Event
Education for nutrition and biodiversity
The day before the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) summit, hosted by France, UNESCO is hosting side-events linking education to better health and nutrition outcomes. The year 2025 will also be significant as it marks the end of the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition.
The events will take place in two parts. Learn to Eat Well: Biodiverse Diets and Youth as Agents of Change is a high-level segment organized by the UNESCO GEM Report, UNEP and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The segment will feature ministers of education and health, championing the role of education and biodiversity in ending malnutrition, with an emphasis on the role of young leaders in driving transformation.
The occasion will see the launch of a new paper, Learn to Eat Well, by the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), the research initiative of the School Meals Coalition of 100+ countries worldwide. The paper advocates for a life-cycle approach to nutrition integrated into lifelong learning systems, in and through schools, covering professional development drives for nutrition and health workers, and empowering farmers and researchers to promote biodiversity in food production. The report adds to a body of key publications such as the UNESCO global status report .
Embracing the power of biodiverse diets and the role of youth as agents of change in transforming food systems and driving nutrition goals, the event will present insights from the UNESCO International Food Atlas, which promotes awareness of the cultural and ecological diversity of food, and the UNEP Facilitation Guide for a Youth-led Month of Action on Food, which empowers young people to lead initiatives for sustainable and equitable food systems.
This will be followed directly by Planning for learners to thrive – a dialogue organized by UNESCO and the Inter-Agency Group for School Health and Nutrition. The discussion will explore the role of education sector planning in advancing nutrition, including school meals as part of a comprehensive approach to school health and well-being. Bringing together governments, UN agencies, and development partners, the session will highlight how governments and partners can leverage ESP to create inclusive, health-promoting learning environments that enhance foundational learning and reduce inequalities.
Speaker details to be announced soon.
