School Food and the Sustainable Development Goals: A pathway to meeting multiple goals and targets

Goal 1 - End poverty in all its forms everywhere

Target 1.2 By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions

School food programs do not directly address the economic causes of food insecurity but they can reduce the pressure on the family budget by covering the cost of meals at school.

Target 1.3 Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable

When they are universal, school food programs are part of a social protection system that reaches all children in all communities, except those not in school by exclusion or choice.

Goal 2 - End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

Target 2.1 By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.

Universal healthy school food programs reach students across household income levels, ensuring equitable access to nutritious food for all students. 

Target 2.3 By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment.

School food programs can create predictable, structured markets for small farmers, reduce their investment risks and provide them with a regular source of income.

Target 2.4 By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality

School food programs have enormous potential to advance sustainable regional food systems, through procurement standards. 

Goal 3 - Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

Target 3.4  By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.

School meal programs offer a unique setting to influence the diet choices and health behaviours of children and mitigate risk for chronic disease later in life. 

Goal 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

Target 4.1 By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes

School food programs benefit student learning and academic success.

Target 4.7 By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development

School food programs that include food and nutrition literacy education can help to educate students about sustainability and engage them in more sustainable actions. 

Goal 5 - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Target 5.4 Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate

School food programs support parents, especially working women, in the preparation of at least one meal per day for their children, and along withw universal child care programs can be part of a comprehensive approach to equity and support for women.

Goal 8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

Target 8.1 Sustain per capita economic growth in accordance with national circumstances and, in particular, at least 7 per cent gross domestic product growth per annum in the least developed countries

School food programs can create sustainable, climate-friendly jobs at the school, on-farm and in local processing. 

Goal 10 - Reduce inequality within and among countries

Target 10.2 By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status

Meals and curriculum that focus on cultural diversity provide opportunities for students to learn about diverse cultures and to engage in their own cultural practices. 

Goal 12 - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Target 12.3 By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses

Sourcing food locally and engaging students in growing, gathering and cooking can reduce both plate waste (when students like the food and want to eat it more) and production waste.  

Target 12.7 Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities

School food programs can support local food production strategies by procurement standards and cultivating strong relationships between schools, community partners, and local food producers.

Goal 16 - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

Target 16.7 Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels

When students, parents, school staff, and local stakeholders such as farmers and local municipalities are involved in the design and evaluation of school food programs they bring communities together to create more inclusive societies.