The UK government is dragging its heels in taking up available EU funding to expand its successful School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (SFVS, but the Scottish government is seizing this initiative to benefit its schoolchildren.
The Scottish government has been allocated €1.3 million (£1.1m) for the first year of the EU scheme. The European Commission will publish online details of the individual countries’ strategies next week.
The SFVS in the UK has contributed to a successful increase in consumption. A report in September 2007 found that 5 A DAY consumption among schoolchildren had risen from 32 per cent in 2004 to 44 per cent in 2006.
Under the scheme, the UK government would have to match any grant taken from the €90 million EU fund.
Nigel Jenney, chief executive of the Fresh Produce Consortium, said: “Many UK fresh produce businesses are involved already in the successful UK SFVS, and we have supported the development of an EU-wide school fruit scheme.
“We are disappointed that, despite much lobbying, the UK government is not looking to grab this opportunity to extend the existing scheme in England and Wales. It’s great that the Scottish executive has had the foresight to take up the funding, but we’d like to see more children south of the border have the chance to eat fresh fruit and vegetables at school and to develop good eating habits at an early age.
“We urge the UK government to think again and to seize this opportunity to build on the success of the SFVS. We look forward to discussing with the government how the industry can play its part in addressing this critical issue of public health,” said Jenney.
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