DiSogra to Give Keynote Address at European Commission's School Fruit Scheme Conference
December 11, 2008
Dr. Lorelei DiSogra, United Fresh vice president of nutrition and
health, will deliver the keynote address on Monday at the European
Commission's School Fruit: A Healthy Start for Our Children – Promoting School Fruit Schemes in the European Union
conference in Brussels. Representatives from all 27 European Union (EU)
countries will participate in the two-day event to exchange views,
ideas and experiences on how to design and manage school fruit schemes.
"Next week's conference in Brussels puts fresh fruits and vegetables on
center stage as a global strategy to reduce childhood obesity," said
Lorelei.
On Nov 19, 2008, the European Commission (EC) approved
funding of €90 million to expand school fruit and vegetable snack
programs to all 27 EU countries after the European Commission’s
Directorate-General for Agriculture (DG-AGRI) made expansion of the
School Fruit Scheme one of its top agricultural policy priorities. The
program will provide free fruits and vegetables to school children to
promote a healthy lifestyle and fight obesity.
While in Brussels, Lorelei will also meet with DG-AGRI officials and
leaders of several European public health consortiums to discuss other
nutrition policy initiatives to increase fruit and vegetable
consumption. At the end of the week, and at the invitation of German
produce industry leaders, Lorelei will address an audience in
Dusseldorf, Germany at a 5 am Tag (5 A Day) meeting. Lorelei and
program leaders will discuss Germany's launch of a pilot School Fruit
Scheme in early 2009.
United Fresh Produce Association
1901 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: 202 303 3400
Fax: 202 303 3433 united@unitedfresh.org
