Health policy: Greens welcome fruit and vegetables for schools
The European Parliament today approved a scheme for the EU budget to subsidise at least one fruit or vegetable per day for pre-school and school age children. UK Green MEP Caroline Lucas commented:
"I wholeheartedly welcome that the European parliament has approved a scheme to distribute fruit and vegetables to school children in the EU. This will ensure one fruit or vegetable per day is made available for pre-school and school age children.
"The Greens have long campaigned for healthier eating and we especially welcome Parliament's emphasis today on seasonal, locally grown and organic fruit.
"Action to promote better food in schools cannot come too soon. We face a health time bomb in the EU, where it is estimated that there are 22 million overweight children, including 5 million severely overweight.
"This scheme will however represent a mere drop in the ocean unless it is backed up by intensive educational programmes to raise awareness on healthy eating in EU schools. We also need a radical reform of European agricultural policy, which is heavily biased towards industrial methods of production."
Notes to editors
The image below is from the Greens/EFA Group "Eat better" campaign.
A high-resolution version and further information can be found at http://www.eat-better.org
