This article originally appeared in The Packer, written by Jill Dutton. Click here to read.

Panelists discussed innovative strategies to enhance children’s nutrition and education during one of the IFPA Global Produce and Floral Show’s education sessions.

ATLANTA — A panel of industry leaders discussed innovative strategies for nutrition education aimed at young children during the International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Produce and Floral Show.

The education session, “Growing Healthy Habits: Transforming Children’s Diets Through Early Education,” was moderated by Alex DiNovo, president and chief operating officer for DNO Produce, and included Alex DeSorbo-Quinn, executive director for Pilot Light; Gabriela D’Arrigo, vice president of marketing and communications for D’Arrigo New York; and Rich Dachman, CEO of Brighter Bites.

DeSorbo-Quinn explained that a group of chefs in Chicago founded Pilot Light to make food education a part of everyday classroom learning. The program partners with teachers to integrate food education to teach about food’s connection to our lives and the food system. The program, DeSorbo-Quinn said, aims to make food education accessible to every classroom, school and community using teachers as vehicles for impact.

The Snack Time Explorers program, developed in partnership with DNO Produce, was designed to make healthy eating entertaining for kids, DeSorbo-Quinn said. The program provides teachers with the tools to support the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, which delivers fresh produce to low-income communities. The program includes lessons and tasting activities that build curiosity and shift mindsets about fruits and vegetables.

“For students, learning about food is not an everyday experience,” DeSorbo-Quinn said. “We want to make food education part of everyday learning for students, just like math and reading, and also teach about food and all the ways in which food connects to our lives.”

Another program for change is Brighter Bites, which provides weekly produce to underserved elementary schools that meet certain criteria. The program requires schools to commit to teaching a specific nutrition curriculum and tracks data to measure its impact. Dachman said Brighter Bites has published over 25 papers on its results, showing that the program changes behavior and increases fruit and vegetable consumption. The program aims to create long-term changes in eating habits and produce consumption, especially in underserved areas.

*From left to right: Alex DiNovo (DNO Produce), Alexandra DeSorbo-Quinn (Pilot Light), Gabriela D’Arrigo (D’Arrigo New York), Rich Dachman (Brighter Bites)*

“Our studies show that two years after the program ended, families were still consuming 19 more servings of fruit and vegetables than they were pre-program,” Dachman said. “We’re hoping those affect eating habits for life and create produce consumers.” Dachman discussed the challenges the produce industry faces in increasing consumption and the need for a centralized messaging system. He emphasized the importance of supporting organizations like Pilot Light and Brighter Bites to educate people about produce. Dachman called for government support to help growers pick and distribute more produce to food banks and increase consumption and highlighted the need for a long-term strategy to change eating habits and the importance of industry collaboration.

D’Arrigo discussed how volunteering, funding and donating surplus produce can drive revenue growth and enhance brand equity for companies. D’Arrigo emphasized the importance of partnering with organizations that align with the company’s values and having a clear executive plan. She also noted the cost savings and sustainable benefits of donating produce instead of dumping it.

“It’s not like give a man a fish; it’s teaching them to fish. And the follow-through has been quite exceptional,” D’Arrigo said of these programs. “It’s not your typical bananas and apples, which is certainly part of a lot of the programs, but in New York, which is a massive cultural melting pot that’s changing year by year, we’re able to go into different schools and provide different tropicals, leafy greens, and exposing people, children and families to foods that they typically either wouldn’t eat, or maybe it’s a comfort food because they come from a country where that’s food they would eat normally.”

Either way, it’s introducing children to fruits and vegetables to enhance their lives nutritionally and create life long produce consumers, she said.

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