🌍 Geography – Integrity Week

Does It Matter What I Eat?

Welcome back to our Geography!
This week in Integrity Week, Year 6 have been exploring a big question:

🌱 Does it matter what I eat?

Spoiler alert… yes, it really does!
Here’s what we discovered:

🍃 How Farming Affects the Planet

Agriculture is one of the biggest producers of greenhouse gases in the world. These gases trap heat in the atmosphere and cause the Earth to warm up.

The two most common greenhouse gases are:

• Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
• Methane (CH₄)

🚜 How farming adds CO₂ into the atmosphere:

• Forests are cleared to make space for farms — but trees absorb CO₂.
• Farm machinery, plus transporting food around the world, releases large amounts of CO₂.

🐄 How farming produces methane:

• Animals (especially cows!) release methane through burping and farting.
• Huge stores of animal waste also release methane as they break down.

The United Nations estimates that livestock farming is responsible for around 14% of all global greenhouse gas emissions. That’s a huge amount!
This means that if everyone ate just a little less meat, it could make a real difference to global warming.

🌱 What Is Soil & Why Is It Important?

Soil isn’t just dirt — it’s a mixture of:
🪨 tiny rock particles
🌿 dead plants
🐛 dead animals
💧 water
💨 air

Soil is important because it:

• Helps plants grow
• Stores water
• Absorbs carbon dioxide

Healthy soil = healthy planet!

🚜 Intensive vs Organic Farming

Intensive Farming

This type of farming aims to produce as much food as possible, as quickly as possible.
It often uses:

• Chemical pesticides
• Herbicides
• Fertilisers

But this can lead to:
❌ Pollution
❌ Loss of habitats
❌ Less biodiversity

Organic Farming

Organic farming uses natural methods instead of chemicals.
It’s much better for the environment, but…
✔ It’s more expensive
✔ Less food can be produced in the same space

🌍 So… does what I eat matter?

Absolutely!
Our choices can help reduce greenhouse gases, protect habitats, and support a healthier planet. Even small changes make a big difference.