“It’s so nice to eat warm food,” sighed two students from an Estonian high school. They were shadowing an SEI Tallinn expert for the workday and had just finished lunch in a café. These students attend a new state gymnasium but often skip their lunch because their canteen is […]
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“It’s so nice to eat warm food,” sighed two students from an Estonian high school. They were shadowing an SEI Tallinn expert for the workday and had just finished lunch in a café. These students attend a new state gymnasium but often skip their lunch because their canteen is too small to accommodate all students during their lunch break. Technically, they are provided a free lunch every day, but at best, they only have time to grab a cold snack from the school buffet. Some days, they eat their meal so quickly they end up with a stomach ache for the rest of the day.
A quarter of the EU’s children are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, and a third of school-aged children face obesity or overweight issues. Many children do not learn healthy nutrition habits at home or lack access to food choices that support their health. For many students, school food is their only warm, balanced meal or the day – critical for both their health and academic performance. Schools are also one of the few places where children from all backgrounds come together, making them ideal environments for promoting equality through nutritional education and fostering healthy eating habits for the future. After all, today’s students will grow up to carry these habits into adulthood.
A meal that is good for health often also supports the sustainability of our planet. In the 21st century, children, like many adults, are far removed from the complexities of food chains. Students who eat their daily lunch in the cafeteria may have little idea of the resources and effort involved in producing and preparing that food. Therefore, it is imperative to integrate food systems’ sustainability into the curriculum. This could involve teaching students about the environmental impact of food in global and local food supply chains, organizing visits to local farms and food production facilities, meeting canteen cooks, or even cooking alongside kitchen staff.
While school food has the potential to act as an equalizer and educational instrument, a mapping study conducted by SEI Tallinn in 12 European countries for the international SchoolFood4Change project reveals significant variability in approaches to school food across European countries, regions and even individual schools. European school food stakeholders have highlighted the need for more common approaches, policies and legislation at national and EU levels to guide meaningful changes in the food system. Although establishing such common approaches will take time, communities can still work to make school food healthier and more sustainable if provided with the right tools.
For example, the SF4C project team has developed a Whole School Food Approach (WFSA), a systematic method for schools to achieve a healthy and sustainable food culture. Dozens of schools across Europe are already piloting this innovative approach, and the number is steadily growing. The WFSA’s holistic framework is built around four pillars: governance of school food provision, sustainability of the meals provided, interdisciplinary food education and community engagement. To achieve the bronze level, schools must meet 17 mandatory criteria, while the silver and gold levels require additional efforts, motivating schools to continually improve.
The WSFA criteria encompass creating a school food vision and action plan, engaging students, caregivers and the wider community in educational and practical activities in the kitchen, school gardens and classrooms. They also include enhancing school meals, improving menus and optimizing the functioning of school canteens. Sustainability is promoted through offering more plant-based meals, measuring and reducing food waste, and encouraging pupils to consume healthy snacks and tap water instead of sugary drinks.
What sets the framework apart is its focus on community engagement. As schools progress from bronze to gold certification, they must involve more stakeholders from the wider school community and region. By following the framework, schools gain a clear roadmap for achieving healthier and more sustainable school food systems.
In addition to the WSFA, the SF4C project provides schools with fun and practical examples of community involvement. Over the past year, schools across Europe have organized Canteen Days. Each school or municipality tailors the event to their context – for instance, students preparing food with teachers and canteen staff, organizing games centred on food education, hosting parents and community members to taste school meals, participating in lectures about nutrition and spending quality time together.
Simultaneously, school food caterers and chefs from various countries have participated in project trainings to develop sustainable and delicious school menus. These trainees, in turn, train local school food caterers, bringing new knowledge to municipalities. Innovative recipes are tested in sensory evaluations with European schoolchildren, whose feedback help adjust the dishes to better suit students’ taste.
Although the SF4C project offers numerous positive examples, the burden of responsibility currently falls disproportionately on schools and municipalities. Greater national and EU-level support is essential. Coherent strategies and policies would make it easier to work toward healthier and more sustainable school food, sparing municipality and schools the challenge of crafting ad hoc solutions on their own.
The need for a unified vision in sustainable school food provision was also evident in policy dialogues organized in Estonia by SEI Tallinn, Tallinn City and Viimsi Municipality. The dialogues brought together diverse stakeholders – school and student representatives, caterers, nutritionists, educational and environmental experts, school cooks, health and vegan interest groups, and more. Together, co-created a shared vision for fair, sustainable, healthy, affordable, local, tasty, inclusive, safe, profitable and resource-efficient school food tailored to local contexts.
However, this common vision and strategic approach remain absent at the EU level. Public procurement policy, a critical tool for enhancing sustainability at the local level, could provide municipalities with vital support in implementing sustainability criteria. SF4C contributes to this goal by providing innovative criteria and models for procuring school food.
Real-life examples across Europe demonstrate that community participation is key to transforming school food systems. Next year, the project partners will analyse the precise impact of the WSFA on sustainability and local communities. In the meantime, we can take heart in the creativity and progress communities are achieving with the right structure and support. While the big ships turn slowly, it’s encouraging to see efforts underway to provide children across Europe with free, sustainable school meals and better nutritional education.
SEI authors
Senior Expert (Green and Circular Economic Transformations Unit)
SEI Tallinn
Junior Expert (Sustainable Cities and Resilient Communities Unit)
SEI Tallinn
