A recent study by researchers at University College London (UCL) suggests that government-funded school meal programs could play a pivotal role in addressing global hunger and advancing a more sustainable food system. The report, titled “A Mission-Oriented Approach to School Meals: An opportunity for cross-departmental and multi-sector industrial strategy,” was produced by the UCL Institute of Innovation and Public Purpose in partnership with the United Nations World Food Program. It investigates how public procurement of meals for students can support sustainable agriculture, improve nutrition access, and stimulate local economies. n nBy analyzing initiatives in Scotland, Sweden, and Brazil, the researchers identified existing models and untapped potential for leveraging school feeding programs as instruments of broader economic policy. Approximately 466 million children worldwide benefit from such programs, with an estimated annual expenditure of US $84 billion (£62.2 billion). This scale positions school meals as a strategic lever for shaping markets and driving systemic change in food production. n nThe global food industry contributes roughly one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions and is a leading cause of biodiversity decline, land degradation, and water scarcity. Current procurement practices often perpetuate these environmental challenges. The study advocates for a shift in how governments approach purchasing—moving from reactive market corrections to actively guiding private sector behavior toward public objectives. This includes prioritizing nutritious, sustainably sourced meals and increasing contracts with local farmers. n nProfessor Mariana Mazzucato, lead author and founding director of the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, emphasized that school feeding should be viewed not as an expense but as an investment. She stated that well-structured procurement can foster healthier diets, support eco-friendly farming, and reshape local economies by encouraging innovation and diversifying supply chains. n nThe research highlights Scotland’s program, launched in 2007, which has expanded to cover primary school students up to year five, with plans to extend it further. While effective in reducing health disparities, the £238 million annual initiative could better integrate with national sustainability targets and create stronger market incentives for domestic producers. Coordination across Scotland’s 32 local councils, which manage procurement independently, remains a challenge. Enhanced alignment with the country’s industrial strategy could amplify social, economic, and environmental outcomes. n nIn Sweden, a collaborative effort involving the innovation agency Vinnova and local municipalities tested prototypes designed to deliver meals that are healthy, environmentally sound, and appealing to students. This bottom-up model encouraged local innovation but underscored the need for stronger national coordination to link school nutrition with wider food system reforms. n nBrazil’s National School Feeding Program (PNAE), established in 1955, now serves over 50 million meals daily during the academic year. It aims to reduce child hunger, improve education, and support small-scale farming. A key feature is the mandate that at least 30% of procurement funds go to family farmers, with flexibility to prioritize sustainably grown food. This policy has boosted domestic agricultural output, created jobs, raised incomes for participating households, diversified markets, and encouraged greener farming methods. n nSarah Doyle, co-author and policy fellow at UCL, noted that while school meals are widely recognized as beneficial for children, their broader potential—as tools for economic development and food system reform—is often overlooked. She stressed that unless these programs are seen as strategic investments for producers and industries alike, they will remain underfunded and underutilized. With rising global population and increasing pressure on food systems, reimagining school meal procurement offers a pathway to more resilient and equitable food economies. n n— news from Phys.org
— News Original —nSchool meals could drive economic growth and food system transformationn nSchool meals, provided for free by governments around the world, could be used to curb global hunger and promote a sustainable global food system, finds a new study by UCL (University College London) researchers. n nIn a new report, “A Mission-Oriented Approach to School Meals: An opportunity for cross-departmental and multi-sector industrial strategy,” published by UCL Institute of Innovation and Public Purpose in collaboration with the UN World Food Program, researchers looked at ways governments can use school meals procurement to encourage better farming practices, improve access to nutritious meals and increase local economic development. n nBy examining case studies of Scotland, Sweden and Brazil, the team explored what has been done already to use school meals as an economic instrument, and what opportunities exist. n nSchool meals are one of the most widespread social safety nets in the world, reaching an estimated 466 million children. With about US $84 billion (£62.2 billion) spent annually, they constitute a potentially powerful tool for governments to shape the economy and drive sustainable transformation across food systems. n nThe global food system, which is responsible for an estimated one-third of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), is the primary driver of biodiversity and ecosystem loss and a major contributor to land degradation and the global water crisis. Current school meals procurement often reinforces these problems. n nThe researchers call for school meal procurement to be redesigned to maximize public value by designing procurement strategies that provide nutritious meals, encourage sustainable farming and good production practices and increase participation from local producers. This would represent a general policy shift towards using public procurement to direct private sector behavior towards public goals—from “fixing markets” after the fact to proactively shaping markets. n nLead author, Professor Mariana Mazzucato (Founding Director, UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose) said, “School meals are a tremendous opportunity for governments to use their purchasing power to promote the public good. n n”By creating a market for school meals that are healthy, sustainable, tasty and accessible, well-designed food procurement can change the structure of local economies and lead to a more diverse, competitive, innovative and values-aligned supplier pool. This kind of mission-oriented industrial strategy should be seen as an investment, not a cost.” n nThis work builds on Professor Mazzucato ‘s wider work on mission-oriented frameworks. n nThe report highlights lessons from Scotland ‘s school meals program, which has sought to promote better health equality across the country since it was first established in 2007. Since then, it ‘s been expanded twice to include all students between primary school years one and five, with plans to further extend it to all primary school children. n nWhile successful in tackling long-standing health and economic inequalities, the report goes on to say that the £238 million per year program could do more to create market opportunities for local food producers and to promote Scotland ‘s net zero and other sustainability goals. n nThe program is administered separately by Scotland ‘s 32 local councils that manage their own food procurement and purchasing. With additional strategic coordination, including in the context of Scotland ‘s recently launched industrial strategy, the report finds that there ‘s significant potential for school meal policies to drive additional social, environmental and economic benefits. n nDrawing on Sweden ‘s experience, the report points to the power of a mission-oriented approach to drive bottom-up innovation at the local level and the importance of engaging students in program design. The country ‘s innovation agency, Vinnova, worked with select municipalities and other government agencies to develop a series of prototypes aimed at achieving the mission of providing food to students that is healthy, sustainable and tasty. n nThis example also has some limitations, however, again pointing to the importance of strong national level engagement and an integrated approach that connects school meals with broader food system transformation and industrial strategy agendas. n nThe team also looked at what has happened in Brazil. Brazil ‘s program has evolved significantly since its inception in 1955, but now the Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar (PNAE) or the National School Feeding Program, is one of the world ‘s largest, serving more than 50 million meals daily during the school year. It aims to combat child hunger, improve nutrition and education outcomes and create opportunities for family-run farms. n nRecently, it has also been highlighted as an instrument for achieving national industrial strategy goals related to food and nutrition security. Its operation is largely decentralized to the local level, but national requirements ensure that at least 30% of funds must be used to purchase food from family farmers and allows for more to be spent on food grown sustainably. n nThese requirements have contributed to an increase in domestic food production, job creation, higher household incomes among participating producers, more diverse markets and wider adoption of sustainable practices. n nCo-author Policy Fellow Sarah Doyle (UCL Institute for Innovation & Public Purpose) said, “There is widespread agreement that school meals are good for kids. But until they are also understood as an opportunity for farmers and businesses, and for food system transformation, their potential won ‘t be met and they will continue to be underfunded. n n”The global food system is failing to feed billions of people. It is also responsible for a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, is a major driver of ecological degradation and is facing declining productivity—challenges that will only intensify as the world ‘s population grows. n n”As a tool of green industrial strategy, school meals procurement can create market opportunities that promote food system transformation and contribute to sustainable growth.” n nThis report was developed in collaboration with the United Nations World Food Program.