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 Canada Beef Prepares for a National School Food Policy Canada is currently the only G7 country without a national school food policy. But that is about to change. This past winter, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) launched a public consultation on the development of a “pan-Canadian school food policy” and invited interested Canadians to share their views about what a national approach to school food programs could look like. Right now in Canada, school food programs exist in some form in all provinces and territories and many Indigenous communities. However, the current landscape is made up of a patchwork of programs and only reaches around 21% of school-age children. The government wants to increase this significantly. In addition to reducing hunger and helping to meet children’s nutrition needs, school food programs have been linked to positive impacts on children’s physical and mental health, including reductions in behavioural problems and depression. Evidence shows that a significant number of Canadian children have diets that do not contain the recommended nutrients, and it is well established that kids can't reach their full potential when they are not properly nourished. Because a national school food policy has the potential to impact the more than 5.6 million primary and secondary school Canadian children (and influence their families in turn), this policy could have far-reaching implications for our beef industry. And the impact won’t be at just one point in time; each year a whole new cohort of children are enrolled in school, so once in place, the impact of this policy will continue to grow. What Canada Beef is Doing While the Canadian government's plans for this policy are still in development, Canada Beef is gathering research and information to support the industry's efforts to ensure that the potential nutritional contribution of beef on school food menus is fully understood. The resulting work will be a foundational resource that examines both the potential opportunities and challenges that might arise for beef based on how the policy is eventually written. As part of our review process, we are conducting a number of significant activities including: Engaging the support of topic experts and Canada Beef’s Nutrition Expert Advisory Interviewing existing school food program suppliers to understand their experience with beef on menus, both from a demand perspective and a logistical one Exploring existing school food policies and programs domestically and internationally Identifying opportunities to align with the government’s proposed national policy objectives Preparing responses to common questions about beef and the beef industry Identifying pressure points that could impede getting beef on school menus and possible solutions to these Exploring how school food programs can link to local beef initiatives and engage with beef producers Canada Beef’s research on this file so far has identified information related to multiple aspects of the proposed policy which will assist in the consideration of how beef, and the beef industry, may align with the government proposed goals. We will continue to add to this body of work and support industry stakeholder needs as the government’s efforts on this file evolve. Back to main page KARINE REKUNYK Director, Health and Nutrition

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