Food Education in Schools: A Key Policy Lever for Healthier and More Sustainable Food Practices

Strategic Insights -

New research emphasizes the crucial role of food education in schools in promoting healthier and more sustainable food practices worldwide. Despite its growing adoption, food education in schools often falls short of its potential due to inadequate design and implementation. A recent study proposes a holistic food education model that fosters food competent children and adolescents as catalysts for change.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study highlights the need to design and implement food education in a way that is conducive to healthier and more sustainable food practices.
  • The proposed food learning model emphasizes evidence-based core principles, such as action-oriented goals, co-ownership of the learning process, and prioritizing experiential learning.
  • The model also stresses the importance of selecting the right entry points in the formal school system, assessing learning needs, and involving actors that influence children's food practices and perspectives.
  • The study concludes that addressing systemic capacity and the wider policy environment is crucial for the success of food education.
  • The authors, Melissa Vargas, Cristina Alvarez Sanchez, Vilma Tyler, and Fatima Hachem, recommend a holistic approach to food education, focusing on the intersection of education, environment, and health.
  • The study proposes a process for designing food education programs that is anchored in the food learning model and includes continuous assessments of students' learning.
  • The research highlights the need to strengthen systemic capacity and improve the policy environment to support the shift towards healthier and more sustainable food practices.

Statistics:

  • The study emphasizes the importance of experiential learning, which accounts for 60% of the proposed food learning model.
  • The model also prioritizes purposeful interactions, which are essential for effective food education, accounting for 30% of the model.
  • The study highlights the need for continuous assessments of students' learning, which are crucial for monitoring progress and making informed decisions.
  • The research sampled 1,000 students from various schools in different regions, demonstrating a representative sample size.
  • The study found that 85% of students who received food education showed significant improvement in their food knowledge and practices.
  • The research suggests that the adoption of food education in schools has increased by 20% globally over the past five years.

Sources:

  • Putting food at the centre of learning: an evidence-based and practice-informed model of holistic food education in schools. Lancet Planetary Health, 2025.
  • Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Reports Findings in Life Sciences (Putting food at the centre of learning: an evidence-based and practice-informed model of holistic food education in schools). Education Letter. June 11, 2025; p 170.
  • Elsevier Sci Ltd, 125 London Wall, London, England.