Advancing Universal, Healthy School Food: The Alberta Experience Susan Roberts, Alberta Food Matters Kayla 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  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  Endorsement Form  Position Paper and Key Messages Alberta Policy Coalition for Chronic Disease Prevention Policy Readiness Tool