Food environments surrounding us in our daily lives are failing to protect children’s right to nutritious, safe, affordable and sustainable food. However, examples from Finland, Brazil and Spain highlight the efficacy of programs to combat malnutrition like school meals programs, social protection programs and food literacy programs.
The impacts of unhealthy food environments
In their daily lives, children and adolescents are continuously exposed to unhealthy food environments, including pervasive emotion-based marketing strategies for unhealthy foods across various media, such as television and digital platforms. This exposure even occurs in spaces where they should be particularly protected, like schools (UNICEF, 2019).
In terms of availability, healthy foods are often not available or more expensive than unhealthy foods so for the most vulnerable families it is even harder to afford sufficient nutritious food for a healthy diet without having to forgo or compromise other basic needs, such as education, health care and housing (UNICEF, 2019).
Finally, the existing regulations on nutrition labelling, particularly those related to consumer-friendly front-of-pack and menu labelling, do not fully support the consumer in making informed choices. The absence of clear and accurate information undermines the ability of parents and other caregivers to choose healthy foods, while also disempowering children (UNICEF, 2019).
A rights-based approach to improve children’s food environments
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), recognizes that all children are entitled to inalienable rights, including the right to healthy food and adequate nutrition. Over the years, the Committee on the Rights of the Child has issued several general comments to support governments in combating malnutrition and safeguarding every child’s right to a healthy food environment.
Countries that have ratified the CRC are legally bound to uphold their commitments, which include considering the specific needs and vulnerabilities of children, including protecting children from unhealthy food environments that undermine their right to healthy food and adequate nutrition (UNICEF, 2019).
Discussing food environments within a rights-based framework is vital to ensuring that the marginalised and vulnerable populations who are disproportionately affected by malnutrition are guaranteed access to adequate nutritious food. This includes several actions that can be taken to improve children’s food environments and adequate nutrition (UNICEF, 2019).
Practical examples to be implemented
As the primary duty-bearers of children’s rights, governments should prioritise efforts to address the root causes of poor health among children by ensuring they have access to nutritious and affordable food and a healthy and safe environment. This includes support and protection for optimal infant and young child feeding practices and creating a food environment that ensures adequate nutritious food, rather than the minimum number of calories needed to survive (UNICEF, 2019).
School meals programs: the model of Finland
School meals programs, alongside interventions like nutrition education, food policies, and access to clean water, are key to fulfilling children’s right to adequate food. They help address hunger, improve diet quality, and support children’s rights to health and education by promoting school attendance and reducing child labor (FAO, 2021).
For instance, Finland developed a unique model which integrates a sustainable, balanced, safe, appealing, and free-of-charge meal into food education across curricula. The school meals were initially introduced to address post-war poverty and malnutrition, but given their positive effects, in 1948, Finland adopted a law to provide meals free of charge for all pupils.
Today, Finland is providing the longest-running free-of-charge school feeding programme in the world which is funded by the government and municipal taxes. In terms of results, the Finnish system proved to improve children’s health and learning capacity.
Since the year 2000, every year 90–95 per cent of pupils completing the 9-year basic education move straight onto upper secondary education. Moreover, Finland has constantly achieved high scores in PISA reviews (Kuusipalo & Manninen, 2024).
Social protection programs: Brazil’s Bolsa Família program
Addressing malnutrition through social protection programs is a powerful tool for improving the lives of vulnerable populations. By reaching those who are affected by food insecurity, poverty, and inadequate diets, the social protection sector can provide comprehensive support to improve their nutrition status (Scaling Up Nutrition, n.d.).
The Bolsa Família Program (BFP) was created in Brazil in October 2003. Its goal is to break the poverty cycle by providing a minimum income to poor families conditioned on their investment in human capital (such as education and health) and it is currently the largest program in the world in terms of the number of beneficiaries (Magalhães, 2024).
It aims to combat hunger and promote food and nutrition security through a financial benefit, promote access to existing public services, especially health, education and social services, and promote complementarity among the government’s social actions (World Bank, 2007).
The program achieved a 31 per cent reduction in childhood malnutrition from 2003 to 2013 and has won international acclaim (Gathercole, 2023). Moreover, in 2011, it was cited in a United Nations (UN) report for the Economic and Social Council (Conselho Econômico Social – ECOSOC) as an example for eradicating poverty (G20, 2024).
Food literacy programs: Los Salvacomidas educational program in Spain
Food literacy is important for promoting healthy, sustainable diets and transforming food systems. As children develop cognitive skills and experiences, they acquire food literacy competencies. Early childhood programs supporting food literacy can encourage sustainable eating habits and drive food system change, as children influence family purchasing decisions and, over time, develop agency in their own food choices (Ares, 2024).
Los Salvacomidas is an educational initiative which promotes nutritional education from an early age since at that age is when all the basic knowledge and skills that will mark a healthy and sustainable way of life are learned. The program was born as a response to child malnutrition and food waste in Spain, deepened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During that time, they were able to provide 60,000 meals a day to 3,000 families in Guipúzcoa, Vizcaya and Madrid. After that, the program was transformed with a long-term perspective, and now it is aimed at teaching children and adolescents how to be aware of their environmental impact while adopting healthy eating habits.
This initiative, which is now called “Food Educators”, is implemented in 10 European countries including Poland, the UK and Turkey and it aims at developing teacher manuals and online resources accessible in several languages (Food Educators, n.d.).
Collaborative efforts for improving child nutrition
The challenges of malnutrition are complex, requiring targeted and sustainable efforts. Humanium’s projects in Uganda, Madagascar and Rwanda serve as proof of the transformative power of community-based initiatives in combating malnutrition and ensuring sustainable development.
- The Organic Agriculture School project in Uganda has provided training to 480 young people in the Nwoya district, equipping them with skills in organic farming and business management. This initiative, launched in 2015, has increased agricultural production and promoted sustainable practices, improving family incomes and reducing dependence on external aid. Through hands-on training and microcredit support, the project has created economic independence and empowered the next generation to share their knowledge and grow their communities.
- The project in Madagascar has addressed child malnutrition and school dropout by providing over 700 children with a daily hot meal alongside their education. In partnership with Les Enfants du Soleil and the UN World Food Programme, the initiative has operated seven school cafeterias, ensuring children receive essential nutrition while staying in school. By alleviating the burden on low-income families, the project has helped children thrive both academically and physically, creating a stronger connection between families and schools.
- The Rwanda Water Project has provided clean water access to 15,811 people across the Gatsibo and Gicumbi districts. With the rehabilitation of two water supply systems, this initiative has restored vital water sources and improved sanitation for 3,771 households. The project has also promoted water conservation, hygiene, and environmental protection through educational campaigns in local schools.
These projects show the importance of integrated solutions to malnutrition, emphasizing education, local collaboration, and sustainable practices. By empowering individuals and communities, Humanium is making efforts toward a future where children’s rights to health, education, water and nutrition are realized.
Join us in making a difference. Your support, whether through sponsoring a child, making a donation, or becoming a member or a volunteer, can help continue these impactful projects and create lasting change for vulnerable children around the world.
Written by Arianna Braga
References:
Ares, G. et al. (2024). Development of food literacy in children and adolescents: implications for the design of strategies to promote healthier and more sustainable diets. Retrieved from Nutrition Reviews, Volume 82, Issue 4, April 2024, Pages 536–552, https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuad072, accessed on 13 January 2025.
FAO (2021). Investing in the food and nutrition of all children is a human rights issue. Retrieved from FAO at https://www.fao.org/right-to-food/news-and-events/news/news-detail/Investing-in-the-food-and-nutrition-of-all-children-is-a-human-rights-issue/en, accessed on 12 January 2025.
Food Educators (n.d.). Quiénes Somos. Retrieved from Food Educators at https://salvacomidas.eitfood.eu/quienes-somos/, accessed on 14 January 2025.
G20 (2024). Combating hunger and poverty: Brasil’s Bolsa Família presented to G20 nations. Retrieved from G20 Braziel 2024 at https://www.t20brasil.org/en/news/51/combating-hunger-and-poverty-brasils-bolsa-familia-presented-to-g20-nations, accessed on 14 January 2025.
Gathercole, G. (2023). Lula da Silva’s Bolsa Familia: A Mission to Feed Every Brazilian. Retrieved from The Borgen Project at https://borgenproject.org/lula-de-silvas-bolsa-familia-a-mission-to-feed-every-brazilian/, accessed on 14 January 2025.
Kuusipalo, H., Manninen, M. (2023). School Meals Case Study: Finland. Retrieved from School Meal Coalition at https://www.schoolmealscoalition.org/sites/default/files/2024-05/Kuusipalo_Manninen_2023_Food_Meals_Case_Study_Finland.pdf, accessed on 14 January 2025.
Magalhães, J. et al. (2024). Health, economic and social impacts of the Brazilian cash transfer program on the lives of its beneficiaries: a scoping review. Retrieved from BMC Public Health 24, 2818 at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-20046-2, accessed on 14 January 2025.
Scaling Up Nutrition (n.d.). Social Protection. Retrieved from Scaling Up Nutrition at https://scalingupnutrition.org/toolkit/social-protection, accessed on 14 January 2025.
UNICEF (2019). Protecting Children’s Right to a Healthy Food Environment. Retrieved from UNIECF at https://www.unicef.org/media/96101/file/Protecting-Childrens-Right-Healthy-Food-Environment.pdf, accessed on 12 January 2025.
World Bank (2007). The Nuts and Bolts of Brazil’s Bolsa Família Program: Implementing Conditional Cash Transfers in a Decentralized Context. Retrieved from the World Bank at https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/972261468231296002/pdf/398530SP1709.pdf, accessed on 14 January 2025.
