Historic firsts, historic energy. Last month, SoilED hosted the first-ever roundtable discussion on food, farming and sustainability in the House of Commons, facilitated by Roz Savage MP, a milestone that brought together MPs, farmers, educators, nutritionists and child-development specialists.
The energy in the room was electric; everyone was united by a single goal which is to give every child in the UK a real understanding of food, farming, and sustainability.
This historic gathering mirrored the impact of our government petition, another first amplifying the voices of children, educators, and food-system experts calling for change. Both moments reminded us what's possible when commitment meets collaboration.
Over the weekend, I had the chance to speak face-to-face with my local MP, Terry Jermy, and the energy from the roundtable was still very much alive. It was an incredibly positive discussion, Terry is fully backing SoilED as a national movement and taking practical steps to push our agenda forward.
I highlighted the gaps in current education. While food and nutrition is mandatory, farming remains optional, leaving pupils disconnected from real-world food systems, rural skills, and green-economy careers. I also raised the lack of Equality Impact Assessments over the past 12 years, showing why certain pupils, SEND students and those from disadvantaged backgrounds, risk being left behind.
Terry will raise the SoilED Taskforce at the next Farming APPG AGM, bringing our work directly to chairs, officers, and the secretariat, including Sue Pritchard at the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission. He will also submit written Parliamentary Questions (PMQs). Having his support, and the backing of other MPs working cross-party, is essential to ensuring equity and inclusivity in food, farming and sustainability education.
"This is a huge step forward for SoilED, and a real opportunity to turn policy gaps into practical, inclusive action for young people, rural communities, and a sustainable food system."
Despite this progress, Government curriculum proposals still leave key gaps. Ministers talk about equity, nutrition, and 'joined-up' food education, yet structural mechanisms to deliver it simply aren't in place.
Here's what 'education bingo' looks like today:
- Problem acknowledged: vulnerable student groups are underserved
- Policy announcement: school meals, nutrition, and practical food education
- Missing pieces: farming, food production, and sustainability barely feature
- Missing pieces: no Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs) for food, farming, or sustainability in 12 years
- Missing pieces: no evidence that curriculum changes will equitably reach all children
Food begins in the soil. Understanding how we grow, produce, and consume it affects health, wellbeing, environmental stewardship and the skills needed for the green economy. Children most likely to be underserved, urban or rural, low-income, or with limited exposure to food systems, are also at risk of missing out on the very skills underpinning the 10-Year Food Strategy.
Our coalition of educators, farmers, nutritionists, and psychologists is calling for a curriculum that truly reflects the realities of food, farming, and sustainability. If we are serious about a real-world focused curriculum, we must:
Embed farming, food systems and sustainability across subjects, not as a standalone topic, but integrated into teaching.
Conduct robust Equality Impact Assessments to ensure no child is left behind.
Link education to practical skills, healthy eating, and environmental awareness, giving children the tools to thrive in the green economy.
Education doesn't happen in isolation, and neither does food. Soil, water, biodiversity, climate, farming practices, nutrition, mental health and rural economies are all linked, part of a complex food system. Teaching children to see these connections is not just about farming or nutrition, it's about systems thinking, helping them understand how their choices ripple through communities, ecosystems and the economy.
When education reflects this interconnected view, we equip children to make smarter, more sustainable decisions for themselves, their communities and the planet. That's the future SoilED is working toward; a curriculum that links knowledge, action, and impact across the entire food system.
The roundtable, the petition and my meeting with Terry Jermy show one thing clearly: the energy, commitment and solutions are already here. What's needed now is for policy to match the rhetoric, filling the missing squares on the education bingo board. Every child deserves the chance to connect with the food, farming and sustainability systems that shape their world, and SoilED is ready to make that happen.
