UK: Fairtrade foods to be served in schools

The Fairtrade Foundation has welcomed the inclusion of sustainability criteria in the new School Food Standards  unveiled by Education Secretary Michael Gove in June. The accompanying guidance to the new set of standards provides information for school cooks and caterers on how to procure and use Fairtrade products for school menus, Fairtrade International reports.

The preamble makes reference to fresh, local and sustainable food and the guidance to these standards, although not compulsory, includes Fairtrade with a direct reference to the National Fairtrade Purchasing Guide which lists wholesale and catering suppliers. Among the Fairtrade foods that are available and suitable for school meals are Fairtrade pasta, rice, beans, couscous, and quinoa and fruits like bananas and pineapples. As for the food stuffs which are more monitored, there is a wide range of Fairtrade juice, biscuits and cakes as well as Fairtrade chocolate for when it is allowed as a special treat at school parties, fêtes, cultural and religious celebrations and for cookery lessons.

There are now nearly 1,350 Fairtrade Schools in the UK, and that number continues to grow thanks to the support of dedicated teachers and students across the UK. The Fairtrade Schools Award is a campaign that gives primary and secondary school students the opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding of global issues and the solution that Fairtrade is for many farmers and workers in developing countries. More information is available from the Fairtrade Foundation.