The Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) welcomed the Minister of Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs of Northern Ireland, Andrew Muir MLA, to Glencraig Integrated Primary School to observe a live beef and lamb cookery demonstration delivered as part of LMC’s Education Programme.
LMC said the visit provided an opportunity for the Minister to see first-hand how LMC engages pupils with practical lessons on cooking with NIFQA (Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured) beef and lamb, while promoting awareness of the role of red meat as part of a balanced diet and the importance of quality assurance and the wider agri-food industry.
LMC demonstrator Wenda Bristow led the workshop, highlighting the role and nutritional benefits of red meat as part of a healthy, balanced diet and introduced pupils to the Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured (NIFQA) logo. Throughout the demonstration the pupils were also taught about the journey of beef and lamb from farm to fork, providing them with a hands-on understanding of Northern Ireland’s agri-food industry.
Established nearly 30 years ago, the LMC’s education programme has expanded from a small number of post-primary cookery demonstrations to over 550 sessions annually across primary and post-primary schools, reaching around 15,000 pupils each year. Developed in close collaboration with CCEA, the programme promotes sustainable farming practices, highlights the nutritional benefits of NIFQA beef and lamb, and showcased the agri-food sector’s contribution to society, health, and the environment.
LMC chief executive, Colin Smith, commented: “We were delighted to welcome Minister Muir to Glencraig Integrated Primary School today to see LMC’s education programme in action. This programme has been an integral part of LMC’s engagement activity and continues to be highly successful, with strong demand and support from teachers.”
The programme aims to provide a wide range of educational resources, including the interactive Farm in a Box classroom toolkit for foundation years pupils, careers guidance to inspire opportunities in the agri-food sector, bursary programmes, teacher training and initiatives to improve access to NIFQA beef and lamb in schools. LMC said that by combining practical learning with classroom resources, pupils “gain an understanding of the journey from farm to fork, develop healthy eating habits, and build appreciation” for Northern Ireland’s agricultural heritage.
Smith continued: “LMC is proud to be the only organisation delivering this service on behalf of the beef and sheep meat industry in Northern Ireland and continue to recognise the importance of reaching young people in their formative years to build the relationship between the consumers of the future and their knowledge and skills around food, particularly at a time when the gap between younger generations and our agricultural heritage is growing.”
Minister Muir commented: “It was fantastic to visit Glencraig Integrated School to see first-hand the Livestock and Meat Commission’s cookery demonstration schools’ programme. The pupil’s engagement and excitement for the cookery demonstration was clear to see, as was their engagement around the health, wellbeing and environmental topics of our integrated food system.
“I warmly welcome LMC’s recent expansion of its education programme, which will see visits to even more schools across Northern Ireland. Food programmes such as these connect with DAERA’s new Food Strategy Framework, which seeks to help improve economic, environmental, health and social outcomes across Northern Ireland.”
