Skip to content

Local Food, Global Impact

🌀💖 Project Idea Card: Local Food, Global Impact

🧠 Project Prompt

Can you create a digital tool that helps people understand how far their food travels — and gives ideas for more sustainable, local alternatives?

🛠️ What You Might Make

  • A simple Python app that asks where your food comes from and estimates food miles.
  • A data visualisation project using charts or maps to show the impact of different food choices.
  • A local food suggestion generator (e.g. “Instead of bananas from Ecuador, try apples from Kent!”).
  • A mini website with facts and numbers to raise awareness.

💡 You Could Include

  • A database or list of foods and where they’re commonly grown.
  • Python to calculate distances or estimate carbon footprints.
  • Micro:bit sensors to monitor temperature or plant growth if you try growing something yourself!
  • Ideas from real-world campaigns (e.g. #eatlocal or zero-mile food movements).

🧰 Useful Technique Cards

🐟 Deeper Dive Cards

🔁 Twists and Tweaks

  • Make a local food calculator that gives a “score” for each meal based on its impact.
  • Add a quiz to test others on their food choices.
  • Link with a real-world challenge: can you and your family lower your food miles this week?

🌈 Bonus Ideas

  • Use Scratch or PowerPoint to make an interactive version if you’re not using Python yet.

🌟 Extension Ideas

Ready to go further? Try these next steps:

  • Use real-world data from a public dataset (e.g. UK food imports) to add accuracy.
  • Build a simple website using HTML/CSS to present your tool to others.
  • Connect your project to real action: Can your school garden grow something local?

🐣 Simplify It

Want to get started with a simpler version?

  • Start by choosing just one or two foods to compare.
  • Use a list of foods and match each to a place (e.g. Bananas → Ecuador).
  • Instead of using distance, just show a simple emoji code like 🌍 = far, 🏡 = local.
  • Create a poster-style output in Scratch or PowerPoint with clickable food images.
  • Write a story or quiz in Scratch that teaches others about food miles.