Thank you, Mr. Chair and committee members, for inviting me to speak on children's health.
The Coalition for Healthy School Food is made up of more than 240 non-profit member organizations and over 120 endorsers from all provinces and territories.
We're advocating federal funding for a national school food program because schools are ideal places for children and youth to access healthy food and to develop eating habits and skills that will last a lifetime.
I know that our members have spoken with some of the members of this committee, and we've appreciated your engagement and support.
Across the country, approximately two-thirds of schools do not have a school meal program. We know that many children in Canada, for a variety of reasons, are not able to access healthy foods and that the diet quality of children across the entire socio-economic spectrum is poor.
Studies show that kids aged nine to 13 get up to 60% of their calories from ultra-processed foods, which is more than that of any other age group. Unfortunately, when children are hungry or undernourished during the school day, their energy level, memory, problem-solving skills, creativity, concentration and mental health suffer.
When school food programs are offered and strong nutritional guidelines are in place, they increase children's consumption of vegetables, fruits and other healthy foods. This has widespread benefits for their physical health, mental health, future eating habits, behaviour and school performance. These programs can also take pressure off the family budget and help level the playing field.
As quoted by the World Food Programme in its “State of School Feeding Worldwide 2020” report, “All the evidence shows that school meals programmes, along with other social protection initiatives, are one of the smartest long-term investments any government can make.”
Canada is the only G7 member and one of the only industrialized countries without a national school food program. Across the country, programs reach somewhere between 20% and 40% of children across the spectrum of urban, rural and remote locations, thanks to investments from the provinces and territories, some municipalities and communities, and other contributions. While many programs exist, most struggle with limited funding, rising food costs and other pressures.
The coalition is very pleased that the development of a national school nutritious meal program and policy have been included in federal mandate letters. This followed the commitment of funding for school food in both the Liberal and NDP election platforms. We hope that all parties will support the inclusion of funding in budget 2023 as a critical step that can move us towards a Canada where every child in every part of the country has access to healthy food at school every day. Specifically, we recommend the development of a program that serves food based on Canada's 2019 food guide, so that children and youth develop the taste receptivity for nutritious foods, gain food literacy and develop habits for a lifetime of healthy eating by living the food guide in practice.
A national program should provide universal access to students. This means that where a program is in place, all students in the school would have access to it. We would like to see that the food served, grown and learned about reflects the diverse cultures and traditions of students at the school.
A national program should not market products to kids. This would align with the recommendations made by the Stop Marketing to Kids Coalition and the Minister of Health's mandate to put “restrictions on the commercial marketing of food and beverages to children.” We strongly support these restrictions.
Food is a powerful connector. A strong program would enable connections between students and members of the broader community and create opportunities for students to eat together, to connect with caring adults, to build resilience and to feel that they belong. A well-designed program would also include opportunities for students to plan, budget for, purchase, grow, harvest and prepare food.
In addition to funding for a broad program, we're also asking the government to enter into discussions with indigenous leaders to negotiate agreements for the creation and/or enhancement of permanent, independent, distinctions-based first nations, Métis and Inuit school meal programs.
As students spend a minimum of 50% of their waking hours on most days in schools, these settings present an unparalleled opportunity to support the health and well-being of nearly every child in the country.
School food programs can positively impact dietary quality, mental health and feelings of connection and belonging. They can improve academic skills and help students acquire personal skills that contribute to long-term success.
We urge your committee to take a strong stand on the importance of a Canada-wide school food program and to support an investment in school food in budget 2023 as a means to support the health and well-being of all children in Canada.
Thank you.