Individual Task

STEM for sustainability

This task can be carried out as an individual task, in small groups or set as homework.

Farming is changing and advances in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM subjects) are helping farmers to become more efficient and lower their farm’s carbon footprint.

Technology Examples

Below are some examples of engineering and technological solutions farmers are using to reduce their farm’s carbon footprint:

Drones
Agribots
Smart Tractors
Precision Livestock
Farming Data

For information on technology

Task A

These new scientific and technological solutions are often taken up by younger farmers who are keen to embrace innovative solutions to reducing farming’s carbon footprint. Sometimes it can be difficult to convince people to start using new approaches.

Create a poster to persuade a reluctant farmer to embrace one of the solutions above.

Take it further

Coding project

Make this into a coding project
Competition

Make it into a class/year group competition

Task B

The students of today are the ones who will create the solutions to the challenges of tomorrow. Some of the technologies above are still in the development stage and new ideas are being created and tried out all the time.

Can you come up with a new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) solution to help farms lower their carbon footprint? Try and make it as functional and realistic as possible.

Create a poster detailing what your solution is and how it will work.

(Your poster should be eye-catching, persuasive and informative.)

Meat the News

Use one of the headlines below (or create your own headline linked to the red meat food system) to create an article using the knowledge you have gained from the Farming Foodsteps toolkit.

The article could be a newspaper article, blog, vlog (video blog) or could be displayed as an infographic.

Possible headlines:

Not All Meat Is Created Equal

Livestock Farming and Scotland’s Landscape Are The Perfect Match

Technology Helps Farmers Fight for Lower Carbon Footprint

Labels Don’t Lie

Red Meat’s Role in a Healthy and Balanced Diet