The most recent research on Irish consumer attitudes towards food revealed that 75 per cent of those surveyed want to eat locally produced food and want to know how this is produced.
Theresa Brophy of Bord Bia said this research indicated the relevance of the Agri Aware secondary school competition "Our Food - Your Way" competition, the winners of which were announced yesterday.
More than 500 of the State's secondary schools took part in the event, which was won by Eureka Secondary School, Trim, Co Meath, and St Mary's Secondary School, Mallow, Co Cork.
The students were required to identify foods produced in their area, interview a local farmer or food producer, develop a healthy menu using locally sourced produce and design an innovative communication strategy to demonstrate the importance of healthy eating in their school.
The initiative, designed by Agri Aware and supported by Bord Bia and the Association of Teachers of Home Economics, was completed by more than 2,000 students countrywide.
At the prizegiving in Bord Bia's Dublin headquarters, the chair of the judging panel and leading nutritionist, Paula Mee, praised the standard of the entries.
"In the present climate where we are consistently bombarded by statistics on overweight, unhealthy children, it is fantastic to see students educating themselves on local produce and how it gets to their kitchen tables," she said. "Projects like this help students to gain an understanding of the role Irish farmers play in producing safe, nutritious foods."