ISMD encourages children and young people from around the world to connect and talk about the food they eat and the role it plays in their lives. It also aims to raise awareness of good nutrition for all children regardless of their circumstances.
Hodgson said: “Happy International School Meals Day 2023! On ISMD we are all celebrating school meals around the globe. Modern school lunches in the UK meet some of the highest standards in the world and are truly healthy and delicious. Everyone working to deliver school food should be incredibly proud.
“Unfortunately too many children cannot access these meals, falling between the gaps of being able to afford paid meals and the restrictive criteria for free school meals in England. Meanwhile skyrocketing food and energy costs are affecting the capacity for our fantastic public sector caterers to deliver this service. As chair of the APPG on school food I will continue to support school food in parliament.”
In 2022, people’s continuous support has allowed the World Food Programme to step up assistance to countries and impact the lives of millions of children. In its six decades of experience, WFP has supported 48 governments in their transition to national owned school feeding programmes.
A spokesperson for the WFP added: “We celebrate the importance of school meals and school health and nutrition programmes. Across the world, school meals ensure that children are provided with nutritious food to help them grow, learn and thrive.
“School meals programmes provide a social safety net to children and increase access to education and better learning. They provide more diverse, healthier and sustainable diets and promote gender equity. Home-grown approaches benefit the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, increase the resilience of communities and countries to global shocks, and contribute to a more sustainable food system.”
On 21st March 2023, WFP will launch their ‘State of School Feeding Worldwide 2022 Report’. This publication provides an overview on how countries across the world support their children through effective school feeding programmes. The biannual report uses the best available data sources to describe the coverage, best practices, impact and costs of school meal programmes worldwide.