A virtual learning session exploring actions to overcome the barriers, such as the lack of guidance and examples for managing food safety risks, to the inclusion of fresh, locally sourced foods in school meals.
Date: Wednesday, 12 October 2022
Time: 21:45-22:45 (UTC+8)
Watch the recording:
The School Meals Coalition was launched at the United Nations Food Systems Summit in September 2021 under the leadership of Finland and France and with the support of dozens of additional countries from all geographies. Now, more than 70 countries and 70 partners have come together to improve and restore school meals programs as a transformational platform for food and education systems and to ensure support for local economies and a critical social safety net during this time of food crisis and continued global instability.
The School Meals Coalition is launching the first School Meals Coalition Week – five days of virtual programming led by its members and partners worldwide. On Day 3, WorldFish's Global Lead for Nutrition and Public Health and the 2021 World Food Prize Laureate, Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted, and partners led a session on promoting the inclusion of 'Safe Locally Sourced Nutritious Foods in School Meals' in low-and-middle-income countries.
It highlighted the role of animal source foods, including fish and other aquatic foods, and vegetables in school meals, the burden of foodborne diseases and associated risks, guidelines on what needs to be done and the identified gaps, as well as role of experts and governments in supporting development and implementation of the policies. It set the overall objective for healthy, well-nourished children and income-earning opportunities for poor and vulnerable supply chain actors, especially women.
Follow WorldFish and the hashtag #aquaticfoods to check out past conversations on Twitter.
