Reasearch Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
January 30, 2013
Bayer CropScience today announced it is teaming up with the United Fresh Produce Association Foundation to support Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools™, a public health initiative developed to increase children’s fruit and vegetable consumption by providing salad bars to schools across the United States. This initiative is supported by evidence that children will choose fresh and healthy foods if they are available.
Bayer CropScience plans to donate 10 salad bars this year to select elementary and secondary schools in Florida, California and areas in the Pacific Northwest to help create a positive and healthy lunch experience for students. Bayer hopes to foster relationships between local growers and the participating schools to help educate kids about where their food comes from.
Bayer CropScience also will donate an 11th salad bar to another U.S. school by involving the social community through a social media campaign called Give A Salad Bar, which kicks off today and runs through March 1. When students, parents and friends tweet and retweet the hashtag #GiveASaladBar, or pin to GiveASaladBar on Pinterest, Bayer CropScience will donate $5 toward the additional salad bar. Visit the Bayer CropScience blog at connect.bayercropscience.us to learn how to get started.
“We are proud to support the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative and its efforts to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in the school food environment,” said Rob Schrick, Strategic Business Management Lead – Horticulture, Bayer CropScience. “Because school salad bar use is associated with greater fruit and vegetable consumption, we hope to make a positive impact on students’ eating preferences and educate them on the many benefits of eating fresh produce.”
The need is great. In 2008, more than one-third of children and adolescents in the U.S. were overweight or obese. More than 15 percent of U.S. children currently are classified as obese, increasing their risk of long-term health problems.
With more than 32 million American children participating in the National School Lunch Program, providing salad bars to schools can expose kids to a variety of fruits and vegetables and help teach a large number of children about healthy eating. Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools, which is funded entirely by private donations, can also help school districts meet new federal guidelines requiring them to serve more daily helpings of fruits and vegetables.
“It is gratifying to work with companies, such as Bayer CropScience, that recognize the importance of teaching children about healthy eating,” said Tom Stenzel, President and CEO of the United Fresh Produce Association. “These salad bars will enable students to select from a wide variety of fruit and vegetable options each day, providing a personal experience about choices that can shape behavior far beyond the school lunch line, and provide a platform for a lifetime of healthy snack and meal choices.”
Bayer’s commitment to sustainability begins at home, where it works to develop its people and enrich the communities in which it operates. That commitment extends around the world through efforts which help farmers address their greatest challenges in an environmentally responsible manner. Bayer CropScience believes that greater food security creates healthier people and communities. For additional information and background on Bayer CropScience and its other programs, please visit bayercropscience.us/our-commitment/bayer-initiatives.
Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools is a public health initiative to raise awareness that salad bars are an effective strategy for increasing children’s fruit and vegetable consumption at school. Founding partners are the United Fresh Produce Association Foundation, National Fruit & Vegetable Alliance, Food Family Farming Foundation and Whole Foods Market.
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