The UN’s 29th Annual Climate Conference (COP29)

The UN’s 29th annual climate conference (COP29) will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan from Nov. 11-Nov. 22, 2024. Members and Partners of the School Meals Coalition will be participating and presenting evidence on climate-smart approaches to school meals programming.  

In Venezuela, local food purchases benefit rural communities, create more jobs and diversify food production.

In many countries, school feeding is the largest source of government procurement of food, representing a global market to the order of around USD 48 billion per year. Making these meals more sustainable (through local sourcing, eating in season foods, reducing animal food consumption where appropriate, reducing food waste and greening food value chains) can have a substantial impact on reducing national greenhouse gas emissions.  

When governments make adjustments to their national school meal programmes, school meals can play a significant role in a country’s response to planet-friendly approaches:  

• By improving energy sources to produce school meals, such as green cooking solutions, carbon emissions can be cut whilst also leading to lower fuel costs and preventing deforestation. 
• Local procurement can help shorten food chains and hence cut emissions, through shorter distances of transportation and by reducing the need for internationally imported food and can also help to minimize food waste, by promoting the reduction of post-harvest, transport, and storage losses. 
• School meals can also foster an understanding of healthy diets and shape the dietary habits of children, which extend beyond school. If children are fed nutritious and sustainable food in school (and especially if the meals are accompanied by nutrition education), the programmes can have a transformative effect on food demand in the future and empower a climate-smart next generation. 

Learn more about COP29 here.