In Europe, children in various countries already receive a healthy lunch at school and this is also regulated nationally. In the Netherlands this is not the case, which is why we as a mentee city, together with the participating Rotterdam primary school OBS Delfshaven, have visited the mentor city of Milan.
The purpose of the visit was to see how Milan has implemented healthy school lunches and what is involved. Milan has given us a warm welcome and provided a lot of knowledge and insights about policy and practice. We thank all parties involved for their efforts, enthusiasm and presentations. We learned a lot!
First day
The first day the city of Milan presented their Food Policy and about the Milano Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP). It was great to see that Milan not only organizes healthy meals in schools, but also has a broader food strategy within the city and exchanges knowledge about healthy food worldwide in collaboration with other cities. We also got a presentation from Milano Ristorazione (responsible for the offer of lunches at schools) and the control unit on how they put together healthy and sustainable menus. They also provided insight into the costs and financing of their school meals.
We then presented the current situation in Rotterdam to the city of Milan. In the Netherlands there is a national Healthy School Meals program through which meals in primary schools, that meet certain criteria, can be (partially) financed. The funds run until 2026. Financing after this period is still unclear. There is also no clear school lunch program; Schools decide for themselves how they use the national resources for healthy meals. The funds can be used, for example, for a shopping card. This allows parents to buy extra food and drinks for children to take to school. OBS Delfshaven, the primary school that also participates in Healthy Wave in addition to the municipality of Rotterdam, shared their experiences with an ongoing pilot project in which children at 5 primary schools received a healthy lunch for six months and where we researched the effects and feasibility. From Rotterdam, we then also addressed our needs, like: good facilities to facilitate school lunches; A shared vision and policy on school meals; structural funding; strong collaborations and partnerships and joint sourcing strategies. We exchanged our ideas with Milan and they advised us, as they have a lot of experience.
Second day
The second day we went for a working visit to Milano Ristorazione, where meals for schools are prepared. We were given a tour of the kitchen by an experienced chef. He talked about logistics, quality control and food safety. In addition, sustainability was discussed and how Milan is reducing the use of plastic and minimizing food waste. They also attach great importance to parental involvement.
This visit gave us, Rotterdam, a clear picture of how a large-scale school meal program can be organized. It was impressive to see what an organization and dedication is needed to offer lunches. We were also allowed to have a bite to eat. It was delicious and healthy! In the afternoon, enthusiastic teachers from Milan explained how shared meals contribute to social skills and a healthy lifestyle in children.
Third day
The last day was all about how we can also organize a lunch at the OBS Delfshaven with, concrete examples, tips and advice from Milan. An important lesson from Milan was the importance of clear communication and cooperation between the municipality, meal suppliers and parents. Milano Ristorazione presented how they approach this and which tools they use to actively involve parents in the school lunch program.
Workshops led by EMC During the three days, workshops were given by Erasmus MC, in which both Milan and Rotterdam worked together to map out the factors that play a role in healthy school lunches. Local stakeholders also provided input. Finally, Rotterdam and Milan discussed important points within the Whole School Food Approach and the next steps to be taken. Then Rotterdam started working on an action plan. Concrete objectives were formulated that Rotterdam will develop in the coming period. At the end Milan and Rotterdam jointly reflected on the most important lessons from the study visit and discussed how Rotterdam and OBS Delfshaven can be further supported in implementing a school lunch program.
Conclusions for Rotterdam
The study visit to Milan has provided Rotterdam with knowledge, valuable insights and concrete tools for developing a school lunch policy.
Our lessons learned among others are:
Clear vision and policy needed – Milan shows that a structural school lunch program is not only about nutrition, but also about education, health, social cohesion and sustainability.
Structural funding essential – In Milan, school lunch is a regular part of education and is structurally funded.
Good facilities and logistics necessary – Milan supports schools with the right infrastructure to prepare and serve school meals.
Parent and school involvement crucial – Milan shows that parents and schools play a key role in the success of healthy school lunches.
Combining education and nutrition – In Milan, nutrition is intertwined with educational activities such as school gardens.
The collaboration with Milan in the Healthy Wave project will help Rotterdam to convert the knowledge gained into a concrete action plan for implementing a healthy school lunch in collaboration with the Rotterdam school OBS-Delfshaven.