Blog Neglected no more: Why climate-smart underutilized foods belong on school meal menus
No matter what’s on the menu - whether it’s rice with grilled fish, ugali topped with sautéed kale, or pasta in a tomato sauce, one fact holds true: school meals can deliver far-reaching benefits. While improving children’s health, nutrition and education, school meals have the potential to drive countries toward more sustainable, climate-resilient and inclusive food systems.
As highlighted during the 2024 Global Child Nutrition Forum in Japan, integrating neglected and underutilized species (NUS) into school meal programs presents a promising pathway to achieving this potential. These climate-smart, nutrient-rich foods not only enhance dietary diversity; they also support smallholder farmers and contribute to local food systems and economies.
Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) and abika (bele) (Abelmoschus manihot) grown within a school setting in Tonga. Both are nutrient-rich, climate-resilient Pacific crops with unique genetic diversity, supporting food security in the region. Photo credit: Bioversity International/Danny Hunter.
However, successfully incorporating these foods into school meal programs worldwide requires addressing several key challenges. Limited access to high-quality seeds, gaps in nutrition data, challenges for logistics and procurement, and a lack of supportive policies all pose significant barriers. Strengthening research efforts and improving policy frameworks are essential to ensuring that these foods are available, accessible, and effectively integrated into school meals. Encouragingly, some countries are already making strides in these areas, providing hopeful examples of what can be achieved.
Read the full story on Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF)’s website to learn more
Cover Image: Students of Khliehumstem Presbyterian Lower Primary and Upper Primary School collect their freshly prepared school meals. Photo credit: NESFAS/ Banteilang Syiem
The Alliance Team
Danny Hunter
Principal Scientist, Convener for the Pacific
Teresa Borelli
Scientist I
