School Lunch Programmes for Progress

School feeding programme in Togo. Credit: WFP/João CavalcanteBy Jomo Kwame Sundaram and Wan Manan MudaKUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Jan 21 2020 (IPS) If well planned, coordinated and implemented, a government funded school feeding programme for all primary school children can be progressively transformative. Such a programme, involving government departments and agencies working together, can benefit schoolchildren, their families, farmers and public health, now and in the future. Jomo Kwame Sundaram Such a scheme should comprehensively supply adequate food for all, especially schoolchildren, and improve their nutrition, thus overcoming hunger and malnutrition besides improving the children’s physical and mental development, and school learning, attendance, participation and performance. School meals, well planned by nutritionists and dieticians familiar with local food practices and alternatives, using safe food grown by family farmers free of toxic agrochemicals, and hygienically prepared, will significantly improve the nutrition, health and wellbeing of the children.   3-pronged approach A comprehensive and ambitious three-pronged approach to school feeding would go a long way to address contemporary malnutrition, of both micronutrient deficiencies of minerals and vitamins as well as overweight, obesity and other diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Nutrition education for schoolchildren must promote an adequate, balanced and comprehensive understanding of hea...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Asia-Pacific Development & Aid Economy & Trade Education Featured Food & Agriculture Global Headlines Health Labour TerraViva United Nations Source Type: news