Systemic change starts with people. The past four years have shown that the greatest strength of SchoolFood4Change lies not only in measurable results, but also in the new partnerships and growing trust between municipalities, schools, parents and catering providers. This social capital lays the foundation for scaling up healthier and more sustainable school food systems.
In Essen, the relationship between the municipality and schools improved significantly. Through open communication and a better understanding of each other’s roles, they fostered a culture of “pragmatism over perfection”. Rather than waiting for the perfect conditions, they started where there was energy and commitment. Early successes created a snowball effect, encouraging even more collaboration between partners. Realising they were part of a much broader movement gave participants the confidence to tackle even bigger challenges.
The city of Lyon highlights the importance of structural support to reduce the workload for school teams. Their advice to other municipalities is clear: appoint a central coordinator who acts as a bridge between stakeholders, such as teachers, kitchen staff and after-school care providers. Recognising team commitment is equally important. Celebrating achievements through awards and media attention helps maintain motivation over the long term. Funding should reinforce this by rewarding engagement and commitment.
These lessons are at the heart of SchoolFood4Change: building a network of municipalities that learn from and strengthen one another. Whether it is strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration between health and sustainability in Viimsi or involving parents in tasting sessions in Tallinn to build trust in school meals, meaningful connections between people are a powerful driver of lasting change.
Thanks to the commitment of these pioneering municipalities, the way is now open for the rest of Europe. The tools, the evidence and the success stories are already there. Now it is time to make this approach the standard across Europe, so that more children can benefit from healthy and sustainable school food.