Food For Thought

This is a 3 year partnership project between the Leicester Masaya Link Group and the University of Leicester Botanic Garden, funded by the Department for International Development.

Using case studies from Nicaragua combined with hands-on experience of the plant resources at the Botanic Garden, the project features an interactive learning approach which invites school children to explore tropical eco-systems, discover the origins of food and other commodities and learn how people and places around the world are interrelated. The aim is to bring to life the challenges and prospects experienced by small-scale producers in Nicaragua.

The children participate in workshops and role play exercises to learn about the economics of trade at different stages in the process of taking products from the farmer’s field to the Nicaraguan market place. Follow-up activities in school will introduce aspects of international trade (including fair trade) and sustainable development as well as opportunities to share their learning with the wider school community and contribute to events such as Fairtrade Fortnight.

Both the Leicester Masaya Link Group and SEED (Support for Education in the Environment and Development) at the University of Leicester Botanic Garden are members of the East Midlands Network for Global Perspectives in Schools.

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