School cafeterias in the Balearic Islands will prioritize local and organic products

PalmThe Balearic Islands Ministry of Education and Universities and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment have launched a tender for school cafeteria services for the 2026-2027, 2027-2028, and 2028-2029 academic years, with a focus on local and organic products. The tender, which affects 62 public schools—31 in Mallorca, 3 in Menorca, and 28 in Ibiza—has a base budget exceeding €9.2 million and is the largest contract of its kind in the Balearic Islands to date. The minimum requirements mandate that at least 10% of the food be locally sourced and 10% be organic. Furthermore, a key award criterion is that at least 15% of the food be locally sourced and 15% be organic, tripling the percentages required by the central government.

The new conditions reflect the Governing Council agreement approved last August, which aimed to prioritize local products in public tenders and strengthen social and environmental criteria. The goal, according to officials, is to offer healthier and more sustainable menus in schools.

Fresh fruit every day

Among the new nutritional requirements, menus will have to include a piece of fresh fruit every day, legumes and fish six times a month, limit red meat to two days a month, eliminate processed meats, and use whole-grain pasta and rice whenever the recipe allows. These measures aim to reinforce healthy eating habits and the Mediterranean diet as a sustainable model. The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Environment, Joan Simonet, stated that the tender is "the beginning of a change in model" that will incorporate local and organic products into all contracts of the regional government. The Minister of Education and Universities, Antoni Vera, emphasized that school cafeterias are "an educational space, a place for coexistence, and a promoter of healthy habits," and reiterated that the Government intends for all preschool and primary schools in the Balearic Islands to offer cafeteria services by the end of the legislative term. The contract will have an initial duration of three years and may be extended for two more years, guaranteeing the continuity of the service and the quality of the menus, as well as compliance with current regulations by the winning companies. With this tender, the Government seeks to consolidate school cafeterias as spaces for health, sustainability, and education, with local and organic products as central elements of its food policy.