The soup and snack giant has kicked off the launch of Full Futures in its hometown of Camden, New Jersey, in partnership with the Camden City School District and a number of non-profit and corporate partners.
The campaign initially targets around 2,000 students enrolled in three pilot schools in Camden, providing nutrition education, setting up school gardens and developing school menus. An additional 5,000 Camden students will see enhancements through district-wide nutrition policy and menu changes.
Schools today play a vital role in providing daily nutrition to millions of children, with many consuming more than a third of their daily calories at school.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention’s Healthy Schools initiative also shows there is a strong link between academic grades and healthy dietary behaviour. According to the CDC, students with higher grades are more likely to start the day right with breakfast and maintain a healthier diet.
“The food students eat at school has a dramatic impact on their ability to learn and impacts their wellbeing today and well into the future,” said Mark Clouse, Campbell’s president and CEO.
“We believe the Full Futures partnership will provide students the opportunity to not only succeed in school but help them reach their full potential.”
Building on Campbell's legacy
Full Futures is focused on four key pillars
- To build the school nutrition mindset
Making access to nutritious school food a top priority through district-wide wellness policies and expanded school meal programmes that provide food even beyond the school term.
- To improve food service infrastructure
Ensuring staff have the equipment, training and resources needed.
- To provide nutrition education
Expanding the reach of culinary education to nurture more informed food choices.
- To enhance procurement and implement menu change
Supporting districts in procuring locally sourced ingredients and designing menus that are student-centred and culturally inclusive.
Campbell is the primary funder of Full Futures, with FoodCorps providing coordinating support, while also developing a blueprint from the Camden pilot to establish customisable models for other school districts.
“We’re excited to build on Campbell’s legacy of impact with the launch of Full Futures,” said Kim Fortunato, VP of Community Affairs and President, Campbell Soup Foundation.
“We look forward to incorporating the learnings from our pilot as we expand the programme to additional Campbell communities.”
Other partners include the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, The Common Market, Food Bank of South Jersey, National Farm to School Network, Wellness in the Schools, Aramark and New Jersey American Water. Youth Advisory Councils, comprised of middle and high school students, will play a key role in ensuring their fellow peers’ needs, tastes and preferences are incorporate.
“There has never been a better time to invest in the local vision for nourishing children,” said Curt Ellis, co-founder and CEO of FoodCorps.
“Together, with local partners and the support of Campbell, we are thrilled to be a part of taking a holistic approach to supporting school nutrition in Camden through the Full Futures initiative.”
Campbell has been headquartered in Camden, N.J., for more than 150 years, and is very active in building community programmes that create lasting change. This year, the company celebrated the 10th anniversary of its Healthy Communities programme, a $10m effort to improve the health of young people in Camden.
Founded in 1869, Campbell generated fiscal 2021 net sales of nearly $8.5bn from its portfolio of iconic brands such as Campbell’s, Cape Cod, Goldfish, Kettle Brand, Lance, Late July, Milano, Pace, Pacific Foods, Pepperidge Farm, Prego, Snyder’s of Hanover, Swanson and V8. The company is also a member of the Standard & Poor’s 500, as well as the FTSE4Good and Bloomberg Gender-Equality Indices.
