Social pricing in school catering (depending on the municipality)
80.000 collective restaurants estimated in 2023;
4 billion meals a year estimated in 2023;
7 billion euros of turnover in 2018;
75% of children eat at the school restaurant at least once a week in 2014-2015;
27,5% of sustainable and quality products including 13,1 of organic products in 2022.
France does not yet have an aggregate estimate of the total cost of mass catering, financed both by the diners and the client (local authority, company, State, etc.).
Each local authority is free to adopt its own policy on catering, in compliance with the regulations in force;
The National Council for Contract Catering is a consultative body that brings together all the stakeholders in the contract catering sector to jointly develop support tools.
Each year, a declaration campaign is organised to collect the rates of sustainable and quality products, including organic products, in collective catering, via the digital platform "ma cantine" (my canteen).
- positive impact of nutritional regulations on the nutritional quality of meals: Anses report (French)
- reports on the part of sustainable and quality products in collective catering (French)
Social pricing for school canteens and the €1 canteen system - report on the support for social pricing in school canteens
Improvement in the quality of meals in collective catering: mobilization of stakeholders and first results
Nutritional Quality of School Meals in France: Impact of Guidelines and the Role of Protein Dishes - This study demonstrates that French school food guidelines ensure good nutritional quality of food services. It also shows that generalizing the service of meals without meat or fish would deteriorate overall nutritional quality, highlighting the need to define the composition of vegetarian dishes and their frequency of service to children.
In France, collective catering has been decentralised to local and regional authorities;
Regulation on the nutritional quality of meals served in school catering (mandatory frequencies of food groups) have shown effective results;
Social pricing adapted to family incomes increase the use of school catering;
Regulation have a positive impact on the sustainability and quality of food procurement but there are still major obstacles to overcome;
Major levers are reducing food waste, diversifying protein sources and adapting purchasing strategies.
SDG 2 - End hunger
- Target 2.1 - By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round
- Indicator 2.1.1 - Prevalence of undernourishment
- Indicator 2.1.2 - Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)
- Target 2.2 - By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons
- Indicator 2.2.1 - Prevalence of stunting (height for age <-2 standard deviation from the median of the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age
- Indicator 2.2.2 - Prevalence of malnutrition (weight for height >+2 or <-2 standard deviation from the median of the WHO Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age, by type (wasting and overweight)
- Indicator 2.2.3 - Prevalence of anaemia in women aged 15 to 49 years, by pregnancy status (percentage)
SDG 3 - Good health and well-being
- Target 3.4 - By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being
- Indicator 3.4.1 - Mortality rate attributed to cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes or chronic respiratory disease
SGD 12 - Responsible consumption and production
- Target 12.3 - By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses
- Indicators 12.3.1 - (a) Food loss index and (b) food waste index
SDG 2 – End hunger
- Target 2.1 – By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round
- Indicator 2.1.1 – Prevalence of undernourishment
- Indicator 2.1.2 – Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)
- Target 2.2 – By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons
- Indicator 2.2.1 – Prevalence of stunting (height for age <-2 standard deviation from the median of the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age
- Indicator 2.2.2 – Prevalence of malnutrition (weight for height >+2 or <-2 standard deviation from the median of the WHO Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age, by type (wasting and overweight)
- Indicator 2.2.3 – Prevalence of anaemia in women aged 15 to 49 years, by pregnancy status (percentage)
SDG 3 – Good health and well-being
- Target 3.4 – By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being
- Indicator 3.4.1 – Mortality rate attributed to cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes or chronic respiratory disease
SGD 12 – Responsible consumption and production
- Target 12.3 – By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses
- Indicators 12.3.1 – (a) Food loss index and (b) food waste index
Social pricing in school catering (depending on the municipality)
In France, collective catering has been decentralised to local and regional authorities;
Regulation on the nutritional quality of meals served in school catering (mandatory frequencies of food groups) have shown effective results;
Social pricing adapted to family incomes increase the use of school catering;
Regulation have a positive impact on the sustainability and quality of food procurement but there are still major obstacles to overcome;
Major levers are reducing food waste, diversifying protein sources and adapting purchasing strategies.
Promotion and access to healthy diets, including through education and affordable/subsidized prices; Prevention, detection and management of malnutrition
Local and regional authorities
Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty
French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE)
National Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety Agency (Anses)
Each local authority is free to adopt its own policy on catering, in compliance with the regulations in force;
The National Council for Contract Catering is a consultative body that brings together all the stakeholders in the contract catering sector to jointly develop support tools.
80.000 collective restaurants estimated in 2023;
4 billion meals a year estimated in 2023;
7 billion euros of turnover in 2018;
75% of children eat at the school restaurant at least once a week in 2014-2015;
27,5% of sustainable and quality products including 13,1 of organic products in 2022.
France does not yet have an aggregate estimate of the total cost of mass catering, financed both by the diners and the client (local authority, company, State, etc.).
Each year, a declaration campaign is organised to collect the rates of sustainable and quality products, including organic products, in collective catering, via the digital platform “ma cantine” (my canteen).