Coalition for Healthy School Food (Canada)

What Coalition for Healthy School Food (Canada) does

Coalition for Healthy School Food is a Canadian non-profit advocacy coalition founded in 2018 and hosted by Farm to Cafeteria Canada Society, operating from Vancouver, British Columbia. The organization unites more than 500 member and endorser organizations, charities, academic institutions, and individuals to advocate for universal access to healthy school food across Canada. Its activities include policy advocacy (meetings with elected officials, pre-budget consultations, parliamentary submissions), grassroots mobilization through campaigns such as #NourishKidsNow and the annual Great Big Crunch, and knowledge-sharing via webinars, an interactive School Food Map, and the A.M.P. Up Student Voices initiative. The Coalition played a central role in shaping Canada's National School Food Program, whose guiding principles informed the National School Food Policy released in June 2024, secured $1 billion in federal funding over five years, achieved agreements with all 10 provinces and 3 territories by March 2025, and led to a permanent $216.6 million per year funding commitment announced in October 2025.

The Coalition has eight employees and is led by National Coordinator Debbie Field, with Carolyn Webb as Knowledge Mobilization Coordinator and Ken Bejer (joined September 2024) as Communications Coordinator. Revenue comes from tax-deductible donations processed through Farm to Cafeteria Canada, foundation grants from supporters including the Arrell Family Foundation, McLean Foundation, Schad Foundation, Heart and Stroke Foundation (via Federated Health Charities), Mazon Canada, and Viola, plus individual donors. Distribution is multi-channel: a content website, email newsletter, six social media platforms, webinars, events, op-eds, and direct engagement with government stakeholders. Strategic partners include UNICEF Canada (Youth Advocacy Program), the Global School Meals Coalition, FAO, World Vision, and the SPHERU research partnership tracking program outcomes.

Name

Coalition for Healthy School Food (Canada)

Legal name

Coalition for Healthy School Food

Website

https://healthyschoolfood.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Coalition for Healthy School Food is a Canadian non-profit advocacy coalition that unites 500+ member organizations to influence policy and secure funding for universal school food programs across Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit Advocacy Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

School Feeding & Child Nutrition Programs (BPADAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

School Feeding & Social Protection Partnerships (Conditional Cash Transfers, etc.) (EDADALAL), Global Health & School Health Partnerships (WASH, Nutrition, SRH) (EDADALAH), Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs (HLAJAKAH)

Keywords

• School food advocacy
• Non-profit coalition
• Policy advocacy
• Community organizing
• Food security programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Tax-deductible donations: The Coalition accepts tax-deductible donations through Farm to Cafeteria Canada to support its advocacy work. Donations contribute to making the National School Food Program permanent and ensuring children have access to healthy meals at school.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Coalition for Healthy School Food is a national non-profit advocacy network that coordinates over 500 member organizations and endorsers to advocate for universal, healthy school food programs in Canada. It delivers advocacy campaigns (e.g., #NourishKidsNow, Great Big Crunch, A.M.P. Up), policy guidance, webinars, and stakeholder engagement to influence the implementation and permanent funding of Canada's National School Food Program.

Product overview

The Coalition for Healthy School Food is a national advocacy organization (not a technology company) that serves as a network hosted by Farm to Cafeteria Canada. Rather than offering a software product, it provides advocacy campaigns and programs including the Great Big Crunch annual awareness campaign, the A.M.P. Up Student Voices for School Food initiative to engage students in food policy conversations, the Nourish Kids Now advocacy letter campaign, and an interactive School Food Map. The coalition's primary focus is advocating for and supporting the implementation of Canada's National School Food Program across all provinces and territories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coalition for Healthy School Food Membership Network
• Great Big Crunch
• A.M.P. Up Student Voices for School Food
• #NourishKidsNow Advocacy Campaign
• School Food Map
• Indigenous School Food Circle

Quantifiable outcome

• National School Food Program established with $1 billion over 5 years federal investment and agreements with all provinces and territories
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Farm to Cafeteria CanadacoreOthersFarm to Cafeteria Canada is the host organization of the Coalition for Healthy School Food. The Coalition operates as a network under the Farm to Cafeteria Canada Society. Tax-deductible donations are processed through Farm to Cafeteria Canada. The organization is co-located at Farm to Cafeteria Canada's Vancouver office.
• UNICEF CanadastrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with the Coalition on youth advocacy programs. Coalition members participate in UNICEF Canada's Youth Advocacy Program.
• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAO highlights youth participation as a key component of sustainable school food systems and hosts webinars featuring youth voices in school food and nutrition.
• World VisionstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducts child-led research on school nutrition globally through their Enough campaign, emphasizing meal quality, portion sizes, and safe cooking spaces.
• National School Food Program Research Partnership (SPHERU)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership bringing together experts and community members to track the National School Food Program's progress, challenges, and successes through ongoing research.
• Global School Meals CoalitionstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational coalition that the Coalition for Healthy School Food participates in, working to advance school food programs globally and share best practices.
• APPLE SchoolsstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition member organization focused on healthy school food policy and program advancement. Executive Director Jenn Flynn has expressed support for the Coalition's advocacy work.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF): Global non-profit focused on advancing school feeding programs worldwide through advocacy, research, and convenings. Directly comparable as a peer advocacy organization working to expand universal school meal coverage internationally.
• Global School Meals Coalition: International coalition led by governments and partners to drive universal school meals globally. The Coalition for Healthy School Food is a member; comparable as a peer participant working to advance universal school meal coverage globally.
• Sustain Ontario: Canadian alliance promoting healthy food and farming, with active engagement on school food policy. Comparable as an Ontario-based advocacy coalition with overlapping school food and food systems interests.
• Food Secure Canada: Canadian national food sovereignty and food security advocacy organization. Comparable as a Canadian peer advocacy coalition working on policy solutions to hunger, including the National Coordinator Debbie Field's prior affiliation.
• Community Food Centres Canada: Canadian non-profit building food security infrastructure and advocating for policy change on hunger. Comparable as a Canadian social advocacy organization addressing food insecurity through community and policy interventions.
• Farm to Cafeteria Canada: Canadian non-profit that is the host organization for the Coalition. Operates adjacent school food and farm-to-school programming, including local procurement, and shares office, donor processing, and mission alignment.
• Food Research & Action Center (FRAC): US-based national anti-hunger advocacy organization that champions federal nutrition programs including school meals. Directly comparable as a national-level advocacy coalition working to expand and strengthen government-funded school food programs.
• School Nutrition Association (SNA): US non-profit association representing school nutrition professionals and advocating for healthy school meals. Comparable as a stakeholder network advocating for school food programs with federal government engagement.

Emerging players

• World Food Policy Center at Duke University: US academic policy center producing research on school meals, food insecurity, and nutrition policy. Comparable as an adjacent evidence-generation actor that informs and supports school food advocacy coalitions.
• UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti: UNICEF research arm publishing global evidence on child nutrition, food security, and school meals. Comparable as an institutional partner generating research and policy evidence on school feeding that the Coalition draws on for advocacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/C4HSchoolFood
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CHSFCanada
• Facebookfacebook.com/CHSF.CSAS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coalition-for-healthy-school-food-canada
• Instagraminstagram.com/chsf_canada

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Coalition for Healthy School Food (Canada)