Thank you very much.
Where do I start?
The coalition has eight guiding principles that we've asked a national school food program to follow.
A program should be health-promoting, in line with Canada's food guide. It should be universal and accessible to all students.
I'm not sure if these are the specific recommendations you're touching on.
There's a cost-share aspect. Many provinces and territories already fund these programs, so let's bring it all together so that we can have a well-funded program that can meet the needs of students.
We're also encouraging programs to be flexible so that they can meet needs and build on what already exists in communities. So much is happening, but it would be a shame to impose a one-size-fits-all aspect.
We're asking for programs in indigenous communities to be controlled by indigenous communities, and for those to be sustainably well funded.
We're also asking for programs to consider school food targets, because there are so many economic benefits that can come from local procurement.
There are so many opportunities for food literacy. Following the food guide and engaging students in developing some of those food skills can last a lifetime. They can really impact families. Kids can bring home those food skills and ask to cook foods they've experienced in the programs, and also learn budgeting skills.
We're also asking for programs to have strong evaluation programs, to not market to children, and to have conflict-of-interest standards.
Thank you for the opportunity to expand.