A triple burden of malnutrition

Across the Pacific Islands obesity (overweight), undernutrition (stunting and wasting) and micronutrient deficiency co-exists within countries, communities, and even families. Rates of obesity, stunting and micronutrient deficiency are some of the highest globally.

School-based intervention an opportunity

Healthier food choices at school can impact the health of students, families and their wider communities. The importance of nutrition for child health and learning makes schools an ideal setting for food provision and nutrition education. School meals programs and complementary nutrition education are commonplace around the world, but are not as well understood across the Pacific Islands region.

Advancing understanding and driving progress

Project teams, led by Dr Burkhart, have made substantial progress in understanding how school food and nutrition environments are impacting the health of children, their families, and communities across the Pacific Islands. These teams gather evidence to inform policy, connect multi-sector stakeholders, and ensures representation in global discussion. The teams drive collaboration and action across the region around this important issue to create healthier food environments for healthier people.

Research highlights and impact

• Two research projects in 2018 and 2019 assessed the current state and capacity for school nutrition education, and school food programs across 14 countries. This research was funded by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Sub-Regional Office for the Pacific Islands (FAO-SAP) and established motivation for school food programs and identified resourcing and geographical isolation as key issues. The findings created pathways for engagement with policy makers.
• Dr Burkhart presented at the Nutrition Sensitive Pacific Food Systems Forum at the Pacific Week of Agriculture (PWA) in 2019 with a further presentation at the Global Child Nutrition Forum in late 2019.
• This research leads to the formation of the Pacific School Food Network (PSFN) in 2021, with Dr Burkhart co-founder and chair. The international collaboration connects stakeholders from across food systems to provide advocacy and support.
• The Pacific School Food Network joined and become an official supporter of the Global School Meals Coalition in 2022.
• A group of PSFN members published a call to action in the form of a commentary in the Lancet Regional Health Western Pacific journal. Regular webinars are held by the PSFN to support knowledge sharing.
• Dr Burkhart contributed to the Education Partnerships in Kiribati (EPiK) meeting in 2020, organised by the Kiribati Ministry of Education, discussing how food in schools can play a role in addressing malnutrition and increase educational outcomes. In 2022, Dr Burkhart participated in a briefing on school feeding and the possible models for this to members of the Ministry of Education (2022).
• Dr Burkhart is assisting the government of Kiribati and DFAT Kiribati to develop a soon-to-be-deployed pilot of a new national school feeding program, providing technical advice on monitoring and evaluation, research processes, nutrition guidelines and policy and connects stakeholders across the region to provide insights and perspectives.
• An analysis of food systems and nutrition in Fiji through mapping food environments in and around 84 Fijian schools lead to the development of three policy briefs in 2020/21.
• Dr Burkhart presented findings of this work at the United Nations Food Systems Summit National Dialogue in 2021, showing how schools can be used to transform local food systems.
• The National Pathway Synopsis, developed in response to the national dialogue, refers to schools as a ‘game-changing solution’ to support the delivery of five key goals for the food system in Fiji by 2030.
• The Pacific School Food Learning and Teaching Hub, a resource for Pacific Island educators, developed out of a FAO-SAP funded project was launched in 2022.
• The PSFN facilitates Pacific Island representation at global events including participation in the first Global School Meals week (2022) with three Pacific Island representatives speaking about school food initiatives to a global audience of educators, primary producers, agriculturalists, nutritionists, NGO staff, donor partners, policy makers and government.
• Dr Burkhart contributes an invited case study on school food in the Pacific for a White Paper commissioned at a Ministerial Meeting of the International School Meals Coalition, by Minister Mariam Almheiri (Minister of Climate Change and Environment in UAE), for COP28. The White Paper outlines current evidence, best practice, and recommendations on sustainable school meals both in high and low/middle income countries.
• Dr Burkhart contributes to the World Food Forum (2023) UN Global Indigenous Youth Forum, with a presentation on school food environments in the Pacific Islands.
• Dr Burkhart attended the School Meals Coalition First Global Summit hosted by the Government of France (2023)