School-based food and nutrition education

FAO

School-based food and nutrition education

A white paper on the current state, principles, challenges and recommendations for low- and middle-income countries

Year of publication 2020

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 322 p.

Author FAO

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Book (stand-alone)

ISBN 978-92-5-133616-8

Edition 1

Full item page

Synopsis (short abstract) School-based food and nutrition education (SFNE) helps schoolchildren and the school community to achieve lasting improvements in their food practices and outlooks; build the capacity to change and to adapt to external change; and pass on their learning to others. SFNE has also an important role in complementing efforts that are being made globally to improve food environments, and in empowering children and adolescents to become active participants in shaping the food system to be better able to deliver healthy and sustainable diets. Despite increasing interest for SFNE, the evidence that supports it and its potential, much of traditional SFNE, particularly in LMICs, is largely underfunded, not delivering results, and disconnected from other key interventions that aim to support the food, nutrition, environment, and education nexus. SFNE is under-resourced, with capacity development opportunities lacking throughout the school system. This White Paper is the first document of its kind, and it is based on the evidence, professional expertise, and field experience, lessons learned, and documented challenges of SFNE work in a variety of contexts. It presents the case for raising the profile and transforming the vision and learning model of SFNE. This document is directed firstly to a technical audience working in governmental organizations that deal with schoolchildren and adolescents and is also of interest to researchers, technical advisors, decision-makers, donors and investors, civil society, and UN organizations.

Cite this content as:

FAO. 2020. School-based food and nutrition education – A white paper on the current state, principles, challenges and recommendations for low- and middle-income countries. Rome

https://doi.org/10.4060/cb2064en

Read on Google Books and buy online

Language English

Also available in:

Spanish

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

Brochure, flyer, fact-sheet

International Expert Consultation: setting up school-based food and nutrition education 2017

Also available in:

No results found.

The need for school-based food and nutrition education (SFNE) to develop and foster children’s capacities to engage in healthy food practices has long been recognized and promoted globally. FAO has been a leader in SFNE over the last decades, particularly in promoting the integration of food education into national curricula, supporting the development of school gardens as learning platforms, and providing technical assistance for development of learning materials and professional capacity. Howe ver, more evidence is undoubtedly needed on the cost-effectiveness, pathways, scalability and sustainability of existing SFNE models, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). In response to these needs, FAO in collaboration with the United Arab Emirates University and a group of international experts and practitioners, is leading an area of work which aims to lay out the basis for improving the quality, scope and impact of SFNE in LMICs. One of the main milestones of this work is a n international expert consultation, which will offer a platform for stakeholders to discuss and define priorities, competencies, minimum quality and educational innovations, and provide a framework of cooperation to strengthen SFNE practices.
Book (stand-alone)

Stepping up school-based food and nutrition education
International Expert Consultation Report
2019

Also available in:

No results found.

School-based food and nutrition education (SFNE) represents a crucial opportunity to reach children, families and the broader school community in a regular and continuous way to foster lasting healthy food practices and capacities. The consultation on “Stepping up School-based Food and Nutrition Education: Exploring Challenges, Finding Solutions and Building Partnerships,” organised by FAO in collaboration with the United Arab Emirates University was the first specialized global meeting of its kind. It provided stakeholders from different fields of expertise working with school-based programmes a platform to discuss challenges and define priorities, competencies and educational innovations with the main focus on SFNE. Most importantly, the consultation launched a renewed vision, going beyond the integration of SFNE as stand-alone, disconnected and fragmented interventions and a largely academic requirement in schools. This report provides a description of the consultation, the results achieved and the recommendations agreed on by the experts.
Booklet

State of school-based food and nutrition education in 30 low- and middle-income countries
Survey report
2021

Also available in:

No results found.

Progressively more countries are reportedly incorporating school-based food and nutrition education (SFNE) into their education, nutrition and school feeding policies, acknowledging its role in impacting children’s food outlooks and practices, and that of their parents, families and the community. Despite this increasing interest and global recognition, there is no clear picture of SFNE implementation at school level, which makes it challenging to identify gaps, take corrective measures, make reforms or introduce new policy initiatives. Framed under FAO’s school food and nutrition work, the aim of the survey was to determine the current role, approach, scope and linkages of government run SFNE in a sample of low- and middle-income countries. In particular, this survey is part of the package of outputs that FAO developed to establish the foundation for reshaping and carrying the SFNE work forward, in terms of effectiveness and scope.