We are Nourish & Flourish, a team of six medical students from Bond University. As part of our curriculum, we were asked to look at the 2020 Australian Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Progress Report, which confirmed that SDGs 2 and 13 were doing very poorly. 

In terms of SDG 2, obesity remains a pressing issue in the Australian population. As future medical practitioners, this is important to us because an increased body mass index is a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases, especially cardiovascular and musculoskeletal problems. We found that diet is a major contributor towards obesity, and several articles established that eating habits formed in childhood heavily influence decisions made in adulthood. Australian children consume approximately 40% of their recommended energy intake during school hours, with 95% of children accessing school canteens. This information led us to the current state/territory canteen guidelines and policies, where we found that 70% of schools did not adhere to their respective guidelines.  

Most school canteen items purchased included pre-packaged food such as pies, confectionery, and potato chips. Research shows that food packaging materials, especially plastic, contribute to the release of greenhouse gases (GHG). These emissions enter a vicious feedback loop that increases global warming and releases even more GHGs. We also found that rotting food scraps in landfills produce methane, which is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. This is a relevant issue in school canteens because, during 2016-2017, 83,030t of food waste came from Australian schools alone. 

To combat these issues, we propose some adjustments and additions to the existing national guidelines and policies:   

• At least 80% of meals and/or snacks within canteens must be dietitian-and-nutritionist-recommended, made with local produce, and under the green light classification
• The remaining items can be any green or amber food the school chooses.
• All schools should be encouraged to have at least one composting bin and maintain a vegetable patch attached to each canteen.

By enforcing school canteens to adhere to the adjusted guidelines, children are given the opportunity to develop healthy eating habits from a young age, which can be implemented beyond school. We can expect healthier Australian communities with a decreasing prevalence of obesity. 

Implementing our idea can help reduce canteen food packaging and create a healthier environment since the main type of waste produced will shift from plastics to food scraps. Furthermore, reducing the consumption of packaged foods will decrease the amount of transport required, which will subsequently lessen carbon emissions. 

As future leaders in healthcare, we are keen to tackle this issue at its root. With your support, we believe that we can make a lasting impact on the lives of many Australians. If we can reach our goal of 20,000 signatures we will attach this petition to a letter addressed to the Federal Department of Education to the highlight these issues and demand for change.

We have less than 3,000 days to achieve these goals, so we must act now.