Big tick winner

The Co-operative Group from farm to fork

BUPA Healthy Communities Award supported by the Department of Health

Nick and Michelle Padwick, The Co-operative Farm Manager and his wife in Leicester, started the From Farm to Fork programme by taking their children’s friends to see first hand where their food came from.  From Farm to Fork now runs across seven sites, improving children’s understanding of food and getting them cooking healthy food to take home to their families.  More than 5,500 children have visited one of our farms as part of the programme.

The From Farm to Fork programme takes school children out of the classroom and onto the farm to find out where their food comes from and to learn more about fresh food and healthy eating.
 
The programme has been developed to address key business risks and opportunities for The Co-operative’s food and farming business including childhood obesity, meeting local community needs and employee engagement.
 
In 2007/8 increased investment enabled the building of dedicated education facilities and extension of the project across seven sites with one full- and eight part-time employees to run the projects at these sites. Seven farm managers and more than 90 store managers and their teams have supported the programme both in store and through school visits.

Impact

  • 5,500 children taught to cook with fresh healthy ingredients
  • 49% of parents report a lasting improvement to children’s attitude to food
  • 150 new farmers in areas where The Co-operative doesn’t farm have signed up to accept school visits, extending benefits to a potential 9,000 children annually
  • 280% increase in sales of Co-operative Farm products in Co-operative stores

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