According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), an estimated 14% of globally produced food, valued at around $400 billion, is lost between harvest and retail sales (FAO, 2019). Furthermore, an additional 17% is wasted at the retail and consumer levels (UNEP, 2021) (source: https://www.fao.org/policy-support/policy-themes/food-loss-food-waste/en/).

The UNEP Food Waste Index for 2024 reveals that, in 2022, 60% of food waste was generated from households, 28% from food service, and 12% from retail. Similarly, within the European Union (EU), households are responsible for over half of total food waste (54%), with 70% of this waste occurring at the household, food service, and retail levels (Eurostat, 2023) (source: https://food.ec.europa.eu/safety/food-waste_en).

The implications of food waste and dietary habits extend beyond mere waste; they are intrinsically tied to significant resource wastage and environmental, social, and economic consequences (Malefors et al., 2022; Vidal-Mones et al., 2022). These consequences are shaped by how food is produced, processed, and transported, as well as how food waste is managed (Black et al., 2015).

Regarding health, this is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a “state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not simply the absence of disease or infirmity”. Based on this definition, it is possible to state that we cannot speak of good health if nutrition and the living environment are not adequate and sensitive to individual needs (source: https://www.salute.gov.it/portale/nutrizione/dettaglioContenutiNutrizione.jsp?lingua=italiano&id=5566&area=nutrizione&menu=educazione).

To promote healthy life, it is essential to be exposed early to protective factors, such as physical exercise and a healthy diet, which help support and promote the individual's compatibility with the environment. Indeed, sufficient healthy nutrition is necessary to provide the building blocks of harmonious development and bodily functions in both children and adults, including cell growth and replication, DNA synthesis, neurotransmitter, and hormone metabolism, and the development of the brain and the higher cognitive functions such as executive functions (Cohen et al., 2016; Hayhoe et al., 2021).

In early childhood brain development proceeds faster than the rest of the body, making it particularly at risk for nutritional deficiencies that act as limiters (Hayhoe et al., 2021). Therefore, a healthy diet in pre-school and school age children is a critical foundation for supporting optimal growth and learning (Malefors et al., 2022). It also enables the creation of meaningful long-term eating habits, skills, and attitudes that positively impact lifelong health (Ballard, 2013; Everitt et al., 2022; Roustit et al., 2010; Truman et al., 2017).

From this point of view, it is crucial to involve school food policies in this process, since they may impact individual, social, and environmental health (Anderson et al., 2005). Indeed, educational policies promoting healthy and sustainable eating patterns from an early age can establish positive attitudes toward healthy eating in children (and future adults) (Brecic et al., 2022).

About that, schools can be viewed as promising spaces where children and their families can potentially cultivate positive food practices and an understanding of food systems. Furthermore, school canteens offer a unique opportunity to increase the current and future sustainability of the food system (Derqui et al., 2018).

What students learn in and out of classrooms can shape how young people think about the connections between food sources and the environmental costs and can thus have persistent impacts on personal and community health and on the environment (Black et al., 2015; Derqui et al., 2018).