Lesson plans, lunch boxes, and new choices on children’s menus will be the targets of an exciting new food awareness project Fish ’n Kids to increase the amount of fish from sustainable sources served in homes, schools and family restaurants.
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has been awarded £292,405 over three years by the Environmental Action Fund (EAF) from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for Fish ’n Kids: Taking Sustainable Seafood to the Foodservice Industry in England and Wales.
The project
The project will feature:
- Working closely with a major foodservice provider to offer MSC-labelled sustainable seafood in one or more family restaurant chain;
- A partnership between a local school and a foodservice provider to place MSC-labelled seafood on school lunch menus;
- Educational resources, a child-friendly website and teacher packs to link sustainable fishing to National Curriculum topics;
- A research project to find easy ways ‘from boat to plate’ for foodservice suppliers to offer MSC-labelled seafood on school lunch and restaurant menus;
- Stimulating consumer interest in sustainable seafood, especially among families and children.
What the MSC says
“MSC is delighted to receive this substantial grant and we welcome the signal it sends about the importance of promoting sustainable sources of fish to family consumers,” said Rupert Howes, Chief Executive of the Marine Stewardship Council. “Working with schools and our foodservice partners, such as Brakes, will start children learning about sustainability in the marine environment at a young age, and offer families easy, practical meal options that help protect seafood resources for future generations.”
What the Minister of State for the Environment says
"I am very pleased to be supporting such diverse and innovative projects as the Marine Stewardship Council's food awareness project.” said Elliot Morley MP, Minister of State for the Environment. “Sustainable consumption and production is at the heart of Defra's work and we recognise that voluntary and community groups have an important role to play in getting messages across and engaging with communities and businesses at the grass roots level. These projects will help us to develop better ways of making a difference in everyday life, including more sustainable behaviour at work and at home, more sustainable food production and consumption and improved processes in construction. These will help to improve the quality of people's lives."
The project will run from April 2005 to March 2008 with 50% funding provided by the EAF grant and 50% provided by MSC’s other funding partners.
Further information
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