School children set to explore Scotland’s red meat industry thanks to new online platform

An exciting new digital platform all about the red meat industry has launched today to support food education in Scottish schools. 

Geared towards secondary teachers and pupils and designed by health & education experts from Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), Farming Foodsteps covers the journey from farm to fork and everything in between, including technology in farming, food production and health.

As well as introducing the red meat journey and livestock farming, Farming Foodsteps also covers important messages around sustainability, the environment, food safety, careers, and the role of red meat in a healthy diet. The preparation and cooking of red meat is also included.

Lessons within the free-to-use platform include presentations, games, worksheets, and activities, with each linked to the Curriculum for Excellence with Experiences & Outcomes (E’s and O’s) detailed.

 Alix Ritchie, Health & Education Manager at QMS, who also works alongside her husband on their livestock farm,  in Perthshire said: “We’re hugely excited to launch Farming Foodsteps, especially at a time when the importance of Scotland’s red meat industry has been highlighted and people are interested to find out more about the journey the food they eat has taken.

“The lessons all answer regularly asked questions about red meat production, sustainability and health, and we’ve consulted closely with teachers to create a comprehensive picture of the red meat food system. Our hope is that Farming Foodsteps becomes the go-to place for information on Scottish red meat and the journey it makes from farm to fork.

“The digital nature of the platform means it can be accessed remotely and used for homework, home learning or for anyone interested to find out more.”

Kate Rowell, Chair of  QMS adds: “Our industry depends on the next generation and the new tool developed by the Health and Education Team will help continue to equip and educate young people with the skills and knowledge to make sound and informative decisions for our red meat industry.

“The more we can help educate students and young people about where their food comes from, how it is produced and the benefits of incorporating it as part of a healthy, balanced diet, the better decision makers they will become.”

While Farming Foodsteps is primarily aimed at education settings, the general public and members of Scotland’s red meat industry are encouraged to explore the tool and access resources which are available at https://education.qmscotland.co.uk/FarmingFoodsteps

Elaine Gardiner, PGDE Coordinator for Home Economics at Strathclyde University said: “I always encourage our student teachers to use Quality Meat Scotland’s excellent materials in their classrooms. It is fantastic that QMS has been able to develop more resources for this period, with a plethora of activities that can be easily accessed by learners and teachers.”

The launch of Farming Foodsteps adds to QMS’s longstanding education programme, having delivered workshops in schools across the country. It will also help ensure children don’t miss out on learning about the industry during the pandemic.

QMS’s hugely successful Meat Voucher Scheme has also provided 320 schools across Scotland with vouchers to purchase Scotch Beef PGI, Scotch Lamb PGI and Specially Selected Pork. This year, pupils are being encouraged to create TikToks or Reels of finished dishes to be in with a chance of winning a prize.

For more information about Quality Meat Scotland and Scotch Beef PGI, Scotch Lamb PGI and Specially Selected Pork, visit www.scotchkitchen.com or The Scotch Kitchen on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.