State Secretary Gabrič highlights the urgent need to provide every child with a healthy, nutritious school meal

State Secretary Melita Gabrič at the School Meals Coalition Summit | Author Ministry of Foreign and European affairs

The Fortaleza summit presented innovative solutions for school meals, as well as new partnerships and investments in support of the Coalition's mission to ensure that every child around the world can receive a healthy, nutritious meal in school by 2030. The School Meals Coalition, launched in 2021 with the support of France and Finland, is a World Food Programme (WFP) initiative that promotes measures to improve and expand school meal programmes. It currently comprises 109 countries, six regional bodies and over 140 other partners.

At the 2nd Global Summit of the Coalition, which Slovenia joined in October 2024, State Secretary Gabrič highlighted the commitments and achievements of our country in this area, at both the national and international levels. She also presented Slovenia's latest pledge to combat food waste. Providing adequate nutrition to children in kindergartens and schools has numerous positive effects on their health and participation in educational programmes, as well as on increased social security. Slovenia contributes to achieving these goals on a global scale by carrying out activities at home and cooperating with partner countries.

When it comes to organised kindergarten and school nutrition, Slovenia ranks among the best in the world. State Secretary Gabrič emphasised that Slovenia places particular importance on providing high-quality, accessible and sustainable meals in kindergartens and schools, considering them a key pillar of food security and the health of children and young people. She outlined best practices and a sustainable nutrition strategy for incorporating local, organic and seasonal produce into the children's diets. Slovenia's approach, which considers food quality, social justice and sustainability, provides a model for other countries seeking to link nutrition in educational institutions with environmental and economic goals.

Ensuring food security is one of Slovenia's strategic priorities, both nationally and in its capacity as a member of the United Nations Security Council. Since 2021, Slovenia has increased its humanitarian aid for food security by a factor of over thirteen. The State Secretary also presented several projects in this field, including the construction of a primary school in Madagascar with capacity for 550 children and the provision of school meals. Another initiative is a development project in Kenya's arid regions, which, among other benefits, provides beekeeping training to promote food security.