SF4C Triple Impact Approach addresses systemic issues.
- An important result is the WSFA, developed in RP1 and further refined in RP2 to offer more attainable levels of implementation. The approach enables schools to gradually adopt healthier and more sustainable food practices, making systemic transformation more feasible across different school environments.
- The SF4C cities have been integrating ambitious requirements in their food procurement actions. Cities such as Ghent, Valencia, and Lyon have adopted procurement models that prioritise organic, plant-based, fresh and seasonal products, contributing to reduced carbon footprints and healthier school meals.
- At the policy level, SF4C has established strong synergies with EU initiatives, including the EU Child Guarantee and the F2F Strategy. It has actively contributed to EU-wide and global policy discussions, ensuring that school food transformation is recognised as a key component in achieving climate and public health goals especially for food systems.
The impacts of SF4C transcend across multiple issues and narratives:
- Reaching 3,380 schools across 29 partner and replication cities. Carrying out Health Impact Assessments ensures that health outcomes, such as BMI and dietary habits, are systematically monitored and analysed.
- SF4C directly contributes to reducing GHG emissions from food consumed in schools. Ghent, for example, has reduced its GHG emissions by 39% by increasing more plant-based proteins in school meals.
- The actions in cities, regions and schools from SF4C partners and replication cities and institutions are changing and inspiring access to healthy school food for all children with a particular focus given to vulnerable communities. Vienna, for example, has introduced free lunches for an additional 23,000 school children, while Copenhagen is implementing a national school meal programme to ensure all children have access to nutritious food and improve their knowledge of food.
- SF4C targets policy change towards improved school food across all governmental levels – particularly at national levels (in Europe), EU level and local and regional governmental levels (multi-level governance). This is done at EU level via a number of initiatives and channels, such as the European Food Policy Coalition, the Buy Better Food campaign, the Healthy School Meals Petition, the GD-SO, Food2030/Clever Food, the School Meals Coalition and through cross-DG meetings.
-The SF4C model is being expanded beyond schools to hospitals, elderly care homes, and universities, with eight replication institutions onboarded to the SF4C project in RP2. Strong engagement from replication cities is maintained and increased through dedicated webinars, guidance and partner twinning opportunities.
- SF4C is making a significant contribution to achieving the goals of the EU Green Deal, and the SDGs. The project’s integration of health, sustainability, and educational topics is setting a new standard for school food systems across Europe and beyond.
