In 2040, 9 out of 10 meals
are within planetary boundaries
TOOLS
Develop strategies and tools to measure and follow up on indicators and goals for nutritious and environmentally smart meals in schools
Background
In May 2025, the Swedish Food Agency sent a proposal for national school meal guidelines for consultation (Swedish Food Agency, 2025). For the first time, the guidelines include national targets for sustainable school meals, marking an important step toward integrating sustainable development in school meal operations. The guidelines are intended to support governance and management and include goals and indicators in several areas where change is considered particularly urgent.However, today there are no strategies for data collection and follow up for most of the proposed indicators and goals in practice.
Idea and need
The project aims to contribute to the development of future school meals that are both healthy for children and better for the environment. Through this research project, conducted together with a Swedish municipality, the goal is to develop strategies and tools to measure and follow up on indicators and goals for nutritious and environmentally smart meals in schools — something that is currently lacking but is crucial for better public health and reduced environmental impact.
Relevance to the mission
The project supports the mission that 9 out of 10 meals consumed in Sweden by 2040 should be within the planet’s boundaries. The project focuses on exploring new types of support and incentive models to create stable demand for sustainable and healthy food. It is carried out as a pilot in a municipal context, with the aim that the results — in the form of methods, strategies, and tools — can eventually be scaled up and used nationally.
Potential
Every day, around two million meals are served in Sweden’s compulsory schools, making school meals a strategically important arena for influencing children’s and young people’s eating habits — both in the short and long term. A central challenge, however, is the limited access to data on actual food consumption in schools. Public actors especially request tools and strategies to track consumption trends related to children’s health and environmental impact.This project aims to improve access to data on nutritious and environmentally sustainable food consumption in school meals, as well as to develop tools and strategies to measure and monitor consumption trends over time. In the long term, the project is expected to contribute to the transition toward a more sustainable and competitive food system, in line with national and global goals.