Innovative Approaches to Sustainability: School Meals in Sweden

Students at Mariebergsskolan in Karlstad, Sweden, are part of an innovative pilot program for school meals launched in 2018 by Vinnova, Sweden's national innovation agency. This initiative focuses on utilizing surplus food from local supermarkets to reduce waste while providing nutritious meals.

Students have access to energizing options like juice shots and overnight oats, crafted from donated fruits and vegetables. The transformed school canteen resembles a cozy restaurant and has been redesigned with student input to create varied seating areas tailored to different moods.

This initiative aims to encourage students to choose healthier food options over junk food and has reportedly led to increased engagement in school activities, according to Linnea Olsson Lee, a food strategist involved in the project.

The universal school-meal program in Sweden serves approximately two million meals daily at a cost of seven billion Swedish kronor, which is rooted in the welfare state model and has been legally mandated to be nutritious since 2011.

However, a 2018 report from the Swedish Food Agency indicated that school meals were not effectively addressing the issues of healthy eating and sustainability. In response, Vinnova initiated a food program to ensure that all students have access to tasty and sustainable food.

This approach is not just about improving school meals; it aims to transform Sweden's broader food system. Workshops involving students, local food producers, and town councils have been conducted, implementing the 'snowball method', which begins with small, local activities that can grow in scale.

Alexander Alvsilver, a leader at Vinnova, expressed concerns about the future sustainability of the initiative once Vinnova steps away, highlighting the need for continued collaboration among key stakeholders to address the climate crisis and rising child obesity rates.

Recent developments include a financial incentive for students to reduce food waste, where a shared fund of one million kronor will be decreased based on the amount of food wasted, which is monitored digitally.

Currently, the food waste reduction stands at a significant 1.7 tonnes compared to the previous year. Despite the program's successes, challenges remain, such as securing funding for renovations and optimizing the use of resources.

Olsson Lee notes that for some students, school meals may be the only cooked meals they receive daily, emphasizing the program's role in alleviating socioeconomic inequalities. The work done in Karlstad has garnered credibility in discussions with policymakers, indicating that this initiative is a step toward a more sustainable and equitable school meal system in Sweden.