The European Fresh Produce Association, Freshfel Europe, has said it 'vigorously opposes' plans put forward by European Union member states to cut its EU School Fruit Scheme (SFS) budget by nearly 30 per cent.
In a statement, the group said the decision gave the wrong signal to both the European fresh produce sector and the general public, especially given the enormous damage done to the business by the recent E.coli outbreak.
'Freshfel deems this budget cut totally unacceptable, in times of stagnating or even declining fresh produce consumption with its related negative public health impact, rising health care costs and lost productivity due to the low intake of fruit and vegetables and omnipresent debates about changing lifestyles and healthy eating habits,' it said.
The European Commission had previously proposed a budget of €90m for the scheme, wuth member states lining up to take up the full suggested allocations.
However, at a recent meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (Ecofin), member state representatives voted to scale back spending on the SFS to just €64m.
'This budget cut by an inconceivable 29 per cent is more than just surprising,' commented
Philippe Binard, general delegate of Freshfel Europe. 'It is not only a devastating signal for the sector and those who made an effort to establish a long-term SFS programme, but also for everybody concerned with public health.'
Zespri Europe director Luc Clerx, who is also chairman of Freshfel's Promotion, Communication and Image Committee, stated: 'The School Fruit Scheme is a very practical step to bring Europe closer to its citizens. Instead of cutting the budget it should be increased to include more children, more servings per week etc.
'More should also be done to further increase the efficiency of the scheme and to increase the level of communication.
'When estimates suggest that €150bn in health care costs and lost productivity are related just to the obesity epidemic, it is in the interest of all financial deliberations to establish healthy eating habits, even if these financial savings will be not immediately visible.'
