Ireland's agri-food educational body has launched its annual Incredible Edibles initiative for 2013 to teach students where their fruit and vegetables come from and how they're good for our health.
Agri Aware’s 2013 programme was launched at its Family Farm in Dublin Zoo earlier this week, and students from Queen of Angels Primary School in Sandyford were on hand to help out celebrity chef and Incredible Edibles ambassador Catherine Fulvio as she cooked up some tasty healthy treats.
Now in its fifth year, the programme’s emphasis in 2013 is on the health benefits of Irish potatoes, fruit and vegetables as part of the ongoing national battle against childhood obesity.
Speaking at the launch, Agri Aware chair Bernard Donohue said the Incredible Edibles project had a multi-layered message.
“It’s about growing, eating and increased awareness,” he said, “and most importantly, educating through action.
“If students are actively participating, growing their own seeds in class, taking home the end product and eating them with their families, they will be much more inclined to have a natural interest in food origin and healthy eating.”
Almost a thousand schools have registered for this year’s programme and will shortly receive grow pots, a raised bed, compost, seeds and interactive resources linked to the primary curriculum.
Incredible Edibles committee chair Mike Neary of Bord Bia added that while the programme engages children in an interactive way, it also promotes a more serious national message.
“It highlights the role the domestic horticulture industry plays in Ireland, by supplying a key nutritional element of the national diet,” he said. “By involving children first hand in the growing of fresh produce and educating them about how to achieve their recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables per day, this initiative will contribute to ensuring a healthy eating pattern for future generations.”
