Starting from the academic year 2025/2026, Sweden plans to accept fruit support, the EU funding that entails Swedish schoolchildren receiving EU-financed fruit in school. "The proposal for school fruit support includes several key points, the most gratifying of which is that it reduces administrative complexity - and thereby provides more fruit to Sweden's schoolchildren," says David von Laskowski, CEO of Picadelis and Greenfood.
Recently, the Swedish Board of Agriculture presented its proposal on how to overcome the obstacles that have stubbornly led Sweden to decline fruit support for many years. In summary, the proposal entails:
- fruit support being introduced from the academic year 2025/2026.
- the administration for fruit support being included within the existing EU-funded milk support, but with its own funding allocation.
- preschool to year 9 being eligible for the support, covering staples like apples, bananas, pears, and citrus fruits.
- fruit distribution taking place for at least two weeks during the school year.
- reducing the administrative burden on schools, thereby providing more fruit to students.
Greenfood has advocated for Sweden to accept the previously unused fruit support for quite some time, with CEO David von Laskowski being an active voice in the support debate. Representatives from Greenfood have also participated in the discussions preceding the Swedish Board of Agriculture's report and the new proposal.
Behind Greenfood's efforts lies the belief in the school's role in establishing healthy habits early on. In school, all students come together over the same meal, providing an opportunity for those who may not have access to nutritious food at home to enjoy nourishing and varied diets, including fruits and vegetables.
The mission and proposal for introducing fruit support come at a time when economic conditions have led one-fifth of Swedes to forego fruits and vegetables to save money. Over the past year, school cafeterias across the country have reported that students are hungrier, eating larger portions, and finding it harder to meet their needs as lunch budgets are eaten up by inflation and rising food prices. Furthermore, only one in ten schools currently offer fruits to students. Instead, nearly half of secondary schools encourage students to bring their own fruits, despite schools being legally required to be free of charge.
"Fruit support is far from everything that is needed. However, even if the support doesn't cover fruit distribution throughout the entire school year, we are pleased that Sweden is now accepting earmarked fruit support. It's an investment in the health of Swedish children and a small step in the right direction for Swedish public health," says David von Laskowski.
For more information:
Magnus Holtinger Wallin
Greenfood
Email: [email protected]