Game: Population and Food Production

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The original instructions for this game were found at http://www.acfb.org/projects/hunger_101/curricula/modules/Hunger_101.pdf.

Resource: World Hunger: Awareness, Affinity, Action. Alan Shawn Feinstein World Hunger Program, Brown University, 1992.

Use the chart below to divide students into groups and to distribute fish crackers as a symbol of the amount of food produced in each region. The number of students for each region (originally figured for a class of 25) is based on its population. The number of crackers is based on the total food produced (not necessarily the food consumed) in 1989 in each region. In 1989, the total world food production exceeded the basic requirements for food calories by roughly 13%. The world needed a total of 75 crackers to meet its minimum food requirements, but had 10 more crackers than necessary.

Calculated for 16 girls – the world needs 48 crackers, has 6 more crackers than necessary (total of 54).

Directions:

  1. We made up world region maps (simple outlines on large newsprint paper) prior to the meeting and taped them to the floor like a spread-out world map.
  2. Group girls from each region together so they can clearly see how the world’s population is distributed.
  3. Use crackers as a symbol of food produced in each region. Give each group a small bag. Count out the group’s supply of crackers and put them in the separate bags.

Regions

% of World Population

Number of Students

Crackers per group

Asia

Africa

USSR/Europe

Latin America

North America

59%

12%

16%

8%

5%

9

2

3

1

1

24

3

15

4

8

Total

100%

16

54

Questions for discussion:

  1. Ask girls how they felt when they saw how the food was distributed.
  2. Tell the girls that less than ¼ of the world’s people live in countries where basic needs for food, clean water, health care, etc., are easily met. More than ¾ of the world’s people live in countries in which basic necessities are not always easily obtained. Explain that these people struggle daily to survive. Ask students how they feel about this.
  3. Ask girls to find a way to divide up the crackers as equally as possible within each group. In a group of 16 students, three crackers each represents the amount of food needed for an active and healthy life. Ask them how many have less than three crackers? How many have 3 or more? What are the reactions from the different groups?
  4. An important part of the food problem is an unequal distribution of food in the world. Is there a way to share wealth more equally in the world? How about sharing the wealth in various countries or in your community?
  5. Finally, talk about how there are people even in places where there is plenty of food (such as in your own town) who can not AFFORD to buy enough food.  Explain that we can share our good fortune with others who need help by donating to the food bank.