School gardens: = education and nutrition go together

School gardens: education and nutrition go together

Support by farmers and parents is essential

30 June 2005, Rome - School gardens can be a = powerful tool=20 to improve the quality of nutrition and education of = children and=20 their families in rural and urban areas in developing = countries, if=20 they are integrated with national agricultural, nutrition = and=20 education programmes, FAO said today.

Since 1997, = over 150=20 school garden microprojects have been supported by FAO's = TeleFood=20 programme in more than 40 countries. Larger FAO technical=20 cooperation projects are under way, including = capacity-building for=20 long-term national school garden programmes.

School = garden=20 initiatives are being supported by various FAO programmes. = These=20 include emergency rehabilitation assistance programmes in = Mozambique=20 and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, a nutrition = education=20 programme in Rwanda and the Special Programme for Food = Security=20 (SPFS) in Guatemala and Sierra Leone. In Brazil, a school = garden=20 project is being implemented in the context of the Brazilian = Zero=20 Hunger Programme.

A rich harvest of knowledge =

The main benefit of school gardens is that children = learn=20 how to grow healthy food and how to use it for better = nutrition.=20 This can best be done if the fresh garden produce - such as = fruits=20 and vegetables - contributes to an existing school meal = programme=20 which provides the bulk of the diet.

Beyond this, = school=20 gardens also serve for environmental education and for = personal and=20 social development by adding a practical dimension to these=20 subjects. They may also reinforce basic academic skills like = reading, writing, biology and arithmetic.

FAO = therefore=20 encourages schools to create learning gardens of moderate = size,=20 which can be easily managed by students, teachers and = parents, but=20 which include a great variety of different nutritious = vegetables and=20 fruits, as well as occasionally some small-scale livestock = like=20 chickens or rabbits. Production methods are deliberately = kept simple=20 so that they can be easily replicated by students and = parents at=20 their homes.

"Although children, teachers, parents = and the=20 responsible ministries are enthusiastic about their school = gardens,=20 they often face difficult challenges. Not every school has=20 sufficient land and water available. In addition, the = unavailability=20 of quality seeds can prevent children from repeating at home = what=20 they have learned in school," said Ellen Muehlhoff, senior = officer=20 in FAO's Food and Nutrition Division. =

Synergies=20

Therefore, it is important to encourage the school = community=20 and farmers to support the schools and to make use of = synergies with=20 rural development and agriculture programmes. =

Emerging=20 partnerships with WFP and UNICEF and local NGOs to link = school=20 gardens to school feeding and school health programmes also = help=20 schools to overcome the constraints they encounter. =

The FAO=20 school garden technical projects are related also to the = global=20 flagship partnership programme on "Education for Rural = People"=20 (ERP), launched in 2002 during the World Summit on = Sustainable=20 Development. They are expected to be a component in the new = FAO/WHO=20 joint initiative - "Fruit and Vegetables for Health" - to = enhance=20 fruit and vegetable consumption.

In 2004, FAO and = the UNESCO=20 Institute of Education Planning co-published a book on = school=20 gardening, entitled "Revisiting garden-based learning in = basic=20 education". The book addresses the impact of school gardens = on=20 community life, reviews the history and theoretical = frameworks of=20 school gardens, and presents the results of specific = evaluations of=20 selected programmes around the world.

An FAO concept = note on=20 school gardens, recently issued, explains how to improve = child=20 nutrition and education through the promotion of school = garden=20 programmes.

Contact:
I=F1igo Alvarez
Media Relations=20
inigo.alvarez@fao.org
(+39) 06 570 52518
(+39) = 338=20 1381778

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Contact

I=F1igo Alvarez
Media = Relations
inigo.alvarez@fao.org
(+39) = 06 570 52518
(+39)=20 = 3381381778

Student at work in a school garden = in=20 Lempira, Honduras.

Related links
	Inc= reasing=20 fruit and vegetables consumption becomes a global=20 priority
	New=20 gardeners tell their stories
	TeleFoo= d=20 in action
	FAO-WHO=20 expert report on diet, nutrition and prevention of = chronic=20 diseases
	Education=20 for rural people
	Revisiting=20 garden-based learning in basic = education
	School=20 Gardens Concept Note: Improving Child Nutrition and = Education=20 through the Promotion of School Garden=20 Programmes

School gardens: education and nutrition go together

Support = by farmers and parents is essential

30 June 2005, Rome - = School gardens can be a powerful tool to improve the quality of = nutrition and education of children and their families in rural and = urban areas in developing countries, if they are integrated with = national agricultural, nutrition and education programmes, FAO said = today. =0D
=0D
Since 1997, over 150 school garden microprojects = have been supported by FAO's TeleFood programme in more than 40 = countries. Larger FAO technical cooperation projects are under way, = including capacity-building for long-term national school garden = programmes. =0D
=0D
School garden initiatives are being = supported by various FAO programmes. These include emergency = rehabilitation assistance programmes in Mozambique and the Democratic = People's Republic of Korea, a nutrition education programme in = Rwanda and the Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS) in Guatemala = and Sierra Leone. In Brazil, a school garden project is being = implemented in the context of the Brazilian Zero Hunger Programme. = =0D
=0D
A rich harvest of knowledge =0D
=0D
The = main benefit of school gardens is that children learn how to grow = healthy food and how to use it for better nutrition. This can best be = done if the fresh garden produce - such as fruits and vegetables - = contributes to an existing school meal programme which provides the bulk = of the diet. =0D
=0D
Beyond this, school gardens also serve for = environmental education and for personal and social development by = adding a practical dimension to these subjects. They may also reinforce = basic academic skills like reading, writing, biology and arithmetic. = =0D
=0D
FAO therefore encourages schools to create learning = gardens of moderate size, which can be easily managed by students, = teachers and parents, but which include a great variety of different = nutritious vegetables and fruits, as well as occasionally some = small-scale livestock like chickens or rabbits. Production methods are = deliberately kept simple so that they can be easily replicated by = students and parents at their homes. =0D
=0D
"Although = children, teachers, parents and the responsible ministries are = enthusiastic about their school gardens, they often face difficult = challenges. Not every school has sufficient land and water available. In = addition, the unavailability of quality seeds can prevent children from = repeating at home what they have learned in school," said Ellen = Muehlhoff, senior officer in FAO's Food and Nutrition Division. = =0D
=0D
Synergies =0D
=0D
Therefore, it is = important to encourage the school community and farmers to support the = schools and to make use of synergies with rural development and = agriculture programmes. =0D
=0D
Emerging partnerships with WFP = and UNICEF and local NGOs to link school gardens to school feeding and = school health programmes also help schools to overcome the constraints = they encounter. =0D
=0D
The FAO school garden technical projects = are related also to the global flagship partnership programme on = "Education for Rural People" (ERP), launched in 2002 during = the World Summit on Sustainable Development. They are expected to be a = component in the new FAO/WHO joint initiative - "Fruit and = Vegetables for Health" - to enhance fruit and vegetable = consumption. =0D
=0D
In 2004, FAO and the UNESCO Institute of = Education Planning co-published a book on school gardening, entitled = "Revisiting garden-based learning in basic education". The = book addresses the impact of school gardens on community life, reviews = the history and theoretical frameworks of school gardens, and presents = the results of specific evaluations of selected programmes around the = world. =0D
=0D
An FAO concept note on school gardens, recently = issued, explains how to improve child nutrition and education through = the promotion of school garden programmes.

Contact: