During the 2007-2008 school year, a total of 6,147 Catalan primary schoolchildren from the 3rd and 4th level were initiated into the secrets and properties of fruit and vegetables thanks to visits to the Mercabarna facilities. This 8% increase over the previous year is explained by the fact that the calendar of visits lasted three weeks longer.

“Eat healthy and your body will thank you”
This year also saw the second edition of the “Aucas” competition. An auca is a story told through pictures with captions in rhyming couplets, and here each team of schoolchildren had to create one based on their visit to Mercabarna and the ‘5-a-Day’ philosophy.

The winners were the students from the school CEIP Sant Jordi de Sant Pau d’Ordal in the Alt Penedès region. Each team member was awarded a digital music player, a 2GB iPod. Each member of the two runner-up teams also received a 1GB iPod.

The winning aucas and other activities and campaign materials can be found on the ‘5-a-Day’ website (www.5aldia.es). Since its creation in 2002, this portal has become a vital tool for fostering participation and interaction with the schools. Proof of this are the more than 72,000 visits to the website this academic year.