Read the original article in Italian on Fresh Plaza
The educational project “The Garden of Oranges” was presented, which will take place in Sicily thanks to Etnafood, the company that manages several McDonald’s restaurants in Eastern Sicily and Calabria and Oranfrizer, a company of the Unifrutti group, supplier of McCafé oranges throughout Italy.
The Garden of Oranges is an edutainment born thanks to the collaboration between Oranfrizer and Librì Progetti Educativi (Giunti Editore) which, through games, readings and videos, will introduce children to the Italian agri-food sector and will take place for three days in the McDonald’s restaurants of Catania, Caltagirone, Enna, Messina and Reggio Calabria managed by the franchisee Pietro Vadalà and his team.
“The Garden of Oranges is a project in which I strongly believe as I am convinced that our role is to support the local community starting from the younger generations” comments Pietro Vadalà, CEO of Etnafood – McDonald’s licensee of the restaurants in Eastern Sicily and Reggio Calabria
“With this project we want to bring the values of McDonald’s to schools as well and make known an excellence of the Italian territory such as that of the Blood Orange, cultivated with care and attention by our local producers. Already in the past, with the ‘Blue Generation’ initiative ‘, dedicated to the defense and protection of the seas and with ‘Bee@school’, for the protection of the Sicilian black bee, we have chosen to stand alongside schools to educate the little ones to protect the environment and sustainable development This year, with The Garden of Oranges, in collaboration with Oranfrizer, we are giving continuity to our educational path aimed at involving the new generations on the importance of being and acting in a sustainable way” concludes Vadalà.
“The initiative we are carrying out with McDonald’s strengthens the bond that exists between our two realities, both of which are strongly aware of the importance of educating tomorrow’s purchasing managers on correct nutrition and respect for the environment” underlines Nello Alba, Oranfrizer CEO.
“The Garden of Oranges is an experience that combines good nutrition and respect for the community – continues Salvo Laudani, marketing manager of Oranfrizer-Unifrutti – with a view to enhancing Made in Italy agricultural products“.
During the edutainment of “The Garden of Oranges”, primary school children will in fact have the opportunity to closely understand the importance of the agricultural sector for the Sicilian territory, starting from one of the most representative fruits.
The orange is in fact the absolute protagonist of the entire educational path which takes place initially within the classes involved and subsequently within the McDonald’s restaurants involved in the project, which are transformed into real gardens to welcome the young students in truly magical places.
Picked directly in the Catania plain on the slopes of Etna, blood oranges can tell children not only about their properties but also about the sustainability of agricultural activities in Sicily, respect for nature, the seasonality of citrus fruits and much more.
There are six McDonald’s restaurants within which “The Garden of Oranges” will be set up for three days.
Real trees, games and much more to discover the properties of this fruit up close, according to the following calendar:
■ From 22/2 to 24/2 it will be in the Catania Stesicoro restaurant;
■ From 28/2 to 02/3 Ulisse will be in the Catania restaurant;
■ From 07/3 to 09/3 it will be in the Caltagirone restaurant;
■ From 14/3 to 16/3 it will be in the restaurant in Enna;
■ From 21/3 to 23/3 it will be in the Messina Maregrosso restaurant;
■ From 28/3 to 30/3 it will be in the Reggio Tangenziale restaurant.
Fresh Plaza, 22 February 2023
For more information visit the official Oranfrizer website
