Permanent Fix Needed for School Lunches w/ Health Coalition Aotearoa's Dr Kelly Garton: 23 October, 2025

Health Coalition Aotearoa is calling for a permanent fix to New Zealand’s School Lunch Programme.

The current contract is being delivered by provider ‘The School Lunch Collective’, after National axed the prior Ka Ako, Ka Ora programme model. This latest iteration of the school lunches programme has seen smaller meals, lower nutritional quality, and disengagement from community-based providers. 

Currently, the funding for the government’s school lunch programme is due to end in late 2026, with no proposed initiatives in its place.

Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Dr. Kelly Garton about the inefficacies of the current contract, and the urgent need to invest in this support for our rangatahi.