Err, what ever happened to Old MacDonald had farm?
Now I think today's youngsters think it's more a case of Mr Tesco had some chickens.....
I was watching a show recently which included primary aged children being asked various questions-a sort of "out of the mouths of babes" comedy exercise. One of the questions was "Where do chickens come from?"
Standard answer of these primary aged darlings?
Tesco.
Only one of the 7 or 8 little'uns they asked answered that they come from a farm.
Which is why I'm happy to support a campaign being run to educate children on where food really comes from, and maybe even to get them growing their own (just like I did as a youngster).
McCain are running a UK wide "roadshow" tied in with a handy website, with tips and info specifically for children, their teachers and parents too.
They conducted a survey which, just like the TV programme I watched, revealed the shocking stats that-
1 in 10 children aged 7-11 thought chickens lay potatoes
1 in 5 had no idea that potatoes are grown in the ground
1 in 5 also had no clue that chips are made from potatoes!
So, I asked why McCain had decided to take on the responsibility of educating kids-a publicity stunt surely?
But, no, the Double Decker bus, that has already visited 130 primary schools in the UK, and intends to visit even more in its 5th tour, has no branding whatsoever, and no mention of the McCain name.
Nick Vermont, CEO of McCain Foods Ltd in the UK says "The Potato Story was developed as a vehicle to help contribute towards teaching children about food provenance. As part of the overall 'It's all good' campaign, we're committed to working hard to ensure that 'The Potato Story' is, and remains, both relevant to the curriculum and useful for teachers to educate children, whilst also making it a fun and interactive experience for kids"
Nick Vermont, CEO of McCain Foods Ltd in the UK says "The Potato Story was developed as a vehicle to help contribute towards teaching children about food provenance. As part of the overall 'It's all good' campaign, we're committed to working hard to ensure that 'The Potato Story' is, and remains, both relevant to the curriculum and useful for teachers to educate children, whilst also making it a fun and interactive experience for kids"
The tour and website has the full support of top child psychologist Dr Richard Woolfson, who says that a lack of food understanding and a misunderstanding of what constitutes "healthy food" may have a serious impact on the longterm eating habits of children. He continues that knowing where food comes from can help to promote healthy eating habits from an early age.
As parents and consumers as a whole we are inundated with information on healthy living and its importance (the most high profile being the Government's "Change for Life" campaign), so a website from a trusted family brand name which includes helpful resources for free is always going to be well supported. And if it can appeal to children in an easy to understand way, then I think all parents will be happy to have a click on the site itself.
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This is one of the reasons we moved to the country - we have chickens and a veggie patch and our children will know where their food comes from (at least if I have a more successful year next year with the veggie patch !)
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