Minister Joins Pupils at Scotch Beef Cookery Theatre to Launch New Guidelines

Environment Minister Stewart Stevenson joined pupils from James Young High School cooking at the Scotch Beef Children's Cookery Theatre at the Royal Highland Show to launch new guidelines for partnership working between food and drink organisations and schools to help teach pupils about where their food comes from.

Mr Stevenson said: “This is a fantastic initiative to help young people to learn about their food from plough to plate and sea to saucer, by supporting food and drink organisations to work in partnership with schools.

“These partnership guidelines aim to encourage pupils to make the connection between the food they eat and its environmental, health and social impact which we hope will help them to make healthier, sustainable food choices in the future.

“Scotland has a well-deserved reputation as a land of food and drink and it is vital that we continue this by engaging the next generation to make sure every child in Scotland has the chance to learn about the food they eat by 2015.

“I would encourage food and drink organisations to embrace this opportunity to work in partnership with our schools in line with the Curriculum for Excellence, to deliver a more personalised learning experience for every child.”

 The guidelines also aim to highlight the varied career opportunities available in the food and drink industry and raise career aspirations of Scotland’s children and young people.

 Flora McLean, Director of the Scottish Food and Drink Federation, said: “'Principles for Partnership’ is a unique approach that will facilitate long lasting and meaningful relationships between schools and the food and drink industry. Through our national schools programme ‘A Future in Food’ manufacturers and schools work together to use the food industry as a context for learning whilst also promoting the industry as a career destination, we hope this will encourage more schools and companies to get involved.”

 This latest initiative builds on the good work so far to ensure that every child in Scotland should have the opportunity to learn about food and agriculture. Since the launch of the National Food and Drink Policy, more than 23,500 children across Scotland have learnt more about where their food comes from through various initiatives including the Eco-Schools food and environmental projects such as food growing and the Royal Highland Education Trust hosting schools farmers markets and farm visits.