A new edition of ‘Meat Detectives’ has started in Mercamadrid, a recreational-educational project whose objective is to make the little ones aware of the importance of consuming sheep, goat and beef meat on the family menu within a balanced diet. , as well as the production and distribution process, without forgetting the high quality of these meats. This is an idea promoted by the Interprofessional Agri-Food Organization of Sheep and Goats (INTEROVIC), the Interprofessional Organization of Beef (PROVACUNO) and the Central Meat Market within the framework of the school visit program ‘Learn to eat healthy in Mercamadrid’, promoted and developed by the joint company since 2017.
In this new edition of ‘Meat Detectives’, and over ten days, around 500 4th and 5th grade students from eight schools, coordinated by the City Council’s program ‘Madrid, an open book’, will enjoy of a series of recreational activities while they acquire knowledge.
The leisure theme: livestock farming and caring for the environment
The four games that are proposed on each day of ‘Meat Detectives’ are ‘Discover the image’, where boys and girls will have to configure a puzzle based on curiosities about livestock farming and caring for the environment; ‘Self-defined’, whose objective is for students to discover various concepts and terms related to the various dishes that can be made with meat, as well as the world of beef and sheep farming; ‘Paths and stairs’, from which children will be able to discover various concepts and terms related to livestock farming by playing with a board; and ‘Twischis’, an adaptation of the well-known game of Enredos, where the aim is for boys and girls to become familiar with the main nutrients that meat provides.
The schoolchildren will thus know the values linked to the people who work in the sector, from the farmer, as responsible for the care, health and feeding of the animals, to the butcher, as the prescriber of a product of quality. Thus, throughout their research they will discover that the breeding and care of livestock, along with agriculture, are part of the lifestyle of a good part of the people who live in rural areas. Without them, our towns, or at least a good part of them, would disappear. They will also discover why sheep, cows and goats, thanks to grazing, act as ‘firefighters’ in our forests and fields and their contribution to the natural ecosystem and promotion of biodiversity.
Healthy, varied and balanced diet, like the Mediterranean
At a nutritional level, schoolchildren will learn that, within the framework of a healthy, varied and balanced diet, such as the Mediterranean, the adequate intake of beef, sheep and goat meat provides vitamins, minerals and nutrients to their body, essential for their development. physical and mental, as well as to maintain a healthy and vital body. All this, through a participatory methodology based on collaborative and dynamic games that promote team learning.
In addition, each day will have a group talk where participants will be able to learn more details about the meat that reaches their plates.
A complete journey through the food chain of the meat sector and the benefits of consuming these products, typical of our gastronomy and tradition, whose consumption provides important benefits for the health of the entire family.
