TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A new UNESCO report, titled ‘Education and Nutrition: Learn to Eat Well,’ underscores the importance of school meals in the health and learning of children. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said that while students have access to school meals, not enough emphasis is placed on the nutritional value of the produce used.
"Thanks to investments made in recent years, nearly half of the world's primary school pupils now have access to school meals. But we need to go further and look at what is on their plates,” said the director-general of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, as quoted from a press release received by Tempo on Monday, April 7, 2025.
“The focus should be on balanced meals made with fresh produce, and teaching children good eating habits to ensure they grow up healthy. It’s a major issue for health and education.”
According to the report, around a quarter of the world's students benefited from school meals in 2024, this figure rises to 47% at primary-level. School meals increase enrolment rates by 9%, and attendance by 8% among the students, while also improving their learning outcomes.
In 2022, nearly a third (27%) of school meals worldwide were not designed in consultation with nutritionists. Only 93 countries out of the 187 that were evaluated had legislation, standards or guidelines on school food and drink. And of these 93 countries, only 65% had standards governing the sale of food and drink in school cafeterias, food shops, and vending machines.
According to UNESCO, this lack of standards and monitoring of the content of the food served to schoolchildren should be a major concern, given that the rate of obesity among school-age children has more than doubled in most countries since 1990 and that food insecurity continues to increase throughout the world.
The report urges governments to prioritize fresh, minimally processed foods and integrate food education into school curricula. The UN body said it will develop a series of tools for governments and education professionals aimed at better integrating these health and nutrition issues. This work will also support the Coalition for School Meals—of which UNESCO is a member—in coordinating global efforts to ensure that every child receives a nutritious meal at school.
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