School Meals and Food Systems: Rethinking the consequences

A new White Paper explores how planet-friendly school meal programs can help address today’s food system challenges. Written by 85 organizations, including FOODPathS partner ICLEI, and supported by The Research Consortium for School Health and Nutrition, the paper looks at how school meal programs can benefit both children’s health and the environment.

With 418 million children receiving a meal at school each day, the White Paper suggests key steps governments can take, like providing nutritious, diverse meals, using clean energy for cooking, reducing food waste, and promoting healthy eating habits. It also highlights how smart food procurement can support sustainable farming practices that protect biodiversity and strengthen food systems.

This publication is part of The School Meals Coalition’s work to improve and expand school meal programs. Check out the full White Paper to learn more about these ideas and how they can help make food systems more sustainable.