Huge opportunities for local vegetables in Welsh schools

A quarter of all vegetables eaten in Welsh schools could be Welsh organic by 2030, provided the right planning and investment are in place, a Food Sense Wales report has concluded.

The report also suggests that adding 3.3p a meal a day to the price paid by local authorities and the Welsh government would allow for two portions of local organic vegetables to be included seasonally.

See also: Welsh veg in schools project expands into seven counties

Welsh Veg in Schools is a collaborative effort to supply organic, locally grown vegetables to schools across Wales and is co-ordinated by Food Sense Wales.

It works with partners including Castell Howell and Farming Connect Horticulture, as well as a host of enthusiastic growers.

“What’s been achieved in Wales on getting locally grown organic vegetables through public procurement into schools is massive and pioneering and is the result of the fantastic collaboration across the supply chain, as well as the support from government,” said report author Dr Amber Wheeler.

To continue the success seen so far, which has resulted in 200,000 portions of Welsh organic vegetables served in 2024, growers and farmers must remain at the heart of the project and get the right support.

“They need as much support as they can get if we are going to transform our local food supply chains for the better,” added Dr Wheeler.

The next step needed is the investment in scaling up infrastructure, both on farms and in processing.

Future goals

The project organisers hope that, by 2030, 25% of all vegetables used in primary school meals in Wales will be locally grown and organic.

To achieve this, they plan to reach 12 local authorities by the end of the year, engaging more schools, farmers, and communities across Wales.

But more support for growers, including training and infrastructure development, is needed, and the report notes that there is a need for a stronger, more resilient local food system that reduces Wales’s reliance on imported produce and boosts the rural economy.

Increased opportunities for children to learn more about food and where it comes from, as well as opportunities for school catering staff to develop their vegetable skills, are also on their target list.

Additional benefits

The report further highlights that if every primary school child who eats school meals has two portions of vegetables per meal (120g) and on average a quarter of that is Welsh organic, this would see 901t purchased and provide £2.21m direct to Welsh producers, with a multiplier of 3.7 to give an estimated £8.2m in social, economic and environmental benefit.

By spending the extra money, the report says capacity to supply could be increased and average farm incomes in Wales could also go up, while improving resilience in the supply chain.

The authors also suggest that, by increasing local, organic vegetable in schools, it could create 74 full-time equivalent jobs on Welsh farms, see the production of 50ha of organic vegetables, and save 226t in carbon dioxide emissions.

In addition, it would reduce reliance on imports from countries at high risk of water scarcity, the report highlights.

Challenges remain

However, challenges remain, particularly the price difference between locally sourced, organic vegetables and imported produce.

With funding from the Welsh government, Bridging the Gap, the Shared Prosperity Fund, and with the support of Castell Howell, the project has been able to help bridge the price gap, ensuring that the cost of organic produce remains affordable for schools and local authorities.

“We simply don’t know how supply or affordability of imported fruit and veg will stand up to increasing global instability and the impacts of climate change,” said Katie Palmer, founder and head of Food Sense Wales.

“Investing in the capacity of local supply chains in Wales to provide organic fruit and veg to the most vulnerable in society – through our schools, hospitals and care homes – makes sense for local economies, it makes sense for climate and nature, and makes sense to secure a resilient supply of nutritious food for current and future generations,” she added.