School Meals Could Open New Markets For UK Growers, Report Finds

Serving more locally grown fruit and vegetables in school meals could unlock new market opportunities for UK farmers and strengthen the nation’s food resilience, according to new research.

A report from campaign group Sustain suggests that increasing the use of British produce in school catering could help build stronger regional supply chains while delivering economic, environmental and health benefits.

The findings form part of Sustain’s Bridging the Gap programme, which explores how public sector food procurement can better support local food systems. The report highlights the potential for school meal contracts to provide stable and predictable demand for UK fruit and vegetable growers, while also strengthening regional food economies.

Pilot projects carried out across England, Scotland and Wales demonstrated the potential impact of such an approach. More than 75,000 children were served locally sourced fruit and vegetables through the schemes, with roughly one-third coming from low-income communities.

Campaigners say the results show that school meal programmes can act as a powerful route to market for domestic growers while improving access to healthier food for pupils. They argue that better alignment between schools, caterers and local producers could help keep more food spending within regional economies while supporting sustainable farming.

The report concludes that scaling up these initiatives could help deliver multiple benefits across the food system – boosting demand for British produce, supporting growers, and improving children’s diets at the same time.

Source: Farming UK