13 November 2024
(Photo: MINISTRY OF HEALTH)
Ukraine is hosting the European Regional School Feeding Summit for the first time.
This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Health.
The report says that last year Ukraine joined the School Feeding Coalition and opened up new opportunities for sharing experiences and implementing best practices. In November of this year, the first European Regional School Feeding Summit began in Kyiv, bringing together Ukrainian and European officials, experts and civil society activists - about 500 participants from around the world. The goal of the event was to join forces to strengthen school feeding programs in educational institutions not only in Europe but also beyond.
The School Feeding Coalition is a global partnership of governments, international organizations, civil society and the private sector committed to ensuring that all children have healthy, nutritious and sustainable school meals. The Coalition's goal is to expand school feeding programs, improve student health and achievement, and support local economies by purchasing food from smallholder farmers. The Coalition also aims to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 2 - Ending Hunger - by 2030.
The event was attended by the Prime Minister of Ukraine, the First Lady of Ukraine, ministers responsible for implementing the school feeding reform, heads of regional state administrations, government officials and ambassadors from leading European countries, and representatives of more than 20 international organizations.
Photo: MINISTRY OF HEALTH
"The goal of the school feeding reform is to develop healthy eating habits in children and to strengthen them. It is about preserving their health both now and in the future. Therefore, despite the war, we continue to work actively to implement the reform. And we have a lot to be proud of: updated nutrition standards that include all the products necessary for the harmonious development of children, an approved seasonal menu, and food safety requirements. We are happy to share this experience with our coalition partners to ensure that its ambitious goal of providing every child with a healthy, nutritious lunch at school every day by 2030 is achieved," said Viktor Liashko, Minister of Health of Ukraine.
He shared the achievements of the school nutrition reform, including the new sanitary regulations and government decree No. 305, which set the nutrition standards in schools. He also reminded that over the four years of the reform, a new menu for schools has been developed, the modernization of the material and technical base of educational institutions has begun, and four national forums have been held for representatives of more than 1400 communities.
The reform of school meals in Ukraine began in 2020 at the initiative of First Lady Olena Zelenska. Its main goal is to provide students with a balanced and healthy diet, as well as to promote a culture of healthy eating among children and their families.
The summit participants discussed the impact of balanced nutrition in schools on students' performance and health. Separate discussions were devoted to the economic aspect of school feeding programs, their sustainable financing, and discussions on modernizing school canteens and kitchens, building new facilities and renovating existing ones to improve infrastructure. Another important aspect of the discussion was the development of staff working in school canteens.
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