Schools have the potential of being the place where young people learn about healthy diets and where a sustainable food culture can be promoted and experienced.

The EU-funded “SchoolFood4Change” (SF4C) project builds on this potential, seeing schools and school meals as catalysts for systemic change on a broad societal level. The project will provide innovative solutions and tailored, locally adaptable good practices for schools, school meal providers, responsible public authorities, and policymakers, in line with the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The focus lies on education and empowerment of children and adolescents, given their vulnerability to diet-related conditions and disadvantaged environments on the one hand, while, on the other hand, acknowledging their transformative power and ability to drive change.

To achieve the ambitious goal of enabling community-wide food system change, SF4C follows a holistic multi-level approach, based on the cumulated expertise of established European organisations and networks, sustainable food procurement and nutrition specialists, scientists, chefs, and dietitians. This involves the development of innovative and sustainable food procurement, the promotion of planetary healthy diets and cooking, and the introduction of the so-called “Whole School Food Approach”, a defined framework for municipalities and schools targeting the achievement of child-friendly food culture and involving all related actors linked to the school environment.

The SF4C project started in January 2022. It includes 43 partners (including affiliates), who contribute to the ambitious target of reaching at least two million EU citizens, by directly impacting over 3,000 schools and 600,000 young people in 12 EU countries.

With a focus on children, who are the adults of the future, and strong trust in youth action competence, SchoolFood4Change strives for a long-lasting impact on the whole food system that will benefit both the people and the planet.