A diner breakfast is a classic meal that’s been satisfying Canadians for generations. Learn about how this seemingly simple meal relies on a complex system of agricultural production.
Discussion guide
After you’ve watched the video with your students, use this guide to explore key concepts, check for comprehension and lead a discussion.
Key concepts
- Even if there is a farm nearby, your breakfast meal likely comes from farther away and includes domestic and imported foods.
- Canadian crops such as wheat are often shipped to other parts of the country for processing and shipped back as a processed product.
- Agriculture relies on many inputs, such as fertilizer, pesticides and fuel.
- Price increases in any of these inputs—or a severe weather event—can affect the price you pay for food items.
Comprehension check
Ask the following questions.
How would you describe the “farm to plate” journey of a diner breakfast?
Many common breakfast items can come from far away. Orange juice and coffee are imported from tropical regions. Pork products in Canada could be domestic or imported from the United States or Europe. Even the wheat used in bread may be grown in one part of the country (such as the Prairies) and processed in another (such as Ontario) before arriving at your table.
What factors can affect the price you pay for a restaurant meal?
Agriculture depends on a few main inputs, including fertilizer, pesticides and energy (whether electricity or diesel) to grow, harvest and transport food. When the price of one of these inputs goes up or down, it affects the price of the final product.
Severe weather events, such as droughts or storms, can reduce harvests and create scarcity, driving up prices. By the time production, transportation and profits are factored in, the price of a single food item can rise substantially.
Group discussion
- Why do you think Canada both imports and exports the same good (called two-way trade)?
- How might trade conflicts or climate change influence the cost of a diner breakfast in Canada?
- If you were able to gather products made only within 100 kilometres from you, what kind of breakfast would you create? What substitutions would you need to make, compared with the products in a standard breakfast?
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