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As food insecurity in Aotearoa escalates, the country’s successful Fruit in Schools (FIS) programme is playing an increasingly vital role in supporting tamariki (children) facing hunger.

The programme has become a critical lifeline amid the rising issue of food deprivation among students, as the Government’s revamped lunch programme tries to fix ongoing issues.

Now in its 20th year, FIS provides fresh fruit to over 126,000 students and educators across a quarter of New Zealand’s primary schools/kura. With many tamariki arriving at school without having kai, FIS ensures they get a healthy start to their day, offering fruit as part of breakfast or morning tea.

The urgency of FIS’s mission is underscored by alarming findings from the Salvation Army’s 2025 State of the Nation report which highlights a dramatic rise in food insecurity. One in four households with children now reports going without food ‘sometimes’ or ‘often,’ with Pasifika families experiencing even higher levels of deprivation, with one in two saying they go without food regularly.

“It is a bleak picture and something everyone should be deeply concerned about,” says Fruit in Schools Project Manager, Stephanie Wrathall. “We are seeing a rise in food insecurity like never before. But FIS is making a real difference. Our 2022 ethnic breakdown showed over 50% of FIS students are Māori and over 30% are Pasifika, proving the programme is reaching those who need it most.”

Although 90% of the 565 schools involved also participate in the government-funded school lunch scheme, Wrathall says many principals report that the provided meals lack fresh fruit. Feedback gathered from schools shows how essential FIS has become to support classroom learning, boost attendance and foster healthy eating habits in the wider community.

Papatoetoe East School Deputy Principal, Philippa Cowper, says FIS is an essential part of the daily routine. “It provides an additional source of nutrition for many of our students, especially those who don’t always have breakfast in the mornings. It also exposes all our students to different fruits that they may not always have access to and discover they enjoy.”

Clayton Park School spokesperson, Jolene Marie, agrees that FIS has a profound impact. “For many of our students, food insecurity is a real challenge. The Fruit in Schools programme helps to level the playing field and provides a reliable source of essential vitamins and minerals… children who eat well are more engaged, have better concentration and are more likely to participate actively in their learning.

“It also supports healthy eating habits that extend beyond the classroom, encouraging whānau to make better food choices at home. By reducing the barriers that food insecurity creates, the programme empowers students to reach their full potential and thrive in both school and life.”

FIS delivers fresh fruit in an economically efficient way, sourcing it through wholesale members of United Fresh New Zealand Incorporated and creating an economic boost and employment in our most deprived regions.

United Fresh President, Jerry Prendergast, says a comprehensive evidence review of FIS was conducted by The AgriChain Centre last year. It found the programme worked well, the supporting logic is sound and its current operation was effective and efficient.

Prendergast points out there is also a direct correlation between hungry bellies and student achievement. The Program for International Student Achievement (PISA) began measuring food poverty in 2022 alongside maths, science and reading proficiency levels.

It ranked New Zealand second worst in the OECD for the number of students missing meals due to lack of money. It also found that food poverty for Kiwi teens created an achievement lag of up to four years behind their food-secure peers, even after accounting for socioeconomic deprivation.

“There is mounting evidence to show how important it is to feed our kids well,” Prendergast says. “FIS is proud to support our most vulnerable students and we will continue to advocate for expanding FIS even further to help overcome food security issues in Aotearoa.”

About Fruit in Schools

Fruit in Schools (FIS) was launched in Aotearoa New Zealand in 2005, following a successful pilot in 2004. It is funded by Health New Zealand and is delivered by United Fresh New Zealand Incorporated (a not-for-profit fresh produce industry organisation).

FIS provides daily fresh fruit and vegetables for Year 1- 8 tamariki in schools and kura in high deprivation areas. The initiative has grown to reach:

• 21 regions across New Zealand
• 565 schools (around 25% of NZ primary schools/kura)
• Over 126,000 tamariki and staff
• 27,000,000 servings of fresh fruit & vegetables each year

The 5+ A Day Charitable Trust supports FIS by providing curriculum-linked resources that support learning with a selection of engaging eBooks and accompanying interactive activities in the areas of germination, composting, physical activity and eating seasonally.

An influential health initiative to encourage people to eat five plus servings of fresh fruit and vegetables daily is celebrating 30 years of success in Aotearoa and 20 years of supporting Fruit in Schools.

5+ A Day was launched to consumers in 1994 to encourage New Zealanders to eat more fresh produce for good health. The message was subsequently rolled out to schools and early childhood education centres, and now a generation of tamariki has grown up learning about healthy eating habits using 5+ A Day resources.

5+ A Day also supports the Government-funded Fruit in Schools initiative which is celebrating its own 20 year milestone in 2024. Fruit in Schools currently provides fresh produce daily for 126,000 tamariki and staff at 566 schools nationwide, allowing them to try over two dozen varieties of fruit and vegetables during the school year. This equates to 27 million servings of fresh fruit and vegetables provided annually to help nourish minds and bodies.

Dame Lisa Carrington helped mark both milestones at a special event at Papatoetoe East School. As a 5+ A Day Partner, she knows just how vital fresh fruit and vegetables are to overall health and performance.

“I’m proud to partner with 5+ A Day to promote kai that can transform lives, and it’s fantastic to be celebrating with this kura,” Dame Lisa says. “Eating 5+ A Day is key to helping maintain long-term health. It is a huge milestone for the organisation, whose simple message of eating 5+ A Day is now ingrained in generations of New Zealanders, enriching their hauora.”

The 5+ A Day concept originated in California in the 1980s and over 30 countries now actively promote it. NeilsenIQ research undertaken last year show 82% of Kiwis are now aware of the 5+ A Day healthy eating message.

United Fresh (who represents New Zealand’s pan produce industry), set up the 5+ A Day Charitable Trust in 2007 to continue working with schools, early childhood education and online to boost fresh fruit and vegetable consumption in all New Zealanders.

5+ A Day Trustee and Principal Scientist and Team Leader at Plant and Food Research, Dr Carolyn Lister, says eating 5+ A Day each day to help maintain good health is a simple message but one which requires ongoing encouragement and education to ensure New Zealanders of all ages understand the importance of healthy eating.

“We’re fortunate to live in a country where fresh, delicious, seasonal produce is always available and the 5+ A Day Charitable Trust is proving to be an effective way to help increase consumption.

“But there is still plenty of work to be done. Latest research shows only 40% of the general population do, in fact, eat five or more servings a day – despite twice that number knowing that they should. So we need to continue this important mahi.”

The 5+ A Day Charitable Trust would like to thank those who support their work including the fresh fruit and vegetable value chain, teachers and tamariki in schools, health professionals, non-government partners and 5+ A Day partners.

“Together we are making a tangible difference to the health of our nation, and we are excited to celebrate 30 years of promoting fresh fruit and vegetable consumption through 5+ A Day.”

Data released this week reveals the Fruit and Vegetables in Schools (FIS) initiative, which provides fresh produce to over 120,000 tamariki and school staff each year, continues to be the most popular healthy kai programme in Aotearoa.
 

An independent evaluation conducted by Quigley and Watts* on behalf of the 5+ A Day Charitable Trust which supports the Te Whatu Ora funded initiative, found that FIS rated as the most effective initiative at supporting a healthy kura/school environment.

Project Manager, Carmel Ireland says the feedback from principals is hugely affirming, but is concerned at the desperate need that still exists in the community.

“Food insecurity has reached even greater heights than before the pandemic. The review shows just how hard it has become for whānau to put nutritious food on the table every day with 93 percent of principals saying FIS supported them to feed hungry tamariki,” she says.

Principals interviewed for the evaluation highlighted that FIS helped them assist whānau with the high cost of living. Not only was some of the stress of providing fresh produce for tamariki removed but kura were also able to assist struggling whānau by sending home excess fruit from time to time.

The 2023 review follows similar evaluations in 2014 and 2018. This year it takes into account new schemes such as the government’s Ka Ora, Ka Ako – Free Healthy Lunches.

“While there is more support now arriving in kura for hungry tamariki, the evaluation demonstrated that FIS still has a vital role to play in the school day,” says Ireland.

The review found that 95 percent of the principals surveyed believed the combination of both free school lunches and FIS were essential. Many stated their fears about what they would do without either initiative.

“Kura appreciate the option to use fruit in a way which suits their community. Whether it’s sharing morning tea, supplementing lunches, available all day or handed out as a snack to eat on the way home – FIS is easily adapted to fit any environment,” says Ireland.

“Principals reiterated that FIS not only feeds their ākonga/students, but also provides a safe environment based on healthy choices and cultural concepts such as manaakitanga, rangatiratanga, kaitiakitanga and connection with the wider community. Tamariki get the nutrition they need without feeling whakamā/embarrassed.”

Nine out of ten principals reported that the integration of fruit into the school day was an effective tool which encouraged healthy eating. Some noted the consumption of highly processed snacks has either greatly reduced or stopped altogether since the start of the initiative.

“Our goal with FIS is not just to feed hungry tamariki. We want to encourage a life-long appreciation of the value of nutritious food and we’re able to do that by providing a real variety of tasty fresh produce, some of which tamariki haven’t had a chance to try before,” says Ireland.

In the survey, 72% of principals agreed or strongly agreed that ‘if Fruit in Schools ended, academic outcomes would suffer’ explaining that the main way fruit provision contributed to academic outcomes was by providing ‘brain food’ that enabled children to concentrate and stay on task.

Alongside the fresh produce, FIS provides kura with curriculum resources produced by 5+ A Day to teach healthy lifestyles. The review found the 5+ A Day resources were the most commonly used in comparison with the Te Kete Ipurangi New Zealand Curriculum (TKI) resources produced by the Ministry of Education.

“Supporting learning is a vital component of FIS. We’re pleased they have been rated the most effective with 60 percent of principals saying they were a great support.

External Evaluation of Fruit in Schools*

93% of principals said FIS is a great support for feeding hungry children with healthy food.

92% of principals said FIS supported their school/kura greatly to promote a healthy food environment.

91 percent of principals agreed the overall health of tamariki would decline if FIS ended.

9 out of 10 principals said FIS is a great support to promoting healthy eating.

95% of principals said the quality of the food from FIS was good or great.

97% of principals rated FIS as good/great.

95% of principals said both FIS and Ka Ora, Ka Ako are necessary.

84% used 5+ A Day resources provided to support FIS.

The majority of key interviewees agreed that Fruit in Schools was successful because:

it is meeting a genuine need and making a real difference

it is very well managed, and easy for schools/kura to participate

the fruit and vegetables provided are varied and of high quality

it has been consistent and reliable over many years

Next week the Fruit in Schools (FIS) initiative begins another year of providing an essential service to our youngest New Zealanders. Over 110,000 tamariki in 566 schools and kura across Aotearoa will receive a healthy snack of fresh fruit or vegetables each school day.

The successful scheme has been recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for performing a pivotal role in supporting the health and wellbeing of our tamariki for over seventeen years.

Te Whatu Ora fund the FIS initiative, managed by United Fresh and supported by the 5+ A Day Charitable Trust.Chair of the Trust, David Smith, says that FIS will provide critical nutrition for tamariki as inflation hits many whānau in the pocket.

"It's no secret that families throughout Aotearoa are doing it tough this year with cost-of-living challenges and the recent floods. FIS is a great way to ensure the healthy kai grown on orchards and farms around the country gets to where it's most needed," he says.

"We produce some of the highest quality fresh produce in the world, and the fresh fruit and vegetables that tamariki receive through FIS provide vital dietary nutrients for growing bodies and minds," says Smith.

Nelson's Victory Primary is just one of the schools enrolled in the FIS initiative. School representative, Ashleigh Della Bosca, says the fresh produce deliveries are very effective for tamariki.

"We are hugely grateful for the Fruit in Schools. Our school has been hit hard by COVID, and it is a huge relief to provide fruit to our students, which we know is an excellent source of essential vitamins and helps build their immune systems. We love being able to promote fruit as a healthy snack," she says.

"Having a variety of fruit to chop up and eat has helped teach fractions this term - a practical component. Also, as we are a free lunch school, most children no longer bring morning tea and instead eat fruit at this time, which minimises the amount of junk food they eat. Healthy, happy children will always positively affect our students' learning and attitude in the classroom," says Della Bosca.

5+ A Day Trustee, Dr Carolyn Lister, says fresh seasonal produce is delivered twice a week to schools or kura enrolled in FIS so that tamariki and kaiako (staff) can eat it every day, and have the opportunity to try more than two dozen fruit and vegetable varieties during the school year.

"Around 80 percent of FIS schools also participate in the Ministry of Education's Ka Ora, Ka Ako – Healthy School Lunches. Feedback from schools shows these initiatives work well together. For example, many schools have provided feedback that tamariki are more engaged with their learning as the nourishment they receive from FIS at morning tea and Ka Ora, Ka Ako at lunchtime provides the energy they need throughout the school day," she says.

"FIS is about so much more than a piece of fresh produce. Nine out of ten principals enrolled in the initiative said FIS led to a sense of equality between students regardless of their family circumstances, and 83 percent of principals said their children's overall health would decline if FIS ended," she says.

"We also know that the role-modelling of eating a variety of healthy kai together at school has much wider benefits for tamariki and their whānau and influences long-term changes. Our research found that 70 percent of parents said that their child liked eating fruit more because of FIS, and 37 percent said they like eating vegetables more," notes Dr Lister.

Initially developed in 2004, FIS deliveries are organised at no cost to schools or local communities. In addition, the 5+ A Day Charitable Trust provides free curriculum-linked resources in English and Te Reo to help promote healthy eating and teach students how to grow their own produce.