Promoting sustainable food consumption: the case of nutrition education programs in public schools

Within the realm of public policies for a sustainable food system, the focus has gradually shifted from production oriented towards consumption oriented interventions. Whilst changing consumer behavior can have a long-lasting positive environmental impact, choosing effective sustainable consumption policy instruments may be a challenging task. In the case of food consumption, the choice of interventions is particularly difficult because of the multiple aspects- psychological, cultural, economic, religious- associated with eating habits. The paper deals with one of the most commonly used forms of intervention, nutrition education programs in public schools. The main conclusion of the paper is that a major effort should be made by the Ministry of Education, school managers and educators, in the field of food education intervention. Food education activities should be able not only to encourage better food habits but also to involve children in all aspects of the food system, with the aim of promoting the emergence of a new culture of sustainability, sovereignty and food security. Moreover, a further research effort is required in order to understand the influence of psychological and socio-demographic variables on children’s food habits, so as to provide policy makers with information which is of practical use when choosing the best strategies and tools for intervention.