Back to school: EU school scheme promotes healthy eating for children

With the arrival of September and the start of the school year for many, the European Commission continues its commitment to supporting healthy eating habits among children by funding the EU school scheme across Member States.

For the 2024/25 school year, around €221 million has been allocated to distribute fruit and vegetables, as well as drinking milk and milk products, to children in educational institutions. The EU school scheme aims to provide nutritious products and reconnect children with agriculture through educational activities.

Based on the latest available data, approximately 18 million children, attending around 139,000 educational establishments across all 27 Member States, benefited from the scheme. These establishments range from nurseries to secondary schools. An increasing number of children that participate in the EU school scheme are benefiting from a more varied supply of products. Over 60,000 tonnes of fresh fruit and vegetables (2.7% organic) and 100 million litres of drinking milk (5.4% organic) were distributed as part of this programme.

EU countries also contributed with nearly €130 million from national funds to supplement the EU’s scheme, reinforcing its impact. The distribution of healthy products is further accompanied by various educational activities, such as tasting classes, cooking workshops, and the establishment of school gardens. These activities aim to educate children on healthy eating habits, public health implications, sustainable food production, and combating food waste. Consequently, children ask that the rules learnt at school are also adopted at home. Also, children can learn about and taste other agricultural products, further broadening their understanding of balanced diets.

Background

The EU is supporting children to adopt healthy diets and lifestyles. Since 1 August 2017, the EU's school fruit, vegetables, and milk scheme has combined two previous programmes into one streamlined initiative. This scheme provides support for distributing fruit, vegetables, milk and certain milk products and implementing educational and information activities.

EU countries that choose to join the scheme must create a strategy that spans six years. Each strategy outlines specific goals, such as increasing fruit and vegetable consumption to meet the recommended five portions a day, listing products to be distributed, and detailing the educational activities and implementation plans for the scheme.