Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. a local source
    • ex. I think that food from local sources is fresher, so I always try to buy vegetables from my area.
  2. imported
    • ex. My uncle prefers imported wine, especially French wine.
  3. a crop
    • ex. Farmers here plant a lot of crops, but wheat is probably the most common.
  4. meet the demand
    • ex. The city built a new elementary school to meet the demand for more classrooms.
  5. self-sufficient
    • ex. I want to be self-sufficient because I don’t like to ask other people for help.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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A new study discovered that less than one-third of the world’s population is able to get food from local sources. Thanks to globalization, the amount and variety of food have increased for people all over the world. Canadians can easily find bananas in winter, and Norwegian salmon is served as sashimi in Japan. However, researchers say that some countries now depend too much on imported food to feed their people.

For their study, the researchers studied the availability of six common crops such as rice, corn, and wheat. They found out that only 11-28% of the world’s population can find these crops within 100 kilometers of their homes. In other words, it’s difficult for many people to eat only food from local sources.

According to Professor Matti Kummu, the study’s results prove that local sources cannot currently meet the demand for food. He said that the study emphasizes the importance of increasing local sources and the need to be self-sufficient, especially with the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Being Self-sufficient

  • Do you think that your country depends too much on imported food? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Do you think that it’s possible for all countries to become self-sufficient? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Do you think that it's also important for people to try to become more self-sufficient (ex. grow vegetables in a garden, learn how to cook)? Why or why not? Discuss.

Local Food

  • What are the advantages of buying/eating local food (ex. good for local farmers, more eco-friendly)? Why? Discuss.
  • What do you think is the best local food in your country? Why? Discuss.
  • Do you think that local food in your country is better than imported versions of the same food (ex. local rice vs. imported rice)? Why or why not? Discuss.