School meals: A multiple-win investment for people, planet, and prosperity

Despite recent progress, approximately 700 million people remain undernourished1, while unhealthy diets contribute to 15 million deaths annually2 as well as increases in rates of overweight and obesity, including in children and adolescents3,4. These nutrition risks are particularly salient for children: Malnutrition during childhood and early adolescence has long-term consequences for development and health, and for girls, it can affect the survival and wellbeing of their children5. At the same time, unsustainable food systems are driving the instability of the biosphere and the climate system2, pushing five of the six planetary boundaries beyond safe limits and threatening the wellbeing of current and future generations2,6. These challenges underscore the urgent need for collective action to ensure children and youth can thrive and enjoy healthy lives on a resilient planet. Current food systems are failing to provide healthy diets, disproportionately harming younger and future generations and undermining progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Rio Conventions on Climate, Biodiversity, and Land7–9.