Bringing blue foods into the school meals program in Indonesia
Foods from the ocean, or blue foods, are rich in essential nutrients and often more affordable than proteins like beef and chicken. In Indonesia, where ocean access is plentiful but malnutrition is widespread, integrating blue foods into school meals is key to alleviating poverty and supporting development. Backed by the Indonesian government and aligned with national priorities, the project responds to a direct request from top officials to integrate blue foods into President Subianto’s flagship school meals initiative. This project expands the team's previous collaboration with Indonesian officials in developing a Blue Foods Assessment to include: building a database of user-friendly digital tools and guidelines, training thousands of nutritionists, and launching a pilot program in three Indonesian districts to test blue foods in school meals.