Abstract
This chapter is dedicated to the food-heritage-education for climate emergency trinomial (FoHECE). It disseminates a study in the Euroregion of Eixo Atlântico. This Euroregion (Galicia, Spain and Northern Portugal) has been a victim of climate change (CC) due to drought. The project consisted of a participatory-action-research (PAR) with a set of environmental education facilities (EEF) that promote the connection local heritage-global reality. The main objective of the study was to help re-signifying activities in education for climate emergency based on dietary styles. Thus, a pedagogical activity was created with each facility, according to the PAR methodology, to sub-themes of the diet-CC binomial (e.g,. types of food consumed, origin, type of production, presentation) and to food aspects of each EEF surrounding. In addition to the state-of-the-art review on FoHECE, results are discussed, and recommendations are suggested for future approaches and adaptations of this methodology to other contexts.
TopIntroduction
In the developed countries, the dominant patterns of food production and consumption, as well as, the associated culture are responsible for a significant amount of Greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions and consequent Climate Change (CC). In this complex matrix, the natural and cultural heritage play an important role. Thus, the Food-Heritage-Education for Climate Emergency (FoHECE) trinomial becomes increasingly relevant. In addition, this trinomial is important in areas such as the Euroregion of Eixo Atlântico of Peninsular North-west (Galicia, Spain and Northern Portugal), which has undergone an increasing mediterranization and drought due to CC (Carvalho & Bisquert-Perez, 2019).
There are several concerns related to the “hidden” connections of the FoHECE trinomial, namely: Socio-environmental impacts of consumption on the hegemonic agri-food system; lack of educational intervention on the FoHECE trinomial, in an integrated manner (sociocritical view on agri-food systems and encompassing natural and cultural heritage along with human health); devaluation of non-formal education spaces (environmental education facilities - EEF), as sites for transmitting suitable, accurate and current information about CC and about socio-cultural and natural heritage, as well as on action measures available to citizens; devaluation of socio-environmental education in Eixo Atlântico.
Considering this scenario, a research was carried out with EEF and considering the socio-natural and socio-cultural heritage of the surroundings of those facilities. The general objective of the study was to help reframing activities in Education for Climate Emergency based on dietary styles. The study specifically aimed to:
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Find sub-themes of FoHECE, within the scope of EEF, that integrate the natural and cultural heritage, towards meaningful and interconnected education;
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Investigate pedagogical strategies and methodologies in the FoHECE sub-themes;
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Investigate the potential of EEF networking in Eixo Atlântico to leverage this topic at the socio-educational level for an environmental agri-food development.
This chapter also aims to contribute to the dissemination of a participatory investigative experience and pedagogical possibilities that can be adapted to other contexts. Thus, the text opens with a part dedicated to framing the problem and state of the art about the FoHECE trinomial and the geographic context in question. Then methodology applied in the study is briefly described. The subsequent presentation of results and discussion is organized into three parts: Socio-educational experiences as from specific food products; common experiences and needs in Eixo Atlântico; initiatives of local agri-food development started from EEF. There is also room for final considerations and recommendations.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Education for Climate Emergency: It is a specific area of Environmental Education that aims at effective socio-educational action as a contribution to the urgent responses to Climate Change (CC), whether in the field of mitigation or adaptation to CC.
Socio-Critical Environmental Education: It is a critical socio-pedagogical practice, in which characteristics are emphasized, such as political, humanistic, dialectical, ethical and community education. It is an environmental education (EA) policy because it aims to promote alternative ways to the dominant system to deal with the environmental crisis); he is a humanist because he aims to problematize the principles behind human actions; it is dialectical because it is based on a transdisciplinary perspective to deal with the complexity of adjacent systems and problems; it is ethical because it deals with the values behind EA; it is a community education because it promotes practices that start from local communities and collective actions.
Agri-Food Systems: These are complex systems, including a series of activities, that contribute to the creation and distribution of food products and, consequently, to the satisfaction of human food consumption in a given society.
Diet: It is a set of consumption behaviours, habits and patterns that define the way in which people and communities see their food needs met. Such behaviours and decisions depend on socioeconomic and cultural factors, including external stimulations such as advertising.
Lay Knowledge/Rationalities: They are knowledge and logics with which individuals construct meanings and meanings for the phenomena of common sense “experience”. Behind these logics there is a social and cultural order in which the multiple dimensions, where life unfolds, are covered (the natural, the magical-religious or spiritual, the socio-political, etc.).
Environmental Education Facilities (EEF): These are local resources of non-formal education that consist of a set of heterogeneous initiatives with the aim of promoting Environmental Education.
Food Culture: It is a set of practices and traditions related to the act of eating. Such traditions and customs have a subjective and intrinsic value for individuals, being related to common rituals that contribute to a group identity and social cohesion.