School Food and Nutrition Policy supported by FAO, approved in Belize

Belize has taken a historic step toward improving the health of its children and youth. The Cabinet has officially approved the country’s first School Food and Nutrition Policy, setting a clear roadmap for healthier and more sustainable school environments nationwide.

The achievement falls under the National Healthy Start School Feeding Programme (NHSFP). This initiative, led by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MoECT), currently provides breakfast or lunch to close to 15,000 students. Reaching around 11% of primary pupils and nearly one-third of those in secondary schools, the program represents a major step forward in strengthening Belize’s commitment to nutrition, food security, and education.

The NHSFP now operates a system in which meals are prepared daily at school kitchens. This transition from a centralized catering model to a school-led approach was guided by lessons learned from pilot initiatives under the Mesoamerica Hunger Free Programme, jointly led by FAO and the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID), and the Mexico–CARICOM–FAO ‘Resilient Caribbean Initiative.’ The approach has since been scaled up to 78 schools across the country, strengthening food sustainability, supporting local economies, and improving student health.

The initiative achieved several key results: assessments of students’ nutritional status, upgraded school facilities for safe meal preparation and storage, and healthier menus paired with school gardens that promote good eating habits. These programs also created new markets for local producers and strengthened community economies.

Since 2015, FAO and AMEXCID, through the Mesoamerica Hunger Free programme, have provided policy guidance and technical support as part of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology’s policy task force. The National Healthy Start Feeding Programme (NHSFP) is further reinforced through collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW), the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise (MAFSE), and international partners including WFP, UNICEF and PAHO.

With the policy in place, Belize is now positioned to improve the quality of school meals, reinforce nutrition education for students, teachers and parents and build sustainable school environments that encourage lifelong healthy habits. It also supports the country’s wider vision of advancing food security, strengthening rural livelihoods and empowering communities through better nutrition.