Resnick Aspen Action Forum

We often see Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN) Fellows working on similar challenges around the world. In our “Side by Side” series, we explore these issues and how Fellows are customizing their approach to their region.
 
Providing nutritious meals to students is a global challenge. Below, the Fellows who run Revolution Foods in the United States and FUEL Trust in South Africa walk us through their operations.

 
On the left is a Revolution Foods prepared lunch plate with whole grain tortillas filled with pulled chicken, smothered in ranchero sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese, served with a side of seasoned brown rice, carrots, and fresh fruit (Credit: Günther Lie). On the right is a meal served through FUEL Trust, consisting of pap (a traditional South African maize-based porridge) with beans and vegetables. 
 
Co-Founded by Aspen Global Leadership Network Fellows Kristin Groos-Richmond and Kirsten Saenz Tobey, Revolution Foods has transformed the distribution of healthy and affordable school lunch options in public schools in the United States. They have seen significant growth since their launch in 2006 and now serve over 1.25 million meals across 11 states each week.
 
Founded and run by Africa Leadership Initiative-South Africa Fellows Gary Campbell, Charles Luyckx, and Hanno Kemp, FUEL Trust is focused on improving the implementation and efficiency of the government’s National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP), which feeds 9 million school children across South Africa daily.
 
 
Walk us through your company’s daily operations. What does a typical day look like?
 
Rev Foods: “We start with kids and end with kids. We generate new ideas from kids, have our chefs and dietitians create recipes, and test every new recipe with kids. Our meals are prepared in local culinary centers, using home-style cooking techniques, and our chefs come in well before dawn to get the fresh meals packed and loaded onto our trucks. We employ a local team from the communities we serve, many of whom are relatives of the students we serve every day. Over 70% of the meals we serve each day go to kids who qualify for free or reduced priced meals at school.”
 
FUEL Trust: “We don’t directly feed kids, we implement change and performance management systems in a 740 million dollar school feeding programme run by the South African government (called the National School Nutrition Programme - NSNP). Our team focuses on monitoring, reporting, and responding to key issues to improve implementation of the school feeding programme.”
 

Students enjoying a healthy lunch prepared and delivered by Revolution Foods.
 
What is the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?
 
Rev Foods: “Building a national supply chain to source real food ingredients. Nine years in, we have created a national network of fresh food vendors and clean-food label ingredient suppliers that meet our ingredient standards of no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, and sweeteners, along with more than 52 other processed food additives and ingredients. This allows us to consistently deliver high quality, safe, USDA compliant, healthy school meals in 11 states across the country.”
 
FUEL Trust: “Our biggest challenge has been navigating change in a deeply bureaucratic and politicized system. The NSNP was established the “serve nutritious meals on time” because South Africa’s school feeding system was facing critical service delivery challenges. Through a partnership with the NSNP, FUEL Trust’s team of experienced food service professionals provides change management methodology that has successfully shifted the performance of a huge bureaucratic government agency.”   
 
 
Is this challenge unique to your region? If so, how?
 
Rev Foods: “The supply chain is unique to a given geographic region; much of the US food supply chain is divided into “retail” and “foodservice” channels, and we have innovated by taking retail-quality brands and making them accessible to schools in areas that historically have lacked access to such foods.”
 
FUEL Trust: “The challenge is not completely unique, as managing change in any system is tough, but doing so in a government system is tougher than most. Further, the dynamics around the historical legacies of race, class, and systemic exclusion in South African bring a definite added challenge.”
 

Students enjoying a healthy lunch delivered on time thanks to the efforts of FUEL Trust.  
 
What is the most popular dish among your students?
 
Rev Foods: “We have several favorites – a couple of highlights:

• Firecracker Chicken with Sesame Noodles
• Chicken Taco Salad
• Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs”

Fuel Trust: “Definitely fish (pilchards), rice and cabbage.”