€500k of EU funds available for school fruit scheme for third year

FOR the third year, €500,000 of EU funds have been made available for a school fruit scheme.

In order to be drawn down, the EU school fruit scheme funds for 2011/2012 must be matched by national or private funding.

In 2008 and 2009, school fruit scheme funds were used to buy fruit and vegetables for the award-winning Food Dudes Programme, introduced in 2004, managed by Bord Bia with involvement from the fresh produce industry.

Pupils in thousands of primary schools have been introduced to the Food Dude superhero role models, in a programme to encourage children to eat more fruit and vegetables in school and at home.

When it started in 2008, only 37.6% of the €90 million available in the EU school fruit scheme was spent, but it has grown over the past two years, and five million children participated last year.

Eating more fruit and vegetables can play an important role in combating obesity, which afflicts an estimated 22 million overweight children in the EU.

However, Freshfel Europe, the European Fresh Produce Association, says the scheme could be improved if member states and regional authorities seek greater involvement of the fresh produce sector, to help with the logistic challenge of reaching schools across the EU, and facilitate distribution of a wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables.

The European Commission will evaluate functioning of the scheme in a detailed report due next year.