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Want to know what we've been up to?
GCNF in 2023 pulls together all our favorite moments from last year.
Take a look and let us know what you think!
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First Global Survey received!
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Congratulations to the Slovak Republic for being the first government to submit their 2024 Global Survey of School Meal Programs questionnaire! Although data from the 2024 Global Survey will not be publicly available until later in 2024, you can review the latest Slovakia Country Report, showcasing data from the 2020 school year.
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Impressively, at that time, the Slovak Republic provided school meals to 65% of all primary and secondary school-aged children in the country. More recently, the country has implemented a new regulation promoting the sale of healthy food in schools.
Data collection for the 2024 Global Survey of School Meal Programs remains open. Every government of the world is invited to respond. To learn more, visit our website or email info@gcnf.org.
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White Paper on School Meals and Climate
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Data from the Global Survey of School Meal Programs provided baseline information for a new paper, School Meals and Food Systems: Rethinking the consequences for climate, environment, biodiversity, and food sovereignty. The Global Survey gives insights into what equipment schools are using to cook meals (electric vs gas vs charcoal/wood). Open cooking and charcoal or wood stoves are utilized in more than 85% of programs in low income countries. Improving the efficiency of cooking in schools can be an important factor in how school meals can contribute to a healthy planet. We also know that school feeding programs are already addressing food and packaging waste. The 2021 Global Survey of School Meal Programs reveals that many school feeding programs (89 out of 183) are already addressing food and packaging waste. Of these, around 45% were doing so through reusing bags and containers, 44% through recycling materials and about 25% by using compostable materials. Common strategies to limit food waste include the use of sealed storage and pest control. The third round of the Global Survey (data collection open now), will capture more information on how school feeding programs are shifting practices in light of planetary health.
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Implementing Partners Webinar Slides and Recording
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Organizations implementing large-scale school feeding programs can help support government participation in the Global Survey of School Meal Programs. GCNF organized the webinar Implementing Partners and the Global Survey of School Meal Programs to support this effort.
The Questionnaire for the Global Survey of School Meal Programs is designed to be completed by a government-appointed Focal Point who collects the information from across multiple ministries and partners. At the same time, many school feeding partners want to ensure data from their programs are included in the government response. To learn what steps to take, check out the webinar slides and recording as well as the summary document.
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Country Report of the Month: Barbados
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Did you know? In February 2023, the Government of Barbados launched the Barbados School Nutrition Policy. This policy calls for removing sugary drinks from school grounds to encourage a healthier school food environment
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GCNF wishes everyone a Happy New Year and we look forward to continuing to support the world's children to have the nutrition they need to learn and to thrive in 2024!
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