Students, accompanied by their teachers, visited The Athens Fruit & Vegetable Market that extends over an area of 260,000 sq. meters and hosts about 350 wholesalers, supplying the largest proportion of the Greek population with fresh vegetable and fruits. Students and their teachers experienced a guided tour in the market and an ad hoc interactive workshop where they acquired knowledge in a creative way on the task’s main themes.
Communication with schools of primary and secondary education, all across Attica, was progressed in early spring and the programme of the CAP4Clima4School visits was gradually formed.
From April till June of 2023, 11 guided school visits were held in the Athens Fruit & Vegetables Market, in which about 450 students and teachers, participated.
All visits were organized as follows:
Upon arrival, the students are divided into 2 groups. The first group starts with the students’ tour of Consumer Market inside the Athens Fruit & Vegetable Central Market in Renti, Attica. Open Farm IKE (the subcontractor) elaborates on the products that can be found in the shops of the market, the seasonality of their production and their origin. For older children (high school and lyceum) references are made regarding the professions related to the primary and broader agri-food sector, but also about food safety and quality systems (e.g., HACCP), as well as more specialized information. Children learn about the existence and operation of the largest fruit and vegetable distribution center in Greece (food hub). Students acquainted with people operating in the area (from primary and broader agri-food sector), while teachers exchanged with them in order to understand their profession and practices.
At the same time, the second group participates in interactive workshop at the Open Farm Agora focusing on Sustainable and Responsible Consumption, the Mediterranean Diet, its importance for health, the environment and social cohesion. Additionally, students immerse themselves in concepts such as seasonality, food miles, carbon footprint, reducing food waste and recycling. The workshop concludes with the tasting of various products from Greek producers in our network.
The groups alternate so that all students participate in both thematic units.
All participating students receive as a gift learning material and play games (educational kit) that incorporated CAP4Clima4School main themes and subthemes, as well as material from European Union’s resource pack for school community.
