Hungry kya?
Asking that question places me at risk of repeating a popular advertising line, and one that I am not particularly keen on recalling at this particular moment – focusing as we are on the need to think more seriously about food. As we have often noted, the classroom is a crucial site of development of attitudes and ideas about life and living. And food is a crucial part of our lives. In recent years we have seen several shifts in the way we as a society approach food. Our food habits have changed; new questions are raised about what goes into our foods, where it comes from, how it is distributed, and how it relates to health. On the one hand, food is often a fad and a fashion. And on the other, issues such as food security and sovereignty are receiving more attention. This month in Teacher Plus we present a range of articles that consider a few – admittedly not all – of these concerns. We hope that the ideas presented here will make you hungry for more, and will get you thinking about food in different ways, as teachers, as parents, as people. Bon appetit!