ASSIST FM x McCain – Regenerative Agriculture 

ASSIST FM has been delighted to team up with key supplier partner McCain Foods to bring a suite of free resources to schools across Scotland which tell the farm to fork journey story.  A key focus area of ASSIST FM this year has been to support and celebrate sustainability initiatives, not just by our members […]

ASSIST FM has been delighted to team up with key supplier partner McCain Foods to bring a suite of free resources to schools across Scotland which tell the farm to fork journey story.  A key focus area of ASSIST FM this year has been to support and celebrate sustainability initiatives, not just by our members but also our suppliers. McCain has recently partnered with education content provider Earth Cubs to create an animated film and lesson plan, bringing the story of farm to fork to life.  The resources provided by Earth Cubs explain sustainable farming methods in a way that is fun and interesting for pupils. The resources are primarily focused at primary aged pupils and will be updated regularly with new and exciting materials exploring soil health and environmental impact across farming, transport, manufacturing and packaging.

National Chair Nicky Joiner said:

“It has been great to work with the team at McCain – their shared vision for a sustainable future fits with the ethos of celebrating success in Local Authority supply chains to continually improve products to our pupils.  Education of such an important topic is vital to ensuring the next generation have the knowledge to make informed choices on the provenance and sustainability of foods they may choose to eat.  The videos provided by Earth Cubs are such an easy watch for younger pupils and I’m sure will be used widely by education colleagues across Local Authorities”

Rosie Tootell, Sustainability Director, McCain Foods GB

“Founded by a family of farmers, agriculture is at the heart of our business, and we are committed to ensuring that farming is sustainable for the future.  As part of this commitment, we are partnering with our growers to implement regenerative agriculture practices across 100% of our potato acreage by 2030. We are delighted to be sharing our on the ground experience with young people through Earth Cubs.”

What is McCain doing?

So, what is regenerative agriculture? We define it as an ecosystem-based approach to farming that aims to improve farmer resilience, yield, and quality by improving and restoring soil health, enhancing biodiversity, and reducing the impact of chemicals on the environment.

McCain’s ambitious aim for 2030

We are committed that 100% of our potato crop will involve regenerative agricultural practices by the end of the decade. Regenerative agricultural practices will help secure the quality and quantity of our crop into the future. And that means we should be able to access a reliable supply of the very best potato products for our consumers.

You can find out more here about our broad approach – https://www.mccain.co.uk/sustainability/smart-sustainable-farming/

All school resources can be found below – these are a great resource for sharing with schools  and a great link to the sustainable supply chain within Local Authority Caterers – please do share these with education colleagues!

Quick link to Earth Cubs video episode on YouTube – A Potato’s Dream=

View the episode and further resources on Earth Cubs – register for free

Find out more about  McCain Foods GB – Earth Cubs