Ukraine's First Lady, Olena Zelenska, shared details of the partnership meeting "Food Reform: Challenges, Achievements, Prospects," which took place in the Kyiv region.
Educational institutions in the Kyiv region shared their initial results of implementing the school nutrition reform with representatives from six regions of Ukraine (Khmelnytskyi, Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zakarpattia, Chernivtsi, Lviv, Zhytomyr). This reform has been implemented in the country since 2020 through the initiative of Olena Zelenska, supported by relevant ministries, state institutions, international partners, Ukrainian experts, and civic activists.
Kyiv region is one of the pioneering areas where a new approach to children's nutrition in educational institutions was introduced. According to Ruslan Kravchenko, the head of Kyiv Regional State Administration, equipment has been upgraded in 135 schools in the region, and three culinary hubs have been established, training over 700 individuals.
The President's spouse emphasized the importance of such efforts ahead of the new academic year: "Quality school nutrition should be accessible to all who attend school during these stressful wartime circumstances, so that there is strength to learn and teach."
During the event, participants visited educational institutions in the Kyiv region that have already successfully implemented changes in the food system. The guests met with the leadership of these institutions and learned about the latest approaches to organizing children's nutrition on-site. They were informed about the specifics of implementation and the initial results. They also familiarized themselves with different models of food organization developed by the National Association of Public Nutrition for school-type educational institutions: basic, support, and factory-kitchen models.
The guests from six regions of Ukraine also visited the construction site of a factory-kitchen in Bucha, which will provide meals for 10,000 students and, if necessary, even internally displaced persons from nearby communities.
Orest Stepanyak, the head of the National Association of Public Nutrition and the Office of School Nutrition Reform, discussed the strategy and main directions of their work, including strengthening community capacity, modernizing infrastructure, and developing human resources. "Our task is not just to modernize kitchens, replace equipment, or add/remove items from the menu. We have more ambitious plans. We strive to ensure that as many children as possible have access to healthy food," Stepanyak announced.
As emphasized by Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Oleksiy Kuleba, the school nutrition reform is a necessary step towards a healthy future for the country. For it to be successful, everyone must be involved in its implementation.
"These meetings are our way of transmitting the reform to the communities. Each one of them continues to work and develop despite the challenges of wartime. The best care for children, their needs, and opportunities is a separate mission in this work. We must carry it out to the best of our abilities," summarized the President's spouse.
