AIT and the Formosa Cancer Foundation Promote Better Nutrition for School Children in Taiwan

PR0822E | Date: 2008-04-18

AIT's Agricultural Trade Office, the Formosa Cancer Foundation (FCF), and several U.S. fruit and vegetable promotion groups will hold a kick-off press conference April 22 for the 2008 "5-a-day" program.  Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng will provide opening remarks along with AIT Spokesman and Chief of Public Affairs Section Thomas Hodges. 

In 2007, with the intention to help expand an already active nutrition promotion campaign targeting elementary school children in Taiwan and to help grow overall market demand for fresh fruit and vegetables, AIT's Agricultural Trade Office in Taipei developed a cooperative nutrition promotion program with the Formosa Cancer Foundation (FCF) to promote the importance of eating five servings of fruit and vegetables every day.  After last year's great success and the long preparation that has gone into this year's program, the partnership has been extended through 2008. 

Funding is provided by the Foreign Agricultural Service's Global Broad-based Initiative Program and is supported by 13 U.S. producer associations, including the California Agricultural Export Council, Washington Apple Commission, California Almond Board, California Tree Fruit Agreement, California Cherry Advisory Board, California Table Grape Commission, USA Potato Board, USA Apples, Sunkist Growers, Pear Bureau Northwest, the North American Blueberry Council, the California Raisin Marketing Board, and Northwest Cherry Growers Association. 

FCF launched this program in April 2007 with a press conference announcing the results of school lunch research and continued the program with school briefings and a unique interactive program of coupon "checkbooks," which ran through November 2007.  The program reached more than 70,000 children and their families and was extremely popular with both the print and television media. 

The program assisted FCF to fund new research into the nutritional profile of lunches currently prepared for students at elementary schools around Taiwan and also provided funds for FCF to train additional dieticians and to develop interactive educational materials aimed at encouraging school children and their families to improve their eating habits.

The FCF celebrated their 10th anniversary last year and received a National Civic Service award for their contributions to Taiwan society in their battle against cancer. 

Taiwan's 2008 "5-a-Day" program will be even richer than last year's and will include a retail element through more than 200 Wellcome supermarkets across the island, where participating children and their parents will be able to receive a small discount on purchases of U.S. and other fruit and vegetables.  Lucky draw prizes, including two United Airlines tickets to San Francisco, will be given away in this year's program along with an interactive website featuring ongoing surveys regarding Taiwanese children's eating habits on the consumption of fruits and vegetables.

The press conference is scheduled 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on April 22, 2008, at Taipei NGO House at 8, Qingdao East Road, Taipei.   All members of the media are invited to the event. 

For more information about the press conference and the "5-a-day" program, please contact Shirley Lai of AIT Public Affairs Section, Tel: 02-2162-2037, E-mail: slai@mail.ait.org.tw, or Hannah Wang at FCF on 02-8787-9907 ext 202.