Ukraine is becoming a European center for school nutrition reform. Once a dream, now a reality: in November, we will host the Regional Summit of the School Nutrition Coalition, a global association of over 100 countries, in Kyiv.
We joined this club of high standards last year. And now, having become its full member, we have the opportunity to organize a platform for international cooperation and expansion of the coalition. We will be happy to welcome our coalition partners and those who, understanding the importance of access to healthy food in educational institutions, are considering joining.
The slogan of the event is “In Ukraine about Ukraine,” because we will have the opportunity to tell the world about the progress of our school nutrition reform. About how we are carrying it out during the country’s defense: how, despite the difficulties of wartime, we updated the regulatory framework, re-equip food units and build new ones, train cooks, and ultimately feed children with high-quality, nutritious, and healthy food. This is truly a unique global experience. The reform that began in COVID and continues successfully during a hostile invasion is not found anywhere else in the world. I would like to wish that other countries do not have it. But we really have something to share at the regional summit.
📍*We talked about this today at the Office of the President* – during a working meeting to prepare this event – with a team of government officials: Deputy Head of the Office of the President Oleksiy Kuleba (https://www.facebook.com/oleksyikuleba/), Minister of Health Viktor Lyashko (https://www.facebook.com/viktor.liashko/), Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisov (https://www.facebook.com/oksenlisovyi/), Deputy Minister of Economy Tetyana Berezhna (https://www.facebook.com/berezhna.tetyana), Director of the Department of Public Diplomacy and Communications Victoria Lyalina-Boyko (https://www.facebook.com/victoria.lyalina/) and Head of the School Nutrition Reform Team Orest Stepanyak (https://www.facebook.com/orest.stepanyak/).
The summit is planned to cover three topics:
1️⃣ The impact of nutrition on children’s health.
2️⃣ The impact of nutrition on the quality of life and a safe environment in stressful conditions (a topic especially close to Ukraine).
3️⃣ Economic development through the prism of school nutrition and the path to equality in access to food.
