A pilot study, conducted within the framework of the H2020 Strength2Food project, helps to give an answer to this question, investigating the environmental, economic, social and nutritional impacts of two different primary school meals services in County Durham, North East England.

Conducted by Angela Tregear, Mary Brennan, and Maysara Sayed, from the University of Edinburgh, between autumn 2016 and the first months of 2017, the pilot study assessed the food procurement models to two schools: VillageSchool and TownSchool. One (to VillageSchool) representing a local /short and organic chain, in which all milk and meat is locally sourced and has organic certification, and the other (to TownSchool) representing a more mainstream chain, in which sourcing of milk and meat is regional rather than local, and not organic.

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