Good Practices in School Gardens and School Meals: Africa, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean (2024)

As part of food and nutrition education actions and a component of Sustainable Schools, the Programme encourages school garden initiatives, considering their potential to transform food habits of current and future generations, training students to be aware of the impacts of food production on the environment and on agri-food systems. In addition, with the greater impact of climate change, this educational tool becomes even more relevant as it can offer concrete contributions to the mitigation of climate effects.

Since 2009, the Brazil-FAO International Cooperation Programme for School Meals, an alliance between the National Fund for Education Development (FNDE), the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), has been developing activities to strengthen and institutionalise school meal programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

About 2 billion people in the world are overweight or obese due to a poor diet and sedentary lifestyle. Around 133.4 million Latin Americans and Caribbeans do not have access to a healthy diet. In addition, this region has the highest healthy food costs (LAC Food and Nutrition Security Overview, 2023).

Given this scenario, the cooperation has promoted actions aimed at offering healthy and adequate menus, public procurement from smallholder farming, improvement of school infrastructure and food and nutrition education actions such as school gardens, exchanges of experiences, training and technical visits between 26 LAC countries, within the framework of the Sustainable School Feeding Network (RAES).

2025 January

AUDA NEPAD Guidelines for the Design and Implementation of Home-Grown School Feeding Programmes in Africa (2022)

The Guidelines for the Design and Implementation of African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) Home Grown School Feeding Programmes in Africa is the result of a collaborative effort supported by the African Union Commission for Education, Science, Technology and Innovations (AUC-ESTI) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

Home Grown School Feeding has been recognized by African leaders for its contribution to human resources and capital development in the continent and for having an important role in inclusive development, health, rural development, gender equality and inclusive education, particularly for the poor and socially marginalised communities.

These HGSF guidelines are meant to provide general direction or guidance to African Union Member States who wish to establish HGSF programmes or review existing school feeding programmes to link them more directly with smallholder farmers and other role players in the school food value chain, while addressing the nutrition component more adequately.

The five school feeding quality standards form the organizational structure of these guidelines, namely,
i) policy and legal framework,
ii) financial capacity and stable funding,
iii) institutional capacity for implementation and coordination,
iv) design and implementation,
v) and community participation.

The mandate of AUDA-NEPAD is to:
a) Coordinate and Execute priority regional and continental projects to promote regional integration towards the accelerated realisation of Agenda 2063; and
b) Strengthen capacity of African Union Member States and regional bodies, advance knowledge-based advisory support, undertake the full range of resource mobilisation and serve as the continent’s technical interface with all Africa’s development stakeholders and development partners.

AUDA NEPAD Home Grown School Feeding Handbook (2020)

This African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) Home Grown School Feeding (HGSF) Handbook was prepared primarily based on the experience and lessons from Botswana, Ghana and Nigeria.

These three countries are among the most advanced countries in implementing HGSF which are supported and led by their national government.

The handbook is one of the tools to share an example of a multi-tiered approach to country level interventions for effective delivery on nutrition and food systems.

The mandate of AUDA-NEPAD is to:
a) Coordinate and Execute priority regional and continental projects to promote regional integration towards the accelerated realisation of Agenda 2063; and
b) Strengthen capacity of African Union Member States and regional bodies, advance knowledge-based advisory support, undertake the full range of resource mobilisation and serve as the continent’s technical interface with all Africa’s development stakeholders and development partners.

African Women’s Collaborative for Healthy Food Systems (2017)

The African Women’s Collaborative for Healthy Food Systems was launched in 2017 at the instigation of Elizabeth Mpofu, organic farmer, activist and leader, who felt compelled to address the continuing marginalization of peasant and indigenous women in Africa. Elizabeth was soon joined by peasant and indigenous women leaders from six African countries who, together, forged the Collaborative’s Statement of Intent.

We wish to highlight the significant role and rights of African women in producing, processing and preparing good food for people in homes and neighbourhoods across the continent, both rural and urban. We are committed to ensuring that the food we eat is nutritious and healthy and is part of a way of life that respects and takes care of Mother Earth. Two key initiatives include:

  • Women’s Seeds – The Collaborative highlights the role and contribution of peasant and indigenous women in community food systems. Women have a special relationship with seeds as sorters, savers, and sharers. We recognize the importance of healthy seeds as the source and strength of plants and animals that are central to our food systems. We share our knowledge and experience about women’s seeds and invite others to share their perspectives and actions.
  • Women & Agroecology – The Collaborative has a deep understanding of and respect for agroecology through the daily practice of peasant and indigenous women and girls in different parts of Africa. At the same time, we are aware of the widescale marginalisation and minimal participation of peasant and indigenous women in decision-making processes and the lack of respect for their knowledge and expertise as practitioners in all aspects of the food system. We recognize the need for a shared conceptual framework that can be used by individuals, organizations and networks to counter discrimination, inequity, and ill-health while promoting healthy, sustainable systems in policy and practice. We are carrying out a one-year learning project to identify our own path and priorities for women and agroecology, while at the same time building connections with broad-based feminist and agroecological movements campaigning for women’s rights and environmental justice. This is an important undertaking for the Collaborative, given the growing pressures on rural women as food producers and processors due to climate change, natural resource exploitation, and the escalation of industrial agriculture.

The African Women’s Collaborative for Healthy Food Systems is growing rapidly and welcomes your interest and support. If you’d like to volunteer, please let us know what your skills are, what country you are based in, what languages you speak, and how much available time you have. We also welcome donations to support our work. info@africanfoodsystems.org

Millets prove tasty solution to climate and food security challenges (2021 May)

Image from the article by ICRISAT/Agathe Diama of women carrying pearl millet harvest home in Mali. The women have traditional baskets and bowls on their heads.

This article written by UN News promotes the 2023 International Year of Millets, and describes some of the high-levels reasons why millets have declined in human diets, and some of the reasons why millets should and are making a comeback. This article provides a good example of the intersection of traditional food cultures and ecological sustainability concepts.

While not referenced, the United Nations draws on UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) data, generally relied upon as high quality. This article adds diversity to global perspectives on sustainable diets and food systems.

Enhancing Linkages Between Healthy Diets, Local Agriculture, and Sustainable Food Systems: The School Meals Planner Package in Ghana (2016)

Citation: Fernandes M, Galloway R, Gelli A, et al. Enhancing Linkages Between Healthy Diets, Local Agriculture, and Sustainable Food Systems: The School Meals Planner Package in Ghana. Food and Nutrition Bulletin. 2016;37(4):571-584. doi:10.1177/0379572116659156 

Relevant to: 

Dietitians-Nutritionists working in school meal programs or other foodservice settings linking menus with local agriculture. Most relevant for low to middle income countries, particularly sub-Saharan Africa.  

Question:

This paper describes the development and adaptation of the School Meals Planner Package in Ghana. The package was developed by the Partnership for Child Development (PCD), based at Imperial College London and was piloted by the Ghana School Feeding Programme.   

Bottom line for nutrition practice: 

School meal menus offer a practical opportunity to link nutrition and agricultural objectives – by offering nutrient rich local foods to students. The School Meals Planner Package (SMPP) was designed to help governments operationalize the United Nations, World Food Programme “home-grown school feeding” (HGSF*) in parallel to meeting student nutritional needs. The SMPP was piloted in 42 out of 216 districts in Ghana. Following the pilot, the government has adopted the tool as official policy, and over 21 other governments in sub-Saharan Africa have also voiced interest in the program. 

The School Meals Planner Package (SMPP) is an open-sourced software package that includes the School Meals Planner tool, ‘‘handy measures,’’ and behavior change communication activities and materials. It allows users to plan nutritionally balanced meals using locally sourced foods, and to cost out the meals. It also enables local farmers to understand what foods are required by schools. 
 
*see “of additional interest 

Abstract:

Background: Interventions that enhance linkages between healthy diets and local agriculture can promote sustainable food systems. Home-grown school feeding programs present a promising entry point for such interventions, through the delivery of nutritious menus and meals. 

Objective:  To describe the adaptation of the School Meals Planner Package to the programmatic and environmental reality in Ghana during the 2014 to 2015 school year. 

Methods:  Guided by a conceptual framework highlighting key considerations and trade-offs in menu design, an open-source software was developed that could be easily understood by program implementers. Readily available containers from markets were calibrated into “handy measures” to support the provision of adequate quantities of food indicated by menus. Schools and communities were sensitized to the benefits of locally sourced, nutrient-rich diets. A behavior change communication campaign including posters and songs promoting healthy diets was designed and disseminated in schools and communities. 

Results:  The School Meals Planner Package was introduced in 42 districts in Ghana, reaching more than 320 000 children. Monitoring reports and feedback on its use were positive, demonstrating how the tool can be used by planners and implementers alike to deliver nutritious, locally-sourced meals to schoolchildren. The value of the tool has been recognized at the highest levels by Ghana’s government who have adopted it as official policy. 

Conclusions: The School Meals Planner Package supported the design of nutritious, locally sourced menus for the school feeding program in Ghana. The tool can be similarly adapted for other countries to meet context-specific needs. 

Details of results:

Training was provided at district, community and school levels, including menu planning, nutrition, and a community level behavior change communication (BCC) campaign. The government issued a directive to caterers and cooks in the project districts to participate. Monitoring reports and qualitative feedback were collected, providing information on how to improve the tool and scale up the intervention. 

 About 66% of district desk officers reported that the tool was easy to use. Partial compliance was seen in 30% of the districts. The authors report that participants valued the opportunity to learn about nutrition, local foods and how to determine quantities to procure. While the implementation of BCC campaign activities in schools was uneven, community level activities occurred in all districts. Campaign messages were clear; however, while some noted that they understood the need for diverse diets, the cost was a barrier for foods such as fruit and vegetables. Focus group discussions raised concerns that meeting nutritional requirements (30% RDAs) may exceed allowable costs per meal. The authors also state that further research is required to document the effectiveness of SMPP in relation to the nutrition and agricultural objectives of the Ghana school food programme.  

As well as enabling a more nutritious menu overall, the SMPP helps to make menus more nutrition sensitive by focusing on micronutrients important for child growth and development using locally sourced food. The tool also helps decision makers assess trade-offs (e.g., costs, diet quality and regional diversity). The pilot identified that adjustments could be made to the tool to automatically propose lower cost, higher nutrient alternatives for meals, and to include adjustments for protein quality and bioavailability of specific micronutrients (e.g., iron and zinc). 

The SMPP is based on a framework for developing menus for home-grown school feeding programs (HGSF). While menus are designed at the district level, they can be adapted to include foods grown locally. This pilot identified that HGSF programming could be strengthened through use of the SMPP 
by improving communications between caterers and local food suppliers and farmers, including communicating in advance what foods will be required. 

Of additional interest:

The home-grown school feeding (HGSF) focuses on sourcing nutrient-rich foods local foods for school meals, contributing to both agriculture and nutrition outcomes. Interest in HGSF has increased in low- and middle-income countries wishing to manage their own school feeding programs, rather than relying on external donor and technical support. One aim of HGSF is to decentralize the procurement of school food to community producers or markets. HGSF was included as a key intervention under the food security pillar of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme in 2003. By 2014, a minimum of 47 out of 54 countries in Africa were implementing school feeding programs with at least 20 countries implementing HGSF.  

See: Home Grown School Feeding programmes 

Editor’s comment:

It is exciting to read about a program that practically supports the use of locally sourced food. Perhaps this tool may have the potential to be used in settings beyond schools.  

Open access link to article:

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0379572116659156 

Conflict of interest/ Funding:

The School Meals Planner tool, the research framework and the program activities were supported by funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank and Dubai Cares. 

External relevant links:  

N/A

Marine Stewardship Council (website)

The international organization MSC (Marine Stewardship Council), a non-profit organization that aims to ensure the sustainability of the oceans and ensure that they are truly “the great pantry” of humanity in the future, is responsible for this product. MSC is a third-party certification for sustainable seafood that assesses population health, impact on marine environment and management of fisheries around the world. MSC’s blue-fish label is intended to help eaters identify sustainable seafood. It indicates to the consumer that its catch has been obtained through a technique that respects the environment, conservation and biodiversity.

This website is available in 18 different languages. MSC has certified 300 fisheries and 25,000 products from around the world. Evidence regarding the quality of their standards is included on the website. Their website offers information on the certification process as well as recipes, food guides, educational materials and support for supply chain actors about sustainable seafood in 18 languages. Information about specific fisheries is not available.

Small Producers Organization (SPP)(Website)

SPP Global is the Small Producers’ Symbol, Civil Association, (Símbolo de Pequeños Productores Global) created on August 1, 2006.  SPP is recognized as a fair trade label by different national and international bodies: it is positively evaluated and featured in different guides to fair trade labels. Furthermore, our label and standards are governed and run by small producers, but compliance with SPP regulations is guaranteed via third-party certification entities to provide consumers with a solid guarantee.

It has content relevant to producers, businesses and consumers. It articulates the standards of and principles behind the certification as well as producer details and stories. It is accessible in Spanish, English and French. This website is transparent about its affiliations. It is a dynamic resource that is updated with relevant news and resources pertaining to fair trade and SPP. It provides a unique perspective as a producer-driven organization from industrializing nations in Latin America-Caribbean, Africa and Asia.

SPP Global is the owner of the SPP and the instance dedicated exclusively to the development and promotion of the alliance that represents the Small Producers’ Symbol and the only instance accredited to authorize the use of the SPP logo to users and to empower the application of the SPP certification program to Certification Bodies. The owners of SPP Global are certified organizations of small producers. However, they do not intervene in the certification process, as it is carried out by third parties. SPP Global’s Solidarity Partners include National Coordinators of Small Producers, SPP Registered Buyers and Civil Society Associations. It also has CLAC as an Honorary Associate. SPP Global has a General Assembly, a Board of Directors, a Surveillance Committee, a Standards and Procedures Committee, a Dissents Committee, a Support and Promotion Committee and the Operations Team.

The following Nations have SPP products (per SPP website 2022 Nov): Germany – Bolivia – Burundi – Cambodia – Canada – Colombia – Ecuador – Spain – United States – France – Guatemala – Honduras – Mexico – Peru

Smart Food Initiative (website)

This initiative was created in hopes to create a world where the food you eat is healthy, sustainable, and good for those who produce it. “Smart Food is one of the solutions that contributes to addressing some of the largest global issues in unison: poor diets (malnutrition to obesity); environmental issues (climate change, water scarcity and environmental degradation); and rural poverty”. It aligns with the global targets of Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 13, 5, 12, and 17.

The Smart Food Initiative is founded through an endowment fund by the ICRISAT. This resources intended audience is Asia and Africa populations but can be adaptable to global regions.