The Whole School Food Approach: A European framework and implementation to promote healthy and sustainable school food systems.

Abstract

We describe the development of the Whole School Food Approach framework and its implementation in 12 European countries participating in the European-funded project, SchoolFood4Change. The framework was developed in 2022 by a multidisciplinary team following an evidence-based approach. Data on implementation criteria were collected through mixed-methods in schools between 2022 and 2025 in 17 cities. Surveys with national project coordinators assessed achievement of bronze-level criteria for each framework component. Implementation scores were calculated based on the number of bronze criteria achieved. Semi-structured interviews with city representatives explored perceptions, challenges, and enablers of implementation. The framework comprised four interrelated components and three scalable levels of progress: bronze, silver, and gold. To date, 549 schools have implemented it. Online surveys from participating cities and schools (n = 109) showed diverse levels of implementation across schools, with 21 achieving bronze-level. Semi-structured interviews (n = 16) identified cross-departmental collaboration, staff capacity, and time availability as main barriers. Political and institutional support was reported as the main facilitator for promoting school food policies. Findings showed a diverse implementation of the framework in participating European countries. Despite challenges, the Whole School Food Approach was perceived as a valuable tool for developing healthy and sustainable school food systems.