The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has written to BBC to highlight its disappointment that CBBC was permitted to air a Blue Peter programme, encouraging children to stop eating meat as part of its new climate change challenge. However, it was extremely uplifting to learn that since the programme was broadcast and having taken the concerns of the public on board, BBC has now cancelled this anti-meat initiative.
UFU deputy president David Brown said, “Our farmers play an essential role in addressing climate change because they are a key part of the solution. They are committed to doing all they can to address the global issue whilst continuing to produce some of the most sustainable food products in the world, setting an example of high environmental, animal health and welfare standards.”
The UFU work extremely hard in the area of education for children and non-farming families. Over the years the connection between farmers and consumers has become severed, greatly impacting the general understanding of local food production. A vast amount of effort continues to be put into rebuilding this relationship through various initiatives such as its ‘Dig in!’ resource and Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend (BOIOFW), as well as daily work that is ongoing at the UFU.
Mr Brown said, “The UFU invested in the ‘Dig in!’ resource, created in partnership with Agri Aware, because we strongly believe that educating children about where their food comes from will help build a greater understanding of local food production and the importance of farming in Northern Ireland (NI). Especially for children who are not from agricultural backgrounds.
“Dig in!’ is split into four modules corresponding to levels of ability across all stages of primary education, with lesson plans and activities at the back of each module. It is tailored to fit in with the national curriculum, covering several areas including science, geography, mutual understanding and personal development. It is a free, ready-made fun learning tool to assist teachers, parents and guardians deliver the message of food, farming and life in the countryside.”
This year, BOIOFW led by the UFU, is celebrating its tenth year. Due to coronavirus (COVID-19), the event will take place virtually on Friday 30 July-Sunday 1 August.
“The BOIOFW compliments ‘Dig in!’ perfectly. Pre COVID-19, families were able to visit the participating farms, taking part in seed planting, cookery demonstrations and wildlife watching whilst also getting the opportunity to view robotic milking, potato harvesting and sheep shearing. We have been fortunate to be able to adapt the initiative to offer a virtual experience, but we do hope to return to physical on-farm visits in the near future.
“BOIOFW provides a realistic and honest insight into farming, highlighting the outstanding contribution farming families make to producing high-quality produce to world leading standards in the areas of animal welfare, environment and food safety. It reconnects consumers with our farmers, the primary food producers, and also raises awareness of the local supply chain reinforcing that farm to fork journey and emphasising the benefits of supporting local,” said Mr Brown.
Covering all aspects of learning, the UFU in partnership with BOIVFW and Asda, recently launched the annual schools’ competition, challenging school pupils across NI to ‘Dig in!’ and put their creative skills to the test, in celebration of the tenth Open Farm Weekend event.
“We need to ensure that children and consumers have every opportunity to learn about all things food, from its farm origins and production process to the importance of local farming and food production to NI in its entirety. This is vital to ensure farmers are supported in their efforts in producing high-quality food and contribution to shaping our landscape in NI, creating different environments which support our economy, rural communities, tourism and recreation,” said the UFU deputy president.
