Overview

School food programs are recognized worldwide as contributing to improved health, education, and economic growth. As the first book on the subject with a Canadian focus, School Food Programs in Canada provides innovative models for success and underscores the importance and value of making these programs a national priority. School Food Programs in Canada brings together contributions from a truly interdisciplinary slate of authors, including university-based researchers, community-development organizers, educators, public health workers, and those involved in local government. A historical overview of policy and advocacy is followed by case studies of existing programs. The final chapter surveys school food policies in six other countries to understand what these can teach us. By connecting the efforts of provincial, Indigenous, and federal policy-makers and practitioners, this book provides a framework for determining which program models and features best serve diverse communities across Canada.

Full Product Details

Author:   Amberley Ruetz ,  Rachel Engler-Stringer
Publisher:   University of British Columbia Press
Imprint:   University of British Columbia Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.40cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.600kg
ISBN:  

9780774872300

ISBN 10:   0774872306
Pages:   330
Publication Date:   02 February 2026
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Introduction / Rachel Engler-Stringer and Amberley T. Ruetz 1 School Food Programs in Canada: A Preliminary History / Ian Mosby, Elizabeth McKenzie, and Emily B. Kaliel 2 Building a Movement: Advocating for a National School Food Program / Carolyn Webb and Debbie Field 3 Setting the Table: Principles to Support a Comprehensive National School Food Program / Mary McKenna, Kaylee Michnik, Amberley T. Ruetz, Rachel Engler-Stringer, and Alicia E. Martin 4 Regional School Food Programs in the Yukon: Indigenous Food Sovereignty in Practice / Dana Korten and Kirsti Tasala 5 Inuvialuit Settlement Region School Food Programs: Supporting Cultural Practices and Learning in the Northwest Territories / Sonja K. Ostertag, Alissa Sallans, Maria Ramirez Prieto, Celina Wolki Ruben, Tiff-Annie Kenny, Sonia Wesche, Zoë Cristiano, Michèle Tomasino, Meghan Etter-Cockney, and Kelly Skinner 6 Indigenous Control over Education and School Food: A Journey towards Food Sovereignty and Regional Economic Development in Maskwacîs, Alberta / Amberley T. Ruetz, Kirsti Tasala, Scott Hall, and Brady H. Weiler 7 Social and Solidarity Economy in School Food in Quebec: A Case Study of La Cantine dans les écoles / Alicia Martin, Salmata Ouedraogo, and Geneviève Mercille 8 Atlantic Canadian School Food Programs: Insights for School Food System Transformation / Emily Doyle, Sara F.L. Kirk, John Finn, Katelyn MacLean, Megan Sawler, and Shelley Moran 9 What's on Offer? Enacting Contemporary Concerns in School Food Service Operations in British Columbia / Kerry Renwick, Amber Heckelman, and Chrissy E. Smith 10 The Teaching Kitchen Model in a Toronto School: Student-Led Food Service, Culinary Arts Education, and Community Action / Nina Trask, Nicole Weber, and Gary Hoyer 11 Lessons for Canada from School Food Programs around the World / Gary Hoyer, Suvadra Datta Gupta, Natalia Alaniz-Salinas, Nina Trask, Kirsti Tasala, and Nicole Weber Conclusion / Amberley T. Ruetz, Rachel Engler-Stringer, and Jesse Veenstra Index

Reviews

""School Food Programs in Canada is a timely and accessible book. This impressive, interdisciplinary group of authors provides significant historical and comparative insights into school food programs. They are, without a doubt, some of best-informed researchers and community representatives on this subject.""-- ""Mustafa Koç, professor emeritus, Sociology, Toronto Metropolitan University""

Author Information

Amberley T. Ruetz is an internationally recognized leader in school food and food policy, whose work was instrumental in establishing Canada's National School Food Program. As a consultant, academic, and media contributor, she champions the reconnection of farms and schools to rebuild regenerative food systems and support thriving children and communities. Rachel Engler-Stringer is a professor of Community Health and Epidemiology at the University of Saskatchewan and a researcher with the Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit. She is one of Canada's most prominent school food scholars and has led numerous school food studies.

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