SHADES is a 36-month project designed to transform urban food systems by promoting healthy and sustainable diets, with a particular focus on school meal programmes. It combines educational and digital tools, Living Labs, pilot interventions, impact evaluation and policy engagement to produce practical and replicable results for schools, cities and food-system stakeholders.
The Kick-off meeting was held in Naples on 11-12 June 2026, bringing together an international consortium committed to transforming urban food systems through healthier, more sustainable school meal programmes.
Over the next 36 months, SHADES will foster collaboration between European Union and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions, supporting the exchange of knowledge, best practices and policy approaches. The project will also contribute to local economies by strengthening short food supply chains and involving small-scale farmers.
During the Kick-off Meeting, partners aligned on three main priorities: school food transformation, digital and educational innovation, and governance through co-creation. Discussions also underlined the need to adapt activities to different school systems, cultural contexts and policy frameworks.
SHADES will develop educational resources, digital tools and participatory Living Lab activities to support schools and households. Pilot actions will test healthier and more sustainable dishes, while addressing food literacy, family engagement, food waste prevention and the acceptability of school meals among children.
The project will evaluate nutritional, economic, environmental, social and behavioural impacts, translating results into practical guidance, policy recommendations and decision-support tools. Through exchanges with MENA cities and institutions, SHADES will help identify locally appropriate pathways to improve school meal systems, procurement practices and links with local farmers.
