In the state of Meghalaya, school menus include wild and local foods to combat malnutrition, promote biodiversity and support community farmers.
In India, the school canteen is free in over one million state schools across the country thanks to the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman programme, which aims to ensure proper nutrition, encourage education and promote social equality. In some schools in the state of Meghalaya, an initiative by the NGO North East society for agroecology support (Nesfas) was also launched in 2022, which — through the integration of wild ingredients and short-supply-chain products into menus — aims to improve the nutritional quality of school meals, as well as making menus more sustainable and supporting local farmers.
The story is told by the Guardian in an article about the school in Laitsohpliah: here, alongside rice and dal, a traditional legume-based dish, the canteen serves a plate of potatoes with eastern Himalayan chives, dried fish and sohryngkham, an indigenous fruit eaten pickled. And then there are ingredients such as rice beans, banana flowers with lieh (perilla seeds) and jarain, an indigenous plant similar to buckwheat, rich in micronutrients and capable of withstanding extreme temperatures, but largely regarded as pig feed.
Schools regularly organise trips to nearby forests to teach children how to recognise wild fruits and vegetables that are safe to eat. A months-long mapping exercise by Nesfas, carried out with community members, recorded over 200 edible plant species across Meghalaya. Many of the meal ingredients come from local farmers — who are often the pupils' parents — while others are grown in the school vegetable garden. Menus are planned each month by a committee made up of school staff, cooks, farmers and parents, and are overseen by Nesfas.
The schools participating in the initiative have reported that over 92 per cent of pupils are a healthy weight, which is crucial in a country where more than half of children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition and more than a third suffer from stunted growth. Teachers have also noted an increase in students' energy levels.
"The results would require more independent scrutiny," Reetika Khera, a development economist who teaches at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, told the Guardian. "But in principle, decentralisation initiatives like these can reduce costs, ensure fresher produce and better nutrition."
The reduced dependence on supply chains also means greater environmental sustainability and stronger community engagement. As Nesfas representatives explained, this is no longer simply about school meals, but about a community-run project in which everyone is involved.