These questions prompted healthy lifestyle platform JOGG to launch its ‘Schools Food Environment’ pilot in the municipalities of Alkmaar, Katwijk and Lelystad, in collaboration with VU Amsterdam health scientist Bonnie van Dongen, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre (Voedingscentrum), Gezonde School, Wageningen University & Research and Greendish.
Three tracks
JOGG aims to ensure that all children and young people in the Netherlands between the ages of 0 to 19 can grow up in a healthy environment with a focus on balanced nutrition, sufficient exercise, relaxation and sleep. By encouraging municipalities to promote a healthy lifestyle, JOGG aims to create a healthy environment. Starting with secondary schools, vocational colleges and the neighbourhoods where they are located.
The central focus of the pilot project was to adopt the School Food Environment Framework in and around these schools and colleges.
The framework is designed to provide examples and inspiration for local JOGG directors. It takes a three-track approach: municipalities, food providers and schools. Within the municipality, policy officers and executive councillors can take action by exploring opportunities in food policy and long-term plans for the local area. Food providers can collaborate with companies such as Greendish to offer a healthier range of products in supermarkets. Meanwhile, schools themselves can work towards becoming a healthy school (as defined by the Gezonde School programme) by building a support base, serving a healthy range of meals in the canteen and providing food education. Collectively, these three tracks work towards the same goal: making the food environment appealing and healthy for young people!
Bonnie van Dongen was closely involved in the pilot. She provided advice throughout the project, drawing on her expertise in school health promotion. She also contributed to the Evaluation Report (email info@jogg.nl to request access) and the Factsheet produced by the pilot.
Support base
The pilot project has yielded valuable information. For instance, by helping to raise awareness that a broader, integrated approach is much more effective than relying solely on small-scale activities. As a result, municipalities are making ‘food environment’ part of local prevention agreements and policies, food providers are more motivated to create a healthier food environment and opportunities for the Gezonde School programme are opening up. This pilot has helped to further shape a coordinated approach to improving the school food environment. JOGG will roll out the initiative in other JOGG municipalities in 2022.