Assessing The Potential for School Lunch Programme Ka Ora, Ka Ako to Enhance Education, Sustainability and Health Goals

The Ka Ora, Ka Ako school lunch programme introduced in 2020 provides nutritious lunches to around 220,000 students in low-advantage schools. While the food security impacts of this programme have been well documented, its potential to enhance outcomes in other areas of public policy is underappreciated. We conducted a policy analysis to map the programme’s intersection with current public policy agendas in education, sustainability and health in Aotearoa New Zealand. We conclude that Ka Ora, Ka Ako can be a powerful platform to effect broad societal outcomes through alignment with school curricula, concerted effort to reducecarbon emissions, and commitment to delivering highly nutritious foods to all students in qualifying schools.