Raising awareness about food and nutrition education in schools is something we can always get behind, especially if someone has set the rallying cry to a catchy tune. And that’s exactly what celebrity chef Jamie Oliver did, enlisting the help of pop sensation (and teen heartthrob) Ed Sheeran to write an anthem for Food Revolution Day, which is being celebrated on May 15th. Oliver kicks the song off with a rap about the state of food: “Half the world is starving with too little to eat and the other half dies from being obese.” And then he hands the mic over to other celebs, including Hugh Jackman and Paul McCartney.
The chorus asks listeners to “sign the petition,” which Oliver created as a means to pressure G20 countries to lower the enormous rates of childhood obesity by making food and nutrition education a mandatory part of school. England, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, and Finland already have government-mandated food education programs, and Oliver hopes other countries follow their lead. On the Food Revolution Day website, he writes, “My wish is to create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again, and empower people everywhere to fight obesity.”
And if you needed another reason to want to support the cause, look no further than the absolutely adorable London Youth Choir dressed in costumes as strawberries, carrots, corn, and grapes while they sing the song’s chorus.
