Rural education charities have teamed up to run a year-long campaign to teach children about beef production in Scotland.
The Year of Beef campaign is being run by the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) and Royal Northern Countryside Initiative (RNCI) in partnership with red meat levy body Quality Meat Scotland (QMS).
The campaign, which will run in the current academic year, aims to provide resources for schools to help them educate children about the whole beef supply chain from the cow and calf story to the skills involved in butchery and the different career options available in the sector.
“This pioneering project will allow RHET to help the beef industry to share their message about sustainable meat production in Scotland,” said RHET Borders co-ordinator, Lesley Mason.
“RHET aims to teach all young people where their food comes from to allow them to make informed choices about the food they eat.”
RNCI project manager, Alison Johnston, said the charity was delighted to be involved in the project.
She said: “Scottish beef production is crucial to the wider Scottish economy. Sharing the facts around the sustainable production in Scotland with schools has never been more important.”
NFU Scotland president, Martin Kennedy, backed the campaign and encouraged farmers to support RHET and RNCI throughout the coming year.
He said: “The beef industry is not only the engine room of our rural economy, it also delivers sustainable food production of the highest quality and helps us maintain an environment that is the envy of many across the globe.”
QMS health and education manager, Jennifer Robertson, said: “Scotch Beef is an iconic Scottish product, and educators frequently request information about farming and its production, so the planned resources and activities will be an excellent place to direct them.”
New resources will be made available every month, including educational films and activities, and any teachers wishing to sign up are asked to visit bit.ly/3iE1UGF to register their interest.
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