Healthy food too expensive for many families, says Consumer Council

Fiji’s push to get children eating healthier food faces a major hurdle, many families cannot afford it.

Consumer Council of Fiji chief executive Seema Shandil said healthy food remains out of reach for many households. She said children cannot be expected to make healthy choices when nutritious food is too expensive, unavailable or unappealing.

Yesterday, the council, in partnership with stakeholders, convened a Policy Dialogue under the theme “Putting Children First – Building Healthier Food Environments through Homegrown School Meals” at the Suva Civic Centre.

Ms Shandil’s comments come as the Government pushes home-grown school meals as a way to give children better access to nutritious, locally produced food while creating stronger markets for farmers.

In an interview, Health Minister Dr Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu noted that Fiji must move beyond simply telling children to eat healthy.

“Country needs food environments where nutritious choices are affordable, accessible and readily available,” Dr Lalabalavu said.

He said schools are key because children spend much of their day there and develop eating habits that can last a lifetime.

The Government has launched the “Home-Grown School Meals” programme to strengthen the link between schools and local farmers.

“This can improve children’s diets while supporting local agriculture and building stronger food supply chains,” he said.

However, Ms Shandil said a reliable link between farmers and schools could provide consistent demand for locally grown food, creating benefits for children, farmers and communities.

But turning the idea into reality will take more than a policy.

“The recommendations from the recently launched policy brief must lead to practical action in schools and communities,” Ms Shandil said.

Dr Lalabalavu noted that the programme must also reflect the different needs of urban, rural and maritime schools.

“There cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach,” he said.

Meanwhile, the programme will require cooperation between the Ministries of Health, Education, and Agriculture and Waterways, as well as parents, teachers, farmers and communities.

“Fiji’s challenge now is to make healthy choices affordable and possible for every child,” Dr Lalabalavu said.

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