MHF-4U Functions 4.

9 Culminating Assessment Brianna Boudreau

Empowering Youth Through Community Gardens

Hello Dragons,

I am here to discuss with you my new proposal for community gardens as a way to foster
world hunger and health!

Community Issue:
One pressing issue in many communities today is the lack of access to fresh, nutritious food,
particularly in low-income neighborhoods. This leads to adverse health outcomes, including
a higher prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and other diet-related diseases. Additionally, limited
access to fresh produce negatively impacts community well-being and hinders opportunities
for social cohesion.

Proposed Solution:
To address this issue, I propose the implementation of community gardens as a means to
improve access to fresh, healthy food and foster community engagement. Community
gardens empower individuals, especially youth, by providing them with the knowledge and
resources to grow their own food, instilling a sense of ownership and responsibility while
cultivating important life skills. Along with this, it will also provide everyone with not only
nourishing fruits, vegetables, and legumes; but also a sense of socialization when planting
these gardens with the community.

Secondary Data:
According to research conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA),
23.5 million people live in food deserts, areas with limited access to affordable and nutritious
food, predominantly found in low-income communities. Furthermore, studies have shown
from 2001 to 2020 the population of people starving has fluctuated but is starting to increase
again. According to the trend, we will need to implement these gardens as soon as possible
to combat this spike.
The Reference:
https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/WLD/world/hunger-statistics

The Plot:

Mathematical Model:

To illustrate the potential impact of implementing community gardens, using polynomial

3 2
regression of degree 3, we can use the expression, 0. 0029𝑥 − 0. 0562𝑥 − 0. 215𝑥 + 13. 5

Let:
x = Number of years since 2001
y = Percentage of Population Hungry

The Explanation:
I chose to use degree 3 because the line of regression was the most reasonable and
accurate for this function. It also made the most sense as using any other parent function
2
would have not correlated with the data. For example, − 𝑥 would have end behaviors in
quadrants 3 and 4 which would not align with my data. The end behavior must be in
quadrant 1 in order to correspond with the predictions and trends. Therefore I was left with
polynomials. I learned that the least degree polynomial is the best because larger degree
polynomials can only approximate the data without extrapolating well. I used Microsoft Excel
to detect the pattern using a cubic polynomial.

The Domain:
{𝑋𝐸𝑅| 0 ≤ 𝑥 ≥ 25}
I set my domain to be greater than 0 and less than 25 because that seemed the most
reasonable according to the data. This is because when looking at the graph it is impossible
for there to be a negative percentage of people hungry in the 1980s and it is unreasonable
for there to be nearly half the population hungry in 2030. Setting the domain at 25 is
reasonable yet still allows me to get the point across that the percentage of people hungry is
growing rapidly and something needs to be done about it.

Graph of the Model:

According to my graph, if we continue to do nothing then in 2040 the entire population will be
hungry!!

The Calculation:
Next year….
3 2
0. 0029𝑥 − 0. 0562𝑥 − 0. 215𝑥 + 13. 5
3 2
0. 0029(23) − 0. 0562(23) − 0. 215(23) + 13. 5
= 14. 110

In 3 years…
3 2
0. 0029𝑥 − 0. 0562𝑥 − 0. 215𝑥 + 13. 5
3 2
0. 0029(25) − 0. 0562(25) − 0. 215(25) + 13. 5
= 18. 313

Therefore, by just next year 14.11% of the population is going to be hungry which is the
highest percentage it has been in the data recorded! In 3 years this will already increase by
4% to a vast 18.31% of the population.
The Sales Pitch

Overall it is very clear that the population of people starving is going to continue to increase
into the future and it is already on its way to a very high spike! The implementation of
community gardens is a cost-friendly way to increase access to fresh, nutritious food,
leading to healthier diets and reduced prevalence of diet-related diseases among community
members. We can clearly see in the data that by just next year, the population of people
hungry will already be the highest its ever been in the data we have recorded, and it is only
continuing to get worse! We need to nip this in the bud. ;) Gardens are sustainable,
environmentally friendly, affordable, engaging, and relaxing, and I could continue on forever.
This idea is your next greatest investment.

Thank you for your time dragons!