In November 2008, the Agriculture Council of the European Commission adopted a proposal for a European Union-wide scheme to provide fruit and vegetables to school children. The scheme could provide funds to build the market for sustainable fruit and vegetable supplies for schools, as well as provide added incentive for schools and local authorities to get involved in promoting horticulture and healthy eating.
- Full details, as well as papers from a recent conference to promote the scheme, are at: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/markets/fruitveg/sfs/index_en.htm
- A copy of the EC regulation establishing the scheme can be downloaded here [52kb PDF file].
European funds worth 90 million Euros will pay for the purchase and distribution of fresh fruit and vegetables to schools. This money will be matched by national and private funds in those Member States that choose to make use of the programme. Known as “The School Fruit Scheme” (though also including vegetables), the scheme will provide fruit and vegetables to schoolchildren, but also require participating Member States to set up strategies including educational and awareness-raising initiatives and sharing good practice. The scheme will begin at the start of the 2009/2010 school year.
In December 2008, Sustain participated in a pan-European conference convened by the European Commission to discuss details of the School Fruit Scheme. Sustain’s Policy Director Kath Dalmeny presented the case for fruit and vegetable promotion in schools to be supported by whole-school food policies integrating fruit and vegetables into catering practices, other school activities and the national curriculum, with work also undertaken to build resilient supply chains that support local, seasonal and sustainable fruit and vegetable production.
An outline of the EU School Fruit Scheme is as follows:
- European grants are being allocated proportionally, according to number of children eligible. The UK is therefore eligible for 11 million Euros.
- Because this is coming from DG-Agri, it is Defra that would have to take a lead and arrange the match funding, which can come from public or private sources at a local, regional or national level.
- This money is for purchase and logistical distribution of fruit and vegetables; i.e. not distribution within the schools, but rather for facilitation of the supply chain.
- Conditions on the grant include e.g.: the match funding; work also has to be evaluated; and the School Fruit Scheme must be designed to have “accompanying measures” – which means there must be educational / promotional / training / celebratory / whole-school food policies activities to help children appreciate the food and to embed the fruit and vegetable use in school policy and practice.
Joint Sustain and National Heart Forum conference
In January 2009, Sustain's convened a joint conference in London with the National Heart Forum to discuss how the UK might make best use of the School Fruit Scheme. Presentations included:
- Lars Hoelgaard, DG-Agri: European School Fruit & Vegetables Scheme - Integrating health goals into the CAP (350kb PDF)
- Tara Garnett, Food Climate Research Network: Food and Climate Change - the role of fruit and vegetables in contributing to GHG emissions (570kb PDF)
- Joanna Lewis, Food for Life partnership - an inspiring film presentation showing the benefits of an integrated approach to healthy and sustainable food in schools participating in the Food for Life programme - films can be viewed on the Food for Life partnership website
- Dr. David Barling, Centre for Food Policy, City University London: The European School Fruit Scheme - coupling healthy food production to consumption? (100kb PDF)
- Dr. Mike Rayner, British Heart Foundation Health Promotion Research Group at the University of Oxford: The food-related burden of disease. Contact Mike Rayner for details, email: mike.rayner@dphpc.ox.ac.uk
- Robert Pederson, European Agriculture and Health Consortium: European Union School Fruit Scheme – a first step in the right direction? (30kb PDF)
Grab 5! promoting fruit and vegetable consumption
From 2000 to 2002, Sustain ran a pilot project funded by the National Lotteries Charities Board, to promote fruit and vegetables consumption amongst 7-11 year olds, with a focus on low-income families. The Grab 5! project was tested in Primary schools in Lambeth, Leeds and Plymouth. Independant evaluation, carried out by the British Heart Foundation Health Promotion Research Group, showed the project be successful (for further details see: evaluation).The popular Grab 5! curriculum pack, action pack and model school food policy are available free to download online at the Right to the Core website: http://www.sustainweb.org/g5core/index.htm
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