Government launches consultations on a pan-Canadian school food policy

School meal programs can help reduce hunger and food insecurity, improve children’s access to nutritious food, improve academic outcomes and achievement, and help support families by reducing food costs

Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, announced that the Government of Canada has launched consultations to develop a pan-Canadian school food policy and explore how more Canadian children can receive nutritious food at school.

Following these consultations with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous partners and stakeholders, the policy will seek to guide the expansion of school meal programming based on key principles and objectives, while ensuring a flexible approach that leaves room for local adaptation.

“When we launched the first-ever Food Policy for Canada in 2019, setting up a school food policy was deemed indispensable,” said Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bibeau. “Every child, no matter where they live, deserves access to safe and nutritious food to reach their full potential.”

“One in five children in Canada are at risk of going to school hungry on any given day” 

It will also seek to establish a foundation for greater collaboration and investment, so that more children have access to nutritious food in school.  Engagement with Indigenous partners will help ensure that the policy reflects the unique and diverse needs of Indigenous children.

“Too many children at school are trying to learn on empty stomachs, and too many Canadian families are not able to reliably access healthy food,” stated Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould. “We know that a pan-Canadian approach to school food has the potential to improve the overall health of our children as they learn, leading to better futures for them and for Canada.”

A pan-Canadian school food policy needs to take into account the diverse realities of children in Canada, their families and their schools, and it should constructively build on the programs that already exists. That is why the Government wants to hear directly from Canadians with diverse perspectives and learn from their experiences with school food programs. In addition to roundtable discussions with key stakeholder groups, including children and youth, the Government of Canada will be launching an online questionnaire on its Consulting with Canadians webpage in November, where all Canadians will be welcome to share their perspectives to help inform the development of a pan-Canadian school food policy.

The input received through these consultations will help build a pan-Canadian school food policy that is responsive to the evolving needs of children and families, while also setting a foundation for a future where more children in Canada have access to nutritious food while at school.

Budget 2019 included more than $134 million over five years to support the Food Policy to strengthen food systems and improve food security, and a commitment to work with provinces and territories towards the creation of a National School Food Program.