Schools all across Ireland are to receive over €1 million worth of fruit and vegetables, thanks to the EU’s school healthy eating initiative, School Fruit Scheme.
The scheme was set up to encourage better eating habits in kids all across member states, and funds allocated to Ireland will go towards the Food Dudes scheme, an award winning programme developed by the Food and Activity Research Unit Bangor University to encourage children to eat more fruit and veg.
However, the EU-wide voluntary scheme doesn't just provide school children with their greens and encourage good eating habits, participation also requires Member States setting up strategies including educational and awareness-raising initiatives.
In all, €150m of EU aid has been set aside under the scheme for the coming school year (2016/2017).
However, after eight years, this will be the last year the scheme will be implemented, with a new initiative that will merge with the school milk scheme to be implemented, according to the Irish Farmers Journal.
