The healthy eating project, P.E.S.C.A., promoted the consumption of local and traditional Italian and Slovenian food in school canteens in the border area through educational activities.
- 20 October 2015
The workshops were very important for the exchange of best practice between the partners. In particular, the workshops of Lignano Sabbiadoro of October 2013 were attended by over 600 students from schools involved in the project.
A total of nine primary schools took part in the project introducing new items to school meals. These comprised of 12 local products and 6 traditional and local dishes from Italy and Slovenia. At the end of the project more than a thousand pupils had tried these local dishes with over three quarters of the children enjoying their new meals.
According to Ornella Rigonat, the project team manager, traditional local dishes were served 450 times in the participating schools. Moreover, the project led to the creation of best practices for including local and traditional products in school canteens.
Keeping local dishes alive
The continuation of the project is further assured by enhanced cross-border cooperation among the 12 local bodies. Furthermore, the project established a network of two universities and nine schools (600 students involved, 20 promoters and trained educators; 80 trained teachers and refectory personnel).
The network was important for implementing the various actions envisaged by the meetings of the working groups with the organisation of workshops central to spreading the messages of the project.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “P.E.S.C.A. – Food educational project to a healthy eating” is EUR 903 028, of which the EU’s European Regional Development Fund is contributing EUR 767 574 from the Operational Programme “Italy-Slovenia” for the 2007 to 2013 period.