FACE (Farming and Countryside Education)
FACE is a registered charity, which is independent of any political party or movement. Our aim is to educate children and young people about food and farming in a sustainable countryside. We have over 80 partner membership organisations. All have a commitment to educational work associated with food, farming and the countryside. The FACE website has links to all our partners as well as many educational materials relevant to farming and food.
DEFRA(Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is a Government Department in the UK whose overarching challenge is to secure a healthy environment in which we and future generations can prosper. There is a dedicated Food and Farming information section (ww2.defra.gov.uk/food-farm/). Which is a vast website with much information that might be useful for background reading.
Red Tractor/Farm Assurance Scheme
The Red Tractor Farm Schemes provide assurance to internationally recognised Standards and are a fundamental link in an integrated chain of assurance throughout the food chain from farmer to retail store. Useful background reading for teachers wanting to know more.
www.redtractor.org.uk/site/REDT/Templates/Home.aspx?pageid=1&cc=GB
RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)
Free online curriculum-linked resources. There are more than 90 different lesson ideas with teacher and pupil factsheets, pupil activity sheets, photos and pictures. Links to Freedom Foods Assurance.
www.rspca.org.uk
Soil Association
Resources for schools cover activity packs and flash animations. Details of the Food for Life Partnership and links to the Organic standards.
www.soilassociation.org
The Food for Life Curriculum pack has a range of activities for both Key Stages one and two. It is divided into five topics ,which cover food production from the 'plough to the plate' and includes work on being a consumer and making choices about food.
www.soilassociation.org/Schools/Primaryresources/FoodforLifecurriculumpack/tabid/286/Default.aspx
LEAF(Linking Environment and Farming).
LEAF have produced an online virtual farm walk for children to find out about farming and the environment. There are things to do on this walk, with lots of fascinating facts about farms and the animals and plants that live on the farm. In the Dig Deeper section, more able children dig deeper to hear farmers' views on lots of important and topical issues surrounding how our food is grown and how this affects the countryside.
Background reading for details of the LEAF Marque standard can be found at the link below.
HGCA(Home Grown Cereals Authority)
HGCA has an extensive range of free educational resources exploring the grain chain from field to plate. These resources are full of fun games and activities, which have been especially developed for children from primary through to secondary school (Key Stages 1-4).
www.hgca.com/content.template/9/0/Education/Education/Education.mspx
TIDE(Teachers in Development Education)
TIDE is a network of teachers and educators coming together to respond to the educational challenges of global dimensions, development perspectives and human rights principles. Resources of particular relevance to food and farming can be found including Food and Farming Local and Global, but Waking Up(using plants to investigate sustainable development at KS2),Global Learning in Primary Schools and other resources would be useful as part of themed work.
www.tidec.org
Sustainability Schools Framework
The National Framework for Sustainable Schools has been established by the Government to help schools understand what they need to do to become a Sustainable School by 2020. It comprises three interlocking parts: a commitment to care; an integrated approach; and a selection of ‘doorways’ or sustainability themes, many that link to food and drink and sustainable farming via consideration of transportation, energy and local participation.
www.teachernet.gov.uk/sustainableschools/about/about.cfm?levelselected=2&id=2
The European Commission
Provides information on how (organic) farming contributes to the protection of our natural resources, to biodiversity and animal welfare, and how it helps in the development of rural areas. “Whether you are a professional in the food sector, a farmer, a school teacher or an interested consumer – we invite you to browse our website and we hope it will provide you with the information you are looking for.”
Useful background information.
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/home_en
