Reflecting on a Historic Year of School Food Advocacy
Image description: Nourish Nova Scotia staff and others at the announcement of the national school food policy on June 20, 2024.
Blog post by: Lindsay Corbin, Coordinator, Nova Scotia Coalition for Healthy School Food
As I reflect on the past year of advocacy work, I am filled with a sense of accomplishment and hope for the future of school food programs in Nova Scotia and across Canada. The journey has been long and challenging, but the progress we have made is a testament to the power of collective advocacy and community engagement. Seeing school food investments appear in both provincial and federal budgets is a huge win for the many advocates who have fought tirelessly, some for decades, for programs that give students universal access to healthy food at school.
On February 29th, we celebrated an exciting provincial milestone with the Nova Scotia government’s commitment of $18.8 million for the first year of a new lunch program. This ‘pay-what-you can’ program aims to make delicious, nutritious meals affordable for all and free for those who need it. Starting in October, it will roll out to 255 eligible schools with a focus on pre-primary and elementary students. Over the next few years, it will expand to include all grade levels with an estimated annual investment of over $100M. This makes NS one of the top 3 investors in school food programs in Canada.
The next significant milestone came on April 1st with the announcement of a pan-Canadian School Food Program, followed by the official commitment of $1 billion over 5 years on budget day. These funds will nourish approximately 400,000 students across the country through integration with local funding structures. Our advocacy for a flexible, locally adaptable program that enhances existing school food initiatives played a significant role in securing this funding, and informing the accompanying policy that was released by the Prime Minister on June 20th at Northumberland Regional High School in Nova Scotia.
Our efforts have been bolstered by our growing number of Members and Endorsers throughout Canada. As of this writing, the national Coalition for Healthy School Food is made up of over 330 non-profit Member organizations and over 144 Endorsers such as municipal governments, community health boards and school districts. From parents and teachers to local organizations and policymakers, the collective voice calling for universal, healthy school food programs has grown louder.
Despite these successes, there is still significant work ahead to create school food programs that follow the Coalition’s 8 Guiding Principles for success. Right now, there is an incredible amount of work going on behind the scenes to get Nova Scotia’s school lunch program ready by the fall. From equipment to menus to IT systems, there are endless details that need to come together to create this program. Despite intense preparations, like any program, it will not be perfect right out of the gate. But Nourish Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Coalition for Healthy School Food (NS-CHSF) are excited to do everything we can to provide support and amplify voices of school communities, moving us closer to the ideal future state of school food. This future state will build on efforts to date to:
be flexible enough to adapt to the unique needs of each school community by including culturally relevant offerings and considering diverse dietary requirements.
leverage public dollars to boost community economic development by purchasing more local food and creating opportunities for equity-deserving populations.
integrate food literacy so that curriculum and school food programs work in tandem to educate students about food & nutrition in ways that promote healthy relationships with their food, bodies and the environment.
On a personal note, working with the NS-CHSF has been incredibly rewarding for me. The passion and dedication of our Members, Endorsers and school communities inspire me every day. Together, we are making a real difference in the lives of students and their families. The momentum we have built this past year is just the beginning. With continued advocacy and community support, we can create school food programs that are among the best in the world.
Thank you for being part of this journey. Let’s continue to speak up for school food and ensure that every child has access to the nutritious school meals they deserve.
For comments or questions about this blog, please reach out to lindsay.corbin@nourishns.ca