School meals could unlock major gains for human and planetary health

(Press-News.org) Healthy, sustainable school meals could cut undernourishment, reduce diet-related deaths and significantly lower environmental impacts, according to a new modelling study led by a UCL (University College London) researcher.

The study is part of a new collection of papers published in Lancet Planetary Health by members of the Research Consortium for School Health and Nutrition – the independent research initiative of the School Meals Coalition. The papers find that well-designed school meal programmes could be a strategic investment in a healthier, more sustainable future.

Drawing together modelling, case studies and evidence from multiple disciplines, the six-paper collection demonstrates how planet-friendly school meal programmes can simultaneously improve child nutrition, reduce the prevalence of long-term diet-related illness, lessen climate and environmental pressures, and stimulate more resilient, agrobiodiverse food systems.

School meals: a strategic investment in human and planetary health

Global food systems are responsible for a third of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions while also contributing to rising malnutrition and diet-related diseases. At the same time, national school meal programmes feed 466 million children every day, representing 70% of the global public food system – a scale that provides governments unparalleled leverage.

A global modelling study, led by Professor Marco Springmann, modelling lead for the Research Consortium based at UCL’s Institute for Global Health, finds that providing a healthy, sustainable meal to every child by 2030 could:

Reduce global undernourishment by 24%, with particularly strong impacts in food-insecure regions. This translates to 120 million fewer people in the world not getting enough vitamins, minerals, and energy from food Prevent over 1 million deaths every year from diet-related illnesses such as diabetes and coronary heart disease, assuming today’s schoolchildren retain, at least in part, preference for healthy foods into adulthood Halve food-related environmental impacts, including emissions and land use, when meals follow healthy, sustainable dietary patterns, for instance by increasing the proportion of vegetables and reducing meat and dairy products Generate major health and climate savings, significantly offsetting investment needs Currently only one in five children in the world receive a school meal.

Professor Springmann said: “Our modelling shows that healthy and sustainable school meals can generate substantial health and environmental gains in every region of the world. Importantly, the climate and health savings that result from healthier diets and lower emissions can help offset the costs of expanding school meal programmes. The evidence is clear: investing in school meals is both effective and economically sound.”

A framework for transforming food systems

To support governments to transition to planet-friendly school meal programmes, the collection sets out a conceptual framework for how school meals can drive systemic food systems transformation at scale, structured around four essential pillars:

Healthy, diverse, culturally relevant school menus Clean, modern cooking methods Reduced food loss and waste Holistic food education that connects children, families and communities Together, these pillars offer governments a pathway to improve child health and food literacy, strengthen agrobiodiversity, stimulate ecological local production and build climate-resilient food systems. Crucially, the framework emphasises that these pillars must be embedded in public procurement rules, nutrition standards and policy reforms to unlock their full potential and shift demand towards healthier and more sustainable food systems.

Dr Silvia Pastorino, Diets & Planetary Health Lead for the Research Consortium and curator of the collection based at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), said: “This framework highlights how school meals are not just a nutrition programme – they are a powerful lever for transforming food systems. When meals are healthy, sustainable and linked to food education, they improve children’s wellbeing today and foster long-term sustainable habits, while helping countries protect biodiversity, reduce emissions and build resilient communities. Few interventions deliver such wide-ranging, long-lasting benefits.”

The framework builds on insights first published in the Research Consortium’s 2023 White Paper, School Meals and Food Systems, which brought together 164 authors from 87 organisations worldwide, also coordinated by Dr Pastorino.

Food, learning, energy, and biodiversity

To further explore each of the four pillars laid out in the framework, the wider Lancet Planetary Health collection includes:

A viewpoint from FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations) on integrating food education into learning to build lifelong sustainable habits A personal view from a Loughborough University team on the critical role of clean, reliable energy in delivering safe, planet-friendly meals A scoping review from Alliance Bioversity-CIAT on the importance of agrobiodiversity in providing nutritious, climate-resilient school menus A personal view from an Imperial College London team on promoting regenerative agriculture, agrobiodiversity, and food security through school feeding From evidence to action: supporting governments to implement planet-friendly policies

In partnership with international organisations and government partners, the Research Consortium is now developing a Planet-Friendly School Meals Toolkit to help countries assess the costs, environmental impacts and health benefits of shifting to sustainable school meal models. Co-created with partners in Kenya and Rwanda, the first results are expected in spring 2026.

END