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A recent article in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health evaluates school meal programs in four major global cities and how they work to advance children’s health.
For the paper, a team of researchers including Associate Professor Nevin Cohen analyzed programs in Vienna, Copenhagen, Madrid, and New York City between 2014 and 2024, focusing on nutrition, sustainability and accessibility for vulnerable children. They found that well-designed school meal systems not only reduce food insecurity but also promote healthier diets, support sustainable food supply chains and help address climate change.
The cities employ different approaches to comprehensive school food policy, Cohen says. European cities generally use targeted subsidies based on household income while New York City implements universal free school meals for 900,000 students, eliminating means-testing and reducing stigma. All cities integrate food education into curricula and sustainability initiatives including organic procurement (Vienna achieving 50% organic content, Copenhagen using 90% organic products), plant-forward menus, and climate commitments like the Coolfood Pledge targeting 25% reductions in food-related greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
Research shows universal free school meals can improve academic achievement, increase food participation, enhance diet quality, and reduce stigma, while demonstrating that environmental and social objectives can be mutually reinforcing—such as Copenhagen’s sustainable practices combined with income-based subsidies serving vulnerable populations.
“For public health professionals, these findings suggest that school meal programs should be viewed as comprehensive interventions capable of addressing nutrition, environmental health, and health equity simultaneously, making them powerful tools for improving childhood poverty, food insecurity, and climate change in urban populations,” Cohen says.
