Group PresentationFood Sustainability in Portland

FRINQ: PortlandSpring 2016

Assignment:
For this assignment, you will work in groups of seven or eight with other students from main session.
Each group will visit one facility that produces food, distributes food, or handles food waste
representing each step of the path our food takes.
Below are the primary topics that should be included in each presentation. Please note: the questions
below are among the questions that you may address for each category. Do not simply answer them
individually in the way that you would numbered questions on a test!
Describe the facility: Explain to your group what is done at the facility you visited. What product or
service do they deal with? Who manages/owns it? How long has it existed? Where is it? Essentially,
provide the basics of what the object of your presentation does.
Sustainability goals: What sustainability goals does your facility embody? What practices has it
implemented to achieve these goals?
Scalability: Would it be possible for the practices to be adopted on a wider scale? If you visited the
farm, could other farms emulate the practices you saw there? If you visited the cooperative, how
might we replicate a cooperative economy at a societal level? If you visited a compost facility, would
it work if everyone used city composting?
Impact: What is the actual impact that the facility has on the Portland areas ecological footprint? Is
there anything more they could do? For this section, it will be important to provide numerical
estimates of waste, petroleum consumption, or other quantitative measures of sustainability.
Nature vs. Industry: In The Omnivores Dilemma, Michael Pollan distinguishes between the logic
of nature and the logic of industry. How does your facility align with a logic of nature? How does
it align with a logic of industry?
Length/Duration: Each group will have 15 minutes to present. Keep in mind that 15 minutes goes by
pretty quickly, especially if your presentation isnt well organized and you dont fully plan ahead.
Format: PowerPoint, Google Slides, or other presentation format. No matter which format you choose,
each group will present their work to the class in the final week of the quarter.
Due Dates:
Thursday, May 19: Group Charter (in main session)
Thursday, June 2: Presentations in main session
Friday, June 3: Individual written component
You must also turn the final presentation in to me in some form. I will set up a D2L drop box for this
purpose, but you may also email me a PowerPoint file or Google Docs link.

Working in Groups
As with previous group presentations, you will begin by drawing up a group contract. The group
contract should lay out the following terms:

Who will take the lead on doing what (this does not mean this person will be the only person
who works on this aspect, but it means that they will be in charge of it).
How you will communicate (be sure to exchange email and/or phone numbers with other group
members).
When you will meet and where.
How you will handle problems and groups conflicts.

You will have time in main session to make decisions about how you will divide up the work and
how you will pull it all together. However, you will also need to meet and communicate regularly
outside of class in order to get it all done and to practice.
Assessment Criteria for Final Presentation
I will assess your group presentations based on elements related to the four UNST goals, giving equal
weight to each goal. Your individual contribution to the group project will also factor into the final grade
for the presentation.
Inquiry and Critical Thinking
Your presentation demonstrates deep analysis of the site you visited.
You go beyond mere description of the facility, but also qualitatively and quantitatively analyze
its goals, impacts, and scalability in a sustained and deep way.
Communication
Your presentation is clear, effective, and well organized.
Your presentation demonstrates a creative and thoughtful approach to presenting ideas.
Your texts and images are well constructed and generally free of errors.
Diversity of Human Experience
Your analysis focuses on the broad impacts of the facilitys practices, focusing on how it affects
all people, including marginalized groups.
Ethics and Social Responsibility
You presentation demonstrates that you have considered the ethical stakes and implications of
the practices you viewed at the facility.
Your presentation demonstrates your groups attempts to work together and communicate.

Individual Written Component

Write a 600- to 800-word essay on the meaning of sustainability.
Questions to consider as you write your essay:
What do food producers mean when they say sustainability? What does sustainability mean to
you? Are these two interpretations of the concept different?
How much should we do to promote sustainability? What should we do as individuals? As a
society?
Is the site your group visited a sustainable model? Why or why not?
As you write your essay, you may find this site helpful. It includes resources on both the idea and
applications of sustainability.