Children, young people and education
Year of Food and Farming in education
- What's planned for the Year?
- How do I get involved?
- Government involvement in the Year
- Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative
- Further information
The Year of Food and Farming aims to give young people in England direct experience of the food chain and the countryside. The programme will run through the academic year, from September 2007 to July 2008.
What’s planned for the Year?
Organisers are hoping to sign up an unprecedented number of farms and food businesses to the campaign, so that pupils can be offered memorable, hands-on learning experiences based around three core areas: visits, growing experiences, and cooking food.
By bringing together existing initiatives, creating new materials and recruiting thousands of volunteers, the Year aims to embed food and farming back into the curriculum, so that a new generation is given first-hand experiences of the countryside.
How do I get involved?
There are many ways for farm and food businesses to get involved; from hosting visits or going into the classroom to providing pupils with growing kits. The website is intended to co-ordinate all the offers of support, and so log on and enter your details.
Once the Year officially launches in September, the website will display every single volunteer’s materials or events on an interactive Mega Map, meaning that teachers will be able to track down local initiatives using just a few clicks of the mouse.
Government involvement in the Year
The Year is an industry-led initiative first proposed by the charity Farming & Countryside Education (FACE) and endorsed by Defra, the Department for Education and Skills, and the Department of Health, the Royal Agricultural Society for England, and many other organisations in the food and farming industries. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales will act as Patron for the Year.
The Year will make an important contribution to delivering government initiatives, including the DfES Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto and Defra’s Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative.
Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative
There are eight aspirations for the Year of Food and Farming, including ‘every school will be participating in local food procurement initiatives’. This will support the deliver of Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative (PSFPI). The PSFPI is designed to encourage public sector bodies to procure their food in a manner that promotes sustainable development and encourages more small and local businesses to compete to supply them with food.
Further information
- Year of Food and Farming
- Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative
- Sustainable Farming and Food Strategy
- DfES Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto
- Growing Schools (DfES initiative)
- School Food Trust
- Farming and Countryside Education (FACE)
Page last modified:
13 February 2008
Page published: 29 November 2006