Three intrepid explorers are set for an epic trip across Europe and Africa to raise awareness of the importance of fruit and veg and where it comes from. Starting in November, Max MacGillivray, Chris Payne and Gareth Jones will motorbike their way from Bury St Edmunds all the way to Cape Town, South Africa, visiting a huge range of fruit and veg growers along the way. They plan to chronicle their story – and more importantly the story of the growers – to help raise awareness of how fruit and veg gets from where it is grown to British shop shelves. The Great Fruit Adventure was the brainchild of fruit industry veteran Max who was dismayed when he discovered six out of 10 UK children had no idea where the fruit and veg they eat comes from. Shocked by the figures, he came up with the idea of the trip to help educate UK children, tackle the nation’s ignorance and teach them that fruit doesn’t just grow on trees (well, not all of it!).
Max said: “Fresh Produce is my lifelong passion and I’ve put my heart and soul into the industry so I was dismayed to read that six out of 10 British children had no idea where the fruit and veg they eat comes from. Something had to be done.
“That’s where the idea of the Great Fruit Adventure came from.
“I want to tell the story of the fantastic places where our fruit and veg is grown and the people who grow it to help young people understand that it doesn’t just magically appear on the supermarket shelves.”
“It’s going to be an epic and challenging journey. I had ridden a motorbike on farms in the UK and Australia but never gained my bike licence. So passed my test last year as part of the planning for our trip and been intensively training ever since!” “What we now need is for people to support us, help us to organise and plan the campaign and allow us to do the work to bring the message to schools when we get back.”
Starting in November, Max MacGillivray, Chris Payne and Gareth Jones will motorbike their way from Bury St Edmunds all the way to Cape Town, South Africa, visiting a huge range of fruit and veg growers along the way.
Max, Chris Payne and Gareth Jones will set off from a formal send off in London at the start of November 2016, travelling via Spain, North West Africa and then down the Eastern side of Africa onto South Africa itself finally arriving in Cape Town in late February 2017. Along the way they will visit the likes of key citrus growers in Span, the largest grower of sweetcorn in Senegal, an amazing fruit grower in Ghana that supplies Sainsbury’s and Waitrose with prepared fruit products, amazing growers of flowers in Ethiopia and Mozambique, key exotic vegetable and coffee growers in Kenya as well as Tanzania and all of the beauty that South Africa offers in the total range of fresh produce! When they return, the team will visit schools and colleges and attend events across the country to tell their story and spread the word about their epic journey – and the journey that fruit and veg goes through every day to find its way on to our plates.
To get involved, support or sponsor the project, call 01284 715055, email info@thegreatfruitadventure.com or visit www.thegreatfruitadventure.com The Great Fruit Adventure is a non-profit campaign and all proceeds raised after the cost of the trip will go to a select number of African facing nominated charities.
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