The Benefits of Farm to School: Evidence from Canada
Posted: October 31, 2018
Categories: Edible Education Network / GoodFoodBites / News from Sustain Ontario
As part of 2018’s Farm to School Month celebrations, Farm to Cafeteria Canada (F2CC) has released the much-anticipated fact sheet, The Benefits of Farm to School: Evidence from Canada.
For the first time, this new resource brings together the results of Canadian studies showing that Farm to School activities increase students’ consumption of vegetables and fruits, raise student knowledge of the local food system, contribute to community building, and increase business and income for local farmers.
In other words, Farm to School activities benefit public health, education and learning, the environment, community connections, and the economy.
So it’s no surprise that Farm to School momentum is visibly growing with the support of government and communities across the country. We know this because F2CC has been tracking Canadian Farm to School initiatives since 2014.
As of the date of this blog post, an incredible 822,053 Canadian students have been recorded to be growing, harvesting, preparing and eating healthy local foods at school. And the contribution of these schools’ procurement practices to local farmers and the local food economy is significant; it’s estimated these schools spend more than $16 million annually on local foods!
Farm to School activity may differ from school to school, but it always encompasses getting more healthy local foods on the minds and plates of children and youth.
Read more about the far-reaching impact of Farm to School in Canada in the new Fact Sheet here, and share this new resource far and wide!