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Year of Food and Farming in education

The Year of Food and Farming was an Industry led initiative, initially proposed by the charity Farming and Countryside Education (FACE) and endorsed by Defra, the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Health, the Royal Agricultural Society of England and many other organisations.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales was patron for the Year. The aim of the year was to change children’s relationship with food and give them direct experience of where food comes from, how to cook it and what life is like in the countryside and the importance of environmental issues.  The Year aimed to harness and build on the efforts already made by the food, farming and countryside sectors to embed food and farming back in the school curriculum.

This was achieved by engaging schools and school teachers to carry out growing and cooking activities in schools and conducting school visits to farms or to the countryside.

Achievements of the Year

The Year achieved a measurable step change in the level of connectivity of children and young people, with food, farming and the countryside.  In addition it raised the awareness of many schools of the importance and value of including food and farming in the curriculum.  It also had a significant impact on children’s attitudes towards food and farming.

  • 1.5 million children were directly involved in first hand experiences of growing, cooking and visits.
  • 2,760 organisations have been involved in the year, between them investing over £20 million in cash, resources and staff time.
  • 65% of teachers have been involved in the Year’s activities.  97% of participating schools have been involved in growing activities, 95% in cooking activities and 82% in visits to farms or the countryside. 
  • 93% of all 7-16 year olds claim to have altered their eating habits in the last year. 
  • 78% of 7-10 year olds and 93% of 11-16 year olds now claim to help out with cooking at home.

The full Year of Food and Farming Evaluation Report and the research findings can be downloaded at www.thinkfoodandfarming.org.uk

Think Food and Farming

It was always accepted that all of the aims of the Year would not be achieved within one academic year and the initiative should be thought of as the starting point for a longer term programme.  Farming and Countryside Education (FACE) took on custodianship of the legacy of the Year “Think Food and Farming” from 1st August 2008 and will continue promoting the benefits to children of embedding food and farming into the school curriculum.  A new website for the start of the academic year is at www.thinkfoodandfarming.org.uk. The megamap and resource bank is now available at www.teachernet.gov.uk/growingschools.

Further information

Page last modified: 16 October 2008
Page published: 29 November 2006