To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has received on the role of school visits to farms in educating children. (124984)

I have been asked to reply.

The Department has not received any recent representations on the importance of school visits to farms for educating children. However, through our Growing Schools programme, we work very closely with organisations that promote children’s understanding of food and agriculture, either through visits to farms or through growing within the school grounds.

We support Access to Farms, a national partnership that encourages school visits to farms, and part funded it to develop training and accreditation for farmers who host school visits. We also support and part-fund the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens, which publicises farms and gardens to schools and manages a network of more than 60 school farms. We are working closely with DEFRA on the forthcoming Year of Food and Farming, and will publicise it to schools though the Growing Schools programme.