FAO and Ministry of Health Team Up for Healthier Student Population in Trinidad and Tobago

Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago - December 2022- The Ministry of Health of Trinidad and Tobago, together with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and with the support of the Government of Mexico, has been working to promote nutrition education and healthy diets in schools through the Resilient School Feeding Programmes. This project is part of the Mexico-FAO-CARICOM Initiative: "Cooperation for Adaptation and Resilience to Climate Change in the Caribbean." 

For students in Trinidad and Tobago, school feeding programmes are an essential part of combatting food insecurity and promoting access to wholesome meals that, in turn, help to shift the pervasive trajectory of the impacts of chronic non-communicable diseases. 

Ensuring students have access to sustainable healthy diets is a feat that demands broad collaboration and pooling of resources which is especially important in the current economic environment marked by food supply shortages and an increased cost of living as a consequence of COVID-19.

The Resilient School Feeding Programme supported drafting the "National Nutrition Guidelines for Food Offered to Children in Schools." Working in collaboration with a Technical Working Task Force made up of representatives from the National School Dietary Services Limited, the Pan American Health Organization, the University of the Southern Caribbean, and other stakeholders in the health sector.

The draft guidelines, which were completed this month, are planned to be submitted for public consultation, with review from cafeteria owners, school officials, and other stakeholders before being formalized and rolled out across Trinidad and Tobago.  

FAO National Project Coordinator for the Resilient School Feeding sub-project, Latoya Smith, welcomes the progress made through the project indicating, "This is a step forward to ensure sustainability in adopting healthy eating practices nationally. Not only will this promote greater awareness of nutrition education in schools but also provide the support in practicing it."

Chief Nutritionist and Head of the Department for the Nutrition and Metabolism Division in the Ministry of Health, Michelle Ash, shared, "The Ministry of Health, and particularly the Nutrition & Metabolism Division, greatly appreciates the support and firm commitment of the FAO to team up for a healthier student population. Through the FAO's support, timely success was achieved in completing the draft of the National Nutrition Guidelines for Food Offered to Children in Schools." 

These actions will reduce the use of unhealthy and low nutritional value foods in schools and will set limits on pre-packaged foods, ensuring healthier menu options for meals and snacks. Implementation and monitoring of these new guidelines will be carried out by a specially established School Nutrition Task Force.