02 October 2024

Chickpea Korma: A Step Towards Deforestation Free School Menus

The young people in a photo at the end of the event with Size of Wales, Kate Humble and James Nathan

Monmouthshire schools have taken their first bite towards a deforestation free future! Following a successful showcase at the Abergavenny Food Festival, where pupils presented and served their innovative chickpea korma to Kate Humble and Masterchef’s James Nathan, Monmouthshire County Council announced they would be adding the dish to school menus across the county.

Here's what happened at the event

The event, held on September 22nd, featured television presenter Kate Humble and MasterChef winner James Nathan, who judged the students’ creations. The pupils from four Monmouthshire schools wowed both the judges and the audience with their reimagined korma – a healthy, deforestation free alternative to traditional school meals.

Organised by Size of Wales in partnership with Monmouthshire County Council, The Co-op Foundation, and the ‘Cookalong Clwb,’ this initiative is part of the Deforestation Free Champions campaign. The pilot of a pioneering campaign by the charity Size of Wales, a unique charity that is making Wales part of the global solution to climate change, has been working with the local community to help Monmouth on its journey to becoming deforestation free.

Monmouthshire County Council’s decision to introduce the chickpea korma to school menus is a milestone in the Deforestation Free Champions campaign. This commitment marks a significant step toward making Monmouthshire a Deforestation Free county and sets a powerful example for other counties to follow.

Nichola James, Deforestation Free Communities Campaign Officer at Size of Wales, said: “We’re thrilled that Monmouthshire County Council has committed to including this dish on school menus. It’s a fantastic way to embed environmental sustainability into everyday life and shows how the younger generation can inspire real change.”

The pupils audited their school menu and found that the chicken korma dish was at risk of deforestation because the chicken was fed on soy causing devastation of tropical forests in places such as Brazil. The chickpea korma not only promotes healthier eating in schools but also supports the mission to reduce tropical deforestation, one meal at a time.

Kate Humble, Television Presenter, said: “By eating less but better quality meat such as organic that isn’t fed on soy and increasing alternative proteins such as chickpeas, beans and lentils we can take deforestation off the menu. These children have shown it’s possible – and if they can do it, we all can.”

The chickpea korma pilot is part of Size of Wales’ larger effort to make Wales the first country in the world to eliminate tropical deforestation from its supply chains. Last year alone, an area of tropical forest twice the size of Wales was lost due to deforestation caused by the products and services consumed globally. The Deforestation Free Champions campaign aims to change this by promoting more sustainable, deforestation free practices.