Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of creating strategic partnerships between schools and local farms to introduce pupils to career opportunities in agriculture and horticulture.

The Government supports the excellent work already underway to connect classrooms and farmyards. Industry-led initiatives such as the ‘countryside classroom’, Farming and Countryside Education (FACE) and Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF) Education are doing a fantastic job delivering educational experiences to young people and promoting the career opportunities available in agriculture and horticulture.

Employers and professional bodies in the agriculture and horticulture sector can sign up to ‘Inspiring the Future’, run by the Education and Employers charity. This free programme allows volunteers to visit state schools to talk to pupils about their job. This will raise the profile of various careers within this sector.