Mougins School Goes Green Again: Join Us on Our Eco-Food Journey!
Valentina Deidda
At Mougins British International School, our Eco focus this year is on the theme of "Food," and the Primary students have shown great enthusiasm for this topic. Guided by their teachers, they are finding ways to integrate eco-friendly practices into everything they do, making a real effort to connect their learning with sustainability. The emphasis on food is not only about nutrition but also about understanding its impact on the environment and how our choices can lead to a more sustainable future.
Student-Led Sustainability Initiatives
One of the standout projects led by our Primary School Student Council will be a survey of students’ snacks and lunch boxes. The students have created a detailed tally chart to track several key factors: Does the snack or lunch include fruits or vegetables? Is there plastic packaging? Are the cutlery items plastic or reusable? Do they bring a reusable water bottle? Through this survey, they will be gaining a deeper understanding of how their daily choices impact the environment, encouraging everyone to adopt more sustainable habits.
Harvest Festival: A Celebration of Gratitude and Learning
Friday, October 11th, we celebrated the Harvest Festival, a cherished tradition that brings our community together to express gratitude for the abundance we enjoy. In alignment with the “Food” theme promoted by our school's Eco Committee, our Primary children have prepared songs, poems, and pieces of art to share with their families. These performances focus on the themes of fruits, vegetables, and the importance of healthy eating, as well as supporting local and seasonal products.
This celebration is a wonderful opportunity for our students to raise awareness about the benefits of eating healthily and making mindful choices about the food we consume. Through these activities, our young learners are becoming advocates for sustainability, encouraging our school community to think more about how we can all make a difference by eating and buying locally and reducing our environmental footprint.
Year 6's Global Perspective on Hunger and Charity
Our Year 6 students will be addressing a number of important topics during our festival celebration. They are highlighting the global issue of hunger, emphasising that around 828 million people (roughly one in every ten people) go to bed hungry each night. This stark reality serves as a reminder to appreciate the food we have and think about ways to help those in need.
The students will introduce organisations like France’s Restos du Cœur, which has been providing free meals to those in need since 1985, and will express gratitude for the local community’s support of Les Petites Sœurs des Pauvres in Nice. They will also draw attention to UK-based charities like FareShare, which prevents food waste by redistributing surplus food, and The Trussell Trust, which runs food banks to help families struggling to make ends meet. Internationally, groups like Action Against Hunger and the World Food Programme play crucial roles in providing food aid during crises, while organisations such as Oxfam support sustainable farming practices in countries like Ethiopia and Guatemala.
The Importance of Supporting Local Products
Beyond these charitable efforts, we would like to highlight the importance of buying local products and how it positively impacts our environment. Purchasing locally grown food supports small-scale farmers, reduces carbon emissions from long-distance transportation, and helps build a resilient local economy. Studies show that locally grown produce tends to be fresher and more nutritious, as it often reaches the market more quickly than imported goods. Choosing local food also means reducing our reliance on industrial agriculture, which is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation.
Understanding where our food comes from and the impact of our choices is a powerful educational experience for both children and adults. By learning to support local producers, students gain insight into sustainable practices, the importance of community, and the need to reduce our ecological footprint. It’s an opportunity to connect with the environment in a meaningful way, fostering a sense of responsibility for the planet's health.
Encouraging Mindful and Sustainable Actions
The students encourage everyone to take action, whether by donating to food banks, reducing food waste, or supporting sustainable agriculture. Even small steps, like being mindful of the food on our plates or supporting fair-trade products, can contribute to a larger effort in tackling hunger and promoting a fairer food system for all. Our celebration is not only a time to give thanks but also a chance to think critically about our food choices and how they can make a lasting difference in our world.