School Food Revolution

School food suddenly finds itself at the forefront of contemporary debates about healthy eating, social inclusion, environmental sustainability and local economic development. All around the world it is becoming clear - to experts, parents, educators, practitioners and other stakeholders - that the school food service has the potential to deliver multiple dividends. These include health, environmental, social and economic benefits that would significantly advance the sustainable development agenda at global, national and local levels. Drawing on new empirical data collected in urban and rural areas of Europe, North America and Africa, this book makes an innovative contribution to both political and academic efforts to promote sustainable food systems through creative public procurement strategies.

The starting point of the book is that school meal systems can provide significant payoffs, including lower food miles, the creation of markets for local producers and effective food education initiatives that empower consumers by nurturing their capacity to eat healthily. To assess this potential, the book compares a variety of sites involved in the school food revolution - from rural communities committed to the values of 'the local' to global cities such as London, New York and Rome that feed millions of ethnically diverse young people daily. The book also examines the developing country school feeding programme of the United Nations, which sees nutritious food as an end in itself as well as a means to meeting the Millennium Development Goals and raising the quality of life of the poorest of the poor.

Ultimately the book provides a critical look at the worlds of theory, policy and practice and it is a guide to the design and delivery of sustainable school food systems.