The Coming Crisis of School Food: From Sustainability to Austerity?

Introduction At a time of unprecedented economic upheaval, when the very foundations of the economy are being called into question, it is easy to forget that one of the most important social experiments of the post-war era could be coming to an end. It is no exaggeration to present the school food revolution in such grand terms because, in our view, school food is the litmus test of a society’s commitment to social justice, public health and sustainable development (Morgan and Sonnino, 2010). In this article it is argued that the school food revolution which aims to create a healthier diet for children, a more localised food economy and a more sustainable food system was beginning to show some real progress, especially in deprived parts of the country where health gains are hard to secure. However, these hard won “little victories” are now under threat because severe public expenditure cuts are forcing local authorities to seriously consider their school food options. Should they form council or arm’s length consortia to reap economies of scale and reduce overheads? Or is it safer to outsource to private contractors who have more incentive to cut costs? Most radically, should the service be reduced to the bare statutory minimum the provision of free school meals to the very poorest children?