Advancing Universal, Healthy School Food: The Alberta Experience

Susan Roberts, Alberta Food MattersKayla Atkey, Alberta Policy Coalition for Chronic Disease Prevention

Overview

1. Who are we?

2. A Universal School Food Strategy for AB

3. Current Activities

4. Lesson Learnt

Alberta Food Matters

Mission: Engaging Albertans in strategies to ensure secure access to adequate amounts of safe, nutritious, culturally appropriate food for everyone, produced in an environmentally sustainable way and provided in a manner that promotes human dignity.

The Growing Food Security in Alberta (GFSA) network operates through Alberta Food Matters

APCCP Organizational member.

Alberta Policy Coalition for Chronic Disease Prevention

17 member organizations.

Coordinate efforts, generate evidence and advocate for policy change to reduce chronic disease in Alberta.

Intervention arm of a research group at the University of Alberta, School of Public Health.

Focus on 4 risk factors:

Healthy Eating

Physical Activity

Alcohol Related Harm

Tobacco Reduction

A Universal School Food Strategy for Alberta

Advocating for the AB government to take the lead on the development of a Universal School Food Strategy. Specific components include:

Healthy meals and snacks, sourced by local producers Student involvement in the cultivation and preparation of

food Education on the food system Relationships with local producers and the development of

local procurement policies.

Background

Promoting healthy eating and food security through policy change in Alberta.

Call for a Universal School Food Strategy emerged through a collaborative process initiated in 2012.

Graduate research project, which brought together a small group of diverse actors.

Our Advocacy Focus – Key Considerations

Many programs are currently ad-hoc and voluntary in nature.

Government support & universal access.

Extending beyond the provision of school feeding programs.

Health promotion lens.

Current Activities

Presentations at community events and conferences

Meeting with Decision-Makers

Collecting endorsements

Survey of political leaders (Community-Service Learning Project)

Electronic Resource Kit for GFSA Website

APCCP Scan of school food environments

Wellness Alberta Campaign

Scan of School Food Environments

Led by Dr. Kim Raine, University of Alberta School of Public Health

Explores school food programs, services, policies and administrative procedures, and school demographics.

Survey of school principals (n = ~ 800)

First Round Responses (n=139)

Additional Info

Growing Food Security in Alberta

http://www.foodsecurityalberta.org

Endorsement Form

Position Paper and Key Messages

Alberta Policy Coalition for Chronic Disease Prevention

www.apccp.ca

Policy Readiness Tool

www.policyreadinesstool.com