The organic food program in schools in La Rioja has closed its first edition with nearly seven thousand schoolchildren from 68 schools who learned about organic food from our region and healthy lifestyle habits.

The initiative, organized by the Ecological Agrarian Production Council of La Rioja in collaboration with the Ministries of Health, Education, and Agriculture, Livestock and Environment, met the work objectives that were established.

For this first experience, four goals were established: offer healthy eating, with fresh, seasonal organic products through school cafeterias; promote environmental education in children, teachers and parents; enhance respect for environmental conservation; and promote rural development through the consumption of local organic foods. All of these objectives have been positively valued by the CPAER, having been met through the various activities carried out throughout the school year and that have involved the entire educational community.

One of the main points of the project was the incorporation of organic foods to the menu of the school cafeterias of 68 Rioja schools, in which organic pears and apples were distributed in desserts in an attempt to offer children balanced menus and bring them closer organic foods to your table. On the other hand, within the classrooms, a program was developed with Third and Fourth Primary schoolchildren from twenty centers, to whom, within the subject of Environmental Knowledge, training on organic food was offered through didactic units that It was complemented with talks by CPAER staff, cooking workshops, writing and drawing contests, and visits to Rioja agroecological farms such as Embutidos Luis Gil in Ocón and Almazara Hejul in Galilea. The outings were a way to bring schoolchildren closer to the process of making organic food, learning first-hand about the environmental respect used and the possibilities of a growing sector in La Rioja.

Source: CPAER.