UNICEF and FAO hold a culinary master class for schoolchildren to celebrate World Food Day

Astana, 17 October, 2024 – In Astana, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) hosted a joint event dedicated to World Food Day. The master class event, aimed at promoting healthy and balanced nutrition among children, taught schoolchildren and their parents how proper nutrition contributes to health and development and how to apply this knowledge to daily meal preparation.

According to a study conducted by the National Center for Public Health of Kazakhstan, 21 per cent of Kazakh children aged 6–9 are overweight or obese, and 60 per cent of schoolchildren do not consume vegetables and fruits daily, putting their health at risk. In addition, 17 per cent of children and adolescents drink sugary beverages daily, increasing their risk of developing chronic diseases. Furthermore, 23 per cent of children under the age of 5 suffer from anaemia, which indicates a deficiency of essential micronutrients in their diet.

"Healthy nutrition is not only every child’s right but also the foundation of that child’s health and future success," noted Laetitia Bazzi-Veil, Acting UNICEF Representative in Kazakhstan. 

She emphasized that access to balanced nutrition is a key component in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2, which focuses on improving food security, and SDG 3, which aims to promote healthy living and well-being at all ages. School nutrition is a UNICEF priority, and the country office is continuously working to improve it. With UNICEF support, the Ministry of Health conducted a school meals assessment and a series of healthy-eating training sessions for school staff across the country. This training covered topics including the prevention of overweight, obesity, and anaemia, and healthy school meal preparation. Additionally, the ministry developed a web application for calculating the nutritional content of school menus and published a healthy recipe book for children and their parents.

Zhanyl Bozayeva, FAO Program Coordinator in Kazakhstan, added, "for children to grow up healthy and active, they need access to diverse and nutritious food. This helps prevent the spread of diseases like obesity and anaemia." He also highlighted that FAO is actively working on transforming agrifood systems to ensure the production of more nutritious foods and improve the population’s quality of life.

One of the key messages of World Food Day is the need to ensure the availability of safe, nutritious, and affordable food for everyone. Today, 2.8 billion people worldwide cannot afford a healthy diet due to rising food costs and a lack of knowledge about proper nutrition. This leads to the dual challenge of addressing both undernutrition and obesity.

The master class was led by renowned chef Raushan Seitova, who has made significant contributions to promoting Kazakh cuisine and advocating for healthy eating. Under her guidance, participants prepared dishes that demonstrated how modern principles of balanced nutrition can be integrated into traditional national cuisine.

The event concluded with a tasting of the prepared dishes and a discussion on the key aspects of healthy eating among children and parents.