGH THE GLOBAL FOOD ECONOMYCHAPTER DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Developed by J.R. Jamison on behalf of Kelsey Timmerman

Part I Curriculum – Coffee: Product of Colombia

Chapter 1: The Starbucks Experience

1. What influence has American culture had on coffee exports and the lives of farmers?

2. If you had coffee this morning, where did that coffee come from? How have your purchasing decisions impacted the lives of coffee farmers? Do you feel your cup influenced these decisions?

3. Starbucks would not share the location of their farms because of proprietary information. How would you define proprietary? When should something be proprietary and when should it not?

4. Do you feel that it is fair for Starbucks to keep the information proprietary? Why or why not.

5. The Starbucks C.A.F.E. regulation program would not be defined as Fair Trade. Should farmers whose farms have been certified as Starbucks C.A.F.E. (with or without their knowledge) know the markup on their coffee? Why or why not.

6. Comparing Juan Valdez to Starbucks—what are the strengths and weaknesses of each model?

7. Empresas de Nariño had good intentions by giving away beneficios to lucky farmers, but it is clear their actions have not helped in the long run. What role should coffee companies have in continuing education for their farmers? What could that model look like?

8. What is it about the geography and climate of Colombia that makes it ideal for coffee?

9. Since the beginning of coffee in Ethiopia to its evolution to Central and South America, climate has played a major role in coffee. How is climate changing the coffee boom in present day?

10. Because of climate and politics, there has been a shift of coffee farms moving from Central and South America to places as far off as Vietnam. How does this impact the lives of farmers in Colombia? How does it impact the lives of farmers in non-traditional coffee growing locations?

Chapter 2: The Grande Gringo Picks Coffee

1. Once Kelsey had an eye for the Starbucks C.A.F.E emblem on farms, he noticed it everywhere. Farmers report, however, that Starbucks has not returned to help. Reflecting on question 7 from Chapter 1, what is the responsibility of companies to stay in communities for continuing education beyond initial setup?

2. Nespresso, operated by the European company Nestle, is beginning to take the lead in Colombia where Starbucks has fallen short. Is there a difference in U.S. regulations and standards and European regulations and standards that has made this possible?

3. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. regulations and standards model vs. the European regulations and standards model?

4. Coffee is the largest employer in Colombia. What is your largest employer? Are there exploitation comparisons between the largest employer in your hometown and the coffee farmers?

5. Kelsey risked his life climbing the steep slopes of a volcano to harvest coffee, and he indicated that the picking of the pods is not as easy as it might seem. Yet coffee farmers who are not part of a co-op are paid little. If you owned a major coffee company, what would you do to employ fair wages for your farmers?

Chapter 3: The Cup of Excellence

1. Using the definition of child labor as defined by the International Labor Organization, why are child labor laws important? How has it impacted trade agreements? Is it fairly monitored?

2. The New Free Trade Agreement between the U.S. and Colombia doesn’t affect coffee because it is already tariff-free; however, what are the human rights implications with the new Free Trade Agreement? Could the agreement hurt or help coffee farmers?

3. Starbucks C.A.F.E. third party inspectors practice has led to not so different conditions than non-C.A.F.E. practices, though clever marketing has continued to make Westerners feel good. How has Western popularity of fairness in purchasing hurt farming? How has it helped?

4. Kelsey discusses the human experience of giving and taking. What is the juxtaposition between the taking and giving with trade agreements and certification agencies and the giving of a Frisbee as a piece of the human connection?

5. The Juan Valdez logo by the Federation ensures the coffee is 100% Colombian certified. How can the fairness of coffee be traced if coffee is mixed (ex: not 100% Colombian certified)?

Chapter 4: The Heart of the World

1. “This is where every man comes to make decisions; spiritual ones, and ones about the land.” Kelsey felt this Arhuacan ethos about the environment resonated to his experience with grocery stores. In your community, where are places where you make these decisions?

2. How removed or not removed do you feel from decisions about the land?

3. The Fair Trade movement and co-ops work well with the Arhuaco because of their belief in not taking more than you give. How has our thirst for more at cheap prices impacted the environment and balance of the land?

4. As monoculture farming has continued to take a toll on the land, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) have been one way to continue to reproduce food in abundance; yet research shows that the impact GMOs have on land and people is more negative than positive. Seventy percent of processed foods consist of GMOs, but there is no ban or required labeling of GMOs in the U.S. How often do you consume GMOs? How does that consumption impact “man and land?”

5. Cocaine production and drug cartels have led Plan Colombia to take extreme measures on the land to decrease these activities, which in turn has hurt small farms. Are the Colombian government and the government of countries that do farm business with Colombia responsible for returning balance to the land?

Part I Coffee: Product of Colombia – Section Reflection

Write a 500 word free write on your reflections from Part I of WHERE AM I EATING? using the following statements as prompts.

1. Fair Trade vs. Trade.2. Tariffs and policies with Colombia.3. Climate change.4. Co-ops.5. Compesinos.6. Western demand of more and its effects on farming.7. Cartels, drugs, farming, purification, and trade.8. The people, the culture, a better life.9. Are we or aren’t we helping with our purchases?10. Will the Arhuaco save the world?

WHERE AM I EATING? AN ADVENTURE THROUGH THE GLOBAL FOOD ECONOMY CHAPTER DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Developed by J.R. Jamison on behalf of Kelsey Timmerman

Part II Curriculum – Chocolate: Product of West Africa

Chapter 5: Solo Man

1. The Civil War in the Ivory Coast has changed farming in the country. What was the impetus of the Civil War? How has it affected farming?

2. How did the World Bank’s takeover of the Ivory Coast post-1989 impact small farmers?

3. Today, only 2.5% of profit makes it into the farmers’ wallets. The saying is, “Money in adding value, not farming.” How has this shift in West Africa transitioned purchasing in the U.S.?

4. There is speculation that Utz and other certifications in West Africa mean nothing. What are steps that could be taken to properly certify chocolate that aren’t currently being taken?

5. Nearly 10,000 children in West Africa are slave labor. Major chocolate companies are aware, and by 2020 they claim they will source 100% certified cocao. Certified by whom? What lessons could be learned from current Fair Trade practices in Colombia from Part I of EATING?

Chapter 6: Slavery and Freedom

1. There are 160,000 forced adult laborers in the Ivory Coast. Often this can be categorized as indentured servitude and at times slavery – is there a difference among the terms?

2. If we paid an extra 0.0043 cents for our chocolate, farmers could have a better living. What is keeping the consumer from taking this action?

3. Will it be possible, from our purchasing actions, to change the way of life for farmers and forced adult laborers in West Africa?

4. If you feel that you should boycott chocolate that isn’t Fair Trade, how will that negatively impact farmers? How might it help?

5. Kelsey tried to help Solo to freedom, but Solo had no papers, no money, and nowhere to go. If you had been in Kelsey’s shoes, would you have tried to free Solo? What would have been your plan?

Chapter 7: Is it Peace?

1. As Kelsey searched for Solo’s family, he crossed into Burkina Faso. Three to four million Burkinas live in the Ivory Coast, leaving behind their families for $300 or less per year. What has caused this migration?

2. What role did farming play in the change of climate for Burkina Faso?

3. Burkinas have moved to the Ivory Coast for “better” opportunities, which is not uncommon in the rest of the world. One-third of the world is on a journey from farm to city. How have these migrations changed the way we eat?

4. By 2050, 75% of the world will live in a city. How will this increase in migrations continue to change the way we eat?

5. What are solutions to keeping farmers on farms while farming sustainably?

Part II Chocolate: Product of West Africa – Section Reflection

Write a 500 word free write on your reflections from Part II of WHERE AM I EATING? using the following statements as prompts.

1. Slavery.2. Child labor.3. Global warming.4. Migrating for money.5. Middle men, companies, and the lives of people.

WHERE AM I EATING? AN ADVENTURE THROUGH THE GLOBAL FOOD ECONOMY CHAPTER DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Developed by J.R. Jamison on behalf of Kelsey Timmerman

Part III Curriculum – Bananas: Product of Costa Rica

Chapter 8: The Banana Worker’s Commute

1. Dole, aka Standard Fruit, provides 25% of the bananas to the world. Bananas are considered a staple in most U.S. households. Why aren’t the lives of Standard Fruit banana farmers better?

2. Bananero workers commute by bike in the rain and in the dark to get to work each day. What role should the company play in the safety of its employees’ commute? Should the company worry about this?

3. Costa Rica is the anti-venom capitol of the world, yet bananeros have been killed on the job due to snake bites. How could the bananeros have better access to anti-venom?

4. Juan lost his finger because of his work, has given 20 years to the company, and has an unsigned best worker award. How is this inattention to detail on the part of the company similar to other major brands when working with farmers?

5. Dole owns the local grocery where workers can buy food on credit and Dole subtracts what is owed from their paychecks. What are ways in which Dole could re-tool their monopoly structure to provide a better life for the farmers?

Chapter 9: Banana Worker for a Day

1. EARTH University allowed Kelsey to work on their plantation for a day. What are some immediate differences that you noticed between Standard Fruit’s practices and EARTH’s practices?

2. How could Standard Fruit mesh some of these practices with their current model to provide a better life for the workers while remaining profitable?

3. Farming has become about money and not food. The more we demand, the more that is produced, the more the prices fall. How has this demand impacted the environment?

4. Through the work of EARTH University, smaller farms are showing it is more profitable to farm small, sustainable farms. How is this helping the environment?

5. There are over 1,200 varieties of bananas, though we eat only one. How can our pallets change farming and create better lives for farmers?

Chapter 10: Nowhere to Go But Bananas

1. The shift to no pesticides and chemicals has hurt the pay of farmers, though better for their health. Why has the stop of pesticides created a drop in pay?

2. Lawsuits from pesticides led to multinational companies having to pay workers who filed suit but very little. What loopholes worked in favor of the companies over workers’ rights?

3. Bananeros have no other opportunities in the area other than working for life in bananas. Juan advises Mario to find something else while he can. What options are there for Mario? What role do U.S. consumers play in Mario’s future?

Part III Bananas: Product of Costa Rica – Section Reflection

Write a 500 word free write on your reflections from Part III of WHERE AM I EATING? using the following statements as prompts.

1. Increase in demand, lower prices.2. Pesticides; pesticide free.3. Sustainable farming.4. Disease.5. The American pallet.

WHERE AM I EATING? AN ADVENTURE THROUGH THE GLOBAL FOOD ECONOMY CHAPTER DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Developed by J.R. Jamison on behalf of Kelsey Timmerman

Part IV Curriculum – Lobster: Product of Nicaragua

Chapter 11: Life, Death, and Lobster

1. In the 1970s, the Bahamas prohibited U.S. ships from fishing in their waters. How has this changed the way of life for modern day Nicaraguans?

2. How does the pay of lobster divers differ from that of other farmers in EATING?

3. Red Lobster and Sysco buy a majority of Nicaraguan lobster. Should companies that purchase Nicaraguan lobster be responsible for providing effective training on safe diving?

4. Even though there is a hyperbaric chamber available, divers in Nicaragua often aren’t transported back because of the possibility of lost profits. What is the responsibility of companies like Red Lobster and Sysco in this instance? If they stopped purchasing these lobsters, would it change anything?

5. One tenth of what a single diver makes they could have safe equipment, but coupled with fewer dives that means less money. Would you pay more for a lobster if it meant safer farming for the divers?

Chapter 12: The Lobster Trap

1. Cocaine and lobster are the ticket to financial freedom for Nicaraguans. What has fueled the desire for “white lobster?”

2. What options are there for young Nicaraguan farmers other than cocaine and lobster?

3. Part of the shift to safe diving is a cultural change, though the divers seem resistant to change even when it means their life. What would you do if you were asked to trouble shoot a solution for the safety of Nicaraguan divers?

Chapter 13: The Future of Fish

1. Darden Foods, along with others, has developed the Global Fish Alliance to promote sustainable fisheries. How is this helping the region?

2. How are sustainable fisheries damaging the environment?

3. Fifty percent of our lobster still comes from Nicaragua, Honduras, and Brazil. Why are these all regions to avoid?

4. If we avoid purchasing lobster from Nicaragua, Honduras, and Brazil, how will that affect the lives of farmers and divers in those areas?

5. What are a few ways you are able to make responsible seafood purchases?

Part IV Lobster: Product of Nicaragua – Section Reflection

Write a 500 word free write on your reflections from Part IV of WHERE AM I EATING? using the following statements as prompts.

1. Push for profit.2. Poor training.3. People are dying, do companies, or the people themselves, even care?4. White lobster; Red Lobster.5. Sustainable; no solutions.

WHERE AM I EATING? AN ADVENTURE THROUGH THE GLOBAL FOOD ECONOMY CHAPTER DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Developed by J.R. Jamison on behalf of Kelsey Timmerman

Part V Curriculum – Apple Juice: Product of Michigan China

Chapter 14: No Apples

1. Food imports from China have quintupled since 2003. What has caused this shift?

2. Though the imports have risen 400% in a decade, inspectors have only increased 33%. How has this impacted the safety of human and animals around the world?

3. Two-thirds of U.S. apple juice comes from China, though China uses pesticides that have been banned in the U.S. for nearly three decades. Apple crops in the U.S. are declining. What role does the consumer play in demanding stricter regulations?

4. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was established in 2011, the first major reform in over 70 years. What does this allow the FDA to do?

5. The farmers from Indiana Summer indicate that climate change has been part of this shift because it’s impacted the crop in the U.S. What are alternative options for apple farmers in Michigan?

Chapter 15: Mr. Feng’s Apple Empire

1. Fifteen years ago, apple production began in China. How has apples helped change the face of China?

2. In 10 years farming has gone from a poor man’s job to providing a decent living in China. How has the government changed profit sharing to provide better lives for farmers?

3. How is this profit sharing different from China in the past?

4. Kelsey describes the inside of the Feng home, the home of an apple farmer. How are the amenities similar to your home? How are they different?

5. In China and in the U.S., children of farmers are having better lives and heading off for the cities. Who will feed us in the future? How will farming sustain?

Chapter 16: As American as Apple Juice Concentrate from China

1. Apple juice concentrate has been an economic boom for China over the past decade. Chinese farmers indicate that some of their crops are beginning to be affected by climate. What could China learn from other farmers in the world to save their crop?

2. China’s current middle-class and our middle-class are similar. How are our lives the same? How are our lives different?

3. The children of Chinese farmers are headed to the city to universities. It’s the dream and a ticket to a prosperous future. The future is not farming. Is China’s future our current future?

4. If China’s future is our current future, what steps should we be taking as a global economy to ensure the future of sustainable, ethical farming?

5. “The farther afield our food moves, the harder it is to know what we’re swallowing.” Fred’s perceptions of Chinese farmers were different than Kelsey’s experiences with Chinese farmers. Could it be that we truly don’t know what we’re eating?

Part V Apple Juice: Product of Michigan China – Section Reflection

Write a 500 word free write on your reflections from Part V of WHERE AM I EATING? using the following statements as prompts.

1. Chinese boom in agriculture.2. Climate change and the impact on U.S. apples.3. The future of farming in the U.S.4. Inspection of imports; pesticides.5. If you can’t beat them, join them.

WHERE AM I EATING? AN ADVENTURE THROUGH THE GLOBAL FOOD ECONOMY CHAPTER DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Developed by J.R. Jamison on behalf of Kelsey Timmerman

Part VI Curriculum – My Life: Product of USA

Chapter 17: Food as Faith

1. What prompted the slow food movement?

2. How has this movement impacted the way we view food in the U.S.?

3. How are Amish farming practices similar to West African practices?

4. Steve claims that eating organic has made him and his family faster. What are benefits of eating organic and local?

5. Being part of the organic movement is seen as a change of lifestyle. How does something as small as not spraying your lawn for weeds help farmers and our environment?

Chapter 18: Farmers No More

1. How has the American ideal of a perfect tomato changed tomato production?

2. How have new technologies changes the lives of migrant workers?

3. How did the corn and ethanol boom change American agriculture?

Chapter 19: Imagined Futures

1. One in 88 children is autistic. Do you feel this has to do with our diets?

2. What about our diets have impacted this statistic?

3. What about our diets could change this statistic?

Chapter 20: Decisions about Man and Land

1. Fair Trade is part of the solution. What are other ways you can make smart decisions about “man and land?”

2. What have been the implications of the USDA’s country of origin on food in your local community?

3. How accessible is organic food in your community?

4. How accessible is Fair Trade, Fair Trade Certified, or Fair for Life in your community?

5. Compare the country of origins food from EATING with the food in your house. What surprises you? Do you know where you are eating?

Part IV My Life: Product of USA

Write a 500 word free write on your reflections from Part V of WHERE AM I EATING? using the following statements as prompts.

1. Slow food.2. Farmers’ Markets.3. Modified farming.4. Autism.5. Shop local; shop global.

WHERE AM I EATING? AN ADVENTURE THROUGH THE GLOBAL FOOD ECONOMY — REFLECTION PAPER

Developed by J.R. Jamison on behalf of Kelsey Timmerman

Your Story

Now that you have read WHERE AM I EATING? AN ADVENTURE THROUGH THE GLOBAL FOOD ECONOMY and have taken time to free write and reflect on each of the six sections of the book, it is time to your write your consumer story. Here’s how:

1. Combine each of your six free writes.

2. Read the combination and begin thinking about your daily life as a consumer.

3. Fill in the gaps by asking yourself two broad questions — 1.) How am I currently consuming? 2.) Will my choices stay the same or change? Why or why not.

4. Begin editing your free writes by filling in your story.

5. Try to write at least 3,000 words on Your Story as an Engaged Eater.

This is your story. Where are you eating?