School Fruit Scheme in Poland: A successful project

1. School Fruit Scheme in Poland:A successful project Monika Niewiarowska Agricultural Market Agency Poland

2. Poland has been participating in the CAP School Fruit Scheme since its starting by the European Commission in school year 2009/2010

3. Scheme’s budget in Poland • Annual allocation from EU budget: 9,2 mln EUR • EU co-financing rate: 75% • Source of national co-financing (25%): national budget • Total budget: 12,297 mln EUR

4. Our attitude in designing the scheme:high intensity to achieve the best results • Target group: focus on children at the age when eating habits are easily formed • High frequency of distribution • High duration in a school year • Free of charge distribution • Fruit and vegetable in each portion

5. Beneficiaries Target group: children in I – III grades of primary schools Target group in 2012/2013: 1,1 mln pupils

6. Participants 2011/2012: • Primary schools: 9 700(70% of all primary schools) • Pupils: 891 000(72% of target group) • Suppliers: 102 Forecast for 2012/2013: • Over 10 000 primary schools • Over 900 000 pupils

7. apples pears strawberries fruit juices carrots small radishes sweet pepper vegetable or mixed juices Products distributed

8. Fruit and vegetable portion One servingconsists of: 1fruit product and1vegetable product Child should receive each kind of fruits and vegetables at least twice in the semester

9. Since starting the School Fruit Scheme in 2009/2010 over 100 million of fruit and vegetable portions have been distributed to children already!

10. Distribution Children receive fruits and vegetables: • atleast twice a week (depending on the number of children enrolled to the Scheme in a given semester and funds available) • during 10 weeks in a semester (20 weeks in a school year) • free of charge

11. Deliveries • The organization of deliveries is decentralized (school chooses one of approved suppliers and signs an agreement on deliveries) • Approved suppliers deliver fruit and vegetables to schools and apply for aid – the most popular and convenient way of participation in the scheme for schools • School has possibility to organize a portions of F&V and apply for aid on its own – option very rarely chosen by the schools

12. Accompanying measures • organized by schools participating in the scheme • at least twice in each semester • examples: healthy cooking workshops, taking care of school gardens, visits at fruit and vegetables markets, competitions for children

13. Communication measures Posters

14. Brochure for pupils in a form of cartoon • SFS Brochure

15. SFS website: www.owocewszkole.org 15

16. ? Does our scheme work? YES, IT WORKS!

17. Evaluation: promising results! • Increase of children’s knowledge about healthy diet • Influence on lowering the barriers preventing children from eating F/V as: ‘schoolmates who don’t eat F/V’ • Positive influence on some dietary patterns of parents, especially their attitudes towards child nutrition

18. p<0,001 • Significant increase in consumption of F&V by children participating in the SFS (21% increase in comparison to not participating)

19. Improvements and plans for future • Extend the target group by younger children • Keep high duration and frequency of distribution • Develop accompanying measures • Improve execution of budget and variety of products – since current school year • ...

20. Thank you for your attention!