The exterior of a school in Sao Paulo with raised garden beds producing fresh plant-based food for its students as part of the Sustainable School Menus program.

Healthy, Sustainable School Menus: Fostering nutritional security by centering locally-grown produce in school meals

THIS PROJECT CAN HELP YOU ADDRESS:

  • Demand for affordable, healthy, and culturally-informed school meals 
  • Divestment from unsustainable, extractive agricultural practices

THE PROBLEM

Many school meals rely on meats that are produced using unsustainable and environmentally destructive practices. School menus are not always designed with culture, nutrition, or local, seasonal crops in mind. Sometimes responsible for serving meals to 1 million students or more, cities have substantial buying power.

THE SOLUTION

Revamping school menus is an excellent opportunity for cities to invest resources in local, sustainable agriculture, while also providing nutritious meals to students at scale. The program offers training to food service staff in order to foster a deeper and broader understanding of food systems and nutrition. Conventionally-produced meat often costs more–environmentally and financially–making culturally-informed, plant-rich, local school lunches a win-win solution for cities.

THE IMPACT

  • 296k students have been served new menus 
  • Schools in São Paulo have reduced their carbon footprint by 5% 
  • Procuring sustainable produce locally bolsters the economy for growers in the region

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