From March 18 to 20, 2024, the MUFPP hosted representatives from Chiang Mai, Hoi An, and Bangkok (the latter as a mentor city) for a study visit focused on School Meals Programmes.
The visit aimed to facilitate the exchange of best practices and enhance learning opportunities across national, regional and urban stakeholders, with the goal of strengthening the positioning of school meals as a central priority for action in the region.
It was promoted by the Municipality of Milan – MUFPP, together with ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations), with the support of AICS (the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation), as part of the “Cities Feeding the Future” Initiative, and funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The study visit in Milan was part of the broader MUFPP-ASEAN project “Spreading Experiences and Knowledge on School Meals Programmes in ASEAN Cities” aimed at empowering city officials and member states from ASEAN countries to design school meal programs that contribute to local food systems transformation, in line with the goals of the ASEAN-Italy Development Partnership.
The project included several activities, one of which was a 4-day Summer School in Bandung (Indonesia), where the primary goal was to design pilot project proposals for local implementation. These proposals, developed with technical support from the MUFPP Secretariat, were later evaluated by an International Advisory Committee, which selected eight projects and awarded them the opportunity to participate in a 3-day study visit. The visit aimed to expand city officials’ knowledge of school meal programs and assist them in conducting feasibility studies for their pilot projects. Four of the selected projects were paired with Milan, where they had the opportunity to explore the city’s School Meals System.
Highlights of the visit included:
Official contributions from Milan’s Municipality, Milan’s Food Policy Area, and partners, including a presentation of Milan’s school meal system, in the presence of the Vietnamese Embassy in Italy and AICS as project supporter.
A deep dive into the “Milano Ristorazione Model” featuring large centralized kitchens, such as Milano Ristorazione’s Kitchen Center “Sammartini” – the largest in the city, serving 83,000 meals daily -, and smaller kitchen centers located in school facilities, such as the Kitchen Center “Giusti”, which also feature a newly renovated canteen focusing on food storytelling and food waste reductions nudging strategies.
Collaborative workshop with Milano Ristorazione and the Milan Food Policy Area Team to help visiting cities with the development of feasibility studies, starting from the definition of learning needs, to technical guidance on the school meals programmes implementation.
Exploration of Milan’s educational activities focusing on food, carried out by the local municipal hub for kids from 0-6 years old and their families, “Labserosei.”
Cultural immersion with a visit to Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper.
We deeply thank all the delegates for the intense exchange, and for their commitment to improving school meal programs in their cities. The challenge ahead is great: large numbers of children to serve, and for some cities, the need extends beyond lunch to include breakfast to meet the families needs.
The Milan Pact is strongly committed to continue supporting the development of school meals programmes in ASEAN member states starting with a second study visit taking place in April in Milan with the cities of Denpasar, Bandung, Semarang and a ministerial delegation from the Indonesian Government.
