Australian primary-aged children consume over one third of their daily energy intake during school hours. Unlike countries such as Finland and Japan where schools provide nutritious meals to all children, Australia largely relies on a ‘bring your own’ model. This means poor nutrition for more than 80% of lunches eaten. Amid rising rates of food insecurity and economic hardship, some children go to school hungry.

Internationally, universal free school lunch programs offer substantial health and economic benefits like improved diet quality, reduced diet-related diseases, and higher academic performance. The 2023 SA Parliamentary Inquiry into Food Security also positioned universal school meals as a mechanism to ease financial pressure. SA Council of Social Service’s consultations with over 230 people experiencing food insecurity demonstrated strong local support for new school initiatives that expand beyond charitable responses, to give children a fair and equal start.

Transforming the South Australian school food system would require careful planning, programming, and rigorous evaluation. Following recent recommendations made by the Social Development Committee to address child hunger at school, we call on the South Australian Government to examine the feasibility of introducing an equitable school lunch program for primary schools.

While representation from across the community is needed to help guide this, it is essential that a renewed school food system comprises:

• High-quality, fit-for-purpose food and nutrition standards
• Universal provision at school level to reduce stigma and ensure no child misses out
• An equity focus which prioritises communities experiencing disadvantage
• Leaders with lived experience to advise on local needs