According to partners, school meals make up a significant portion of a child’s daily diet in many countries, and it is imperative to contribute directly to nutritional needs.
“FAO provides healthier school meals for governments and agencies through this comprehensive toolkit and technical support to improve school meals, a broader school meal environment, and a procurement process from local food systems. We aim to help provide to children and adolescents, their food rights, “said Nancy Ablt, deputy director of the agency’s food and nutrition department.
Guidance and strategy
The project, nutrition guidelines for school meals and standards for protecting children’s and adolescents’ food rights are supported by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL).
Partners also develop guidance for schools to implement practical food education strategies, such as how to use school lunch menus as learning materials in the classroom.
Other interventions are also facilitated, such as restricting the sale of sugar drinks on school grounds.
In addition, national agencies will be supported in efforts to integrate new nutritional standards into the law.
Far beyond food
Community ownership is another important part of the project, added by UN agencies, including through strengthening mechanisms that allow students and parents to report violations of nutritional standards.
“We now have a global consensus on the need for school meals and their benefits to different disciplines. School meals go far beyond the table, education, nutrition, health, agriculture and food systems. May affect. “ Carmen Bartobo, director of WFP’s school-based programming department, said.
“In order for these programs to reach their full potential, we need to work on next-generation school meal programs, which contribute to a sustainable food system that keeps children healthy and nutritious. It is a program to ensure that you can receive high-quality meals. ”
The methodology and guidance package will be piloted in Cambodia and Ghana. It will then be coordinated and finalized through regional and global workshops.
