%20(500%20%C3%97%20280%20px)%20(500%20x%20300%20px)%20(7).png "UNESCO: Only 60% countries have Legislations, Standards for Food, Beverages in School")
Key findings include:
a) 60%
b) 40%
c) 50%
d) 93%
- Limited Marketing Restrictions: Only 29% of these 93 countries restrict food and beverage marketing in schools, and 60% have specific standards for school food.
- Obesity Oversight: Most school meal programs focus on nutrition and education but lack emphasis on preventing obesity.
- Global Gaps: 40% of countries lack any food safety or nutritional standards, raising concerns about student health.
- India’s Context: The PM-POSHAN scheme, one of the world’s largest, feeds 118 million children daily, boosting attendance and academic performance (e.g., 18% higher reading scores). Tamil Nadu’s breakfast program further improved attendance from 60-70% to 90-95%.
- Recommendations: UNESCO advocates a whole-school approach, integrating nutrition education, physical activity, and restrictions on unhealthy food marketing, with stronger policies to address food environments over individual responsibility.
Question:
Q.1 According to the 2025 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report by UNESCO, what percentage of countries have legislation or guidance regulating food and beverages in schools?a) 60%
b) 40%
c) 50%
d) 93%
Answer: a) The report highlights that only 60% of countries (93 out of 187) have some form of legislation or standards regarding food and beverages in schools.
