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Ford has recently expressed support for school food programs, and Ontario demonstrated important leadership when, in November, it became the third province to sign the National School Food Agreement. But nutrition programs in Ontario have been under-resourced for years, and some are again reporting a lack of funds. That means less food — and fewer children fed.

For many families in Ontario, access to nutritious food is out of reach. One in four children in this province lives in a food-insecure household. And kids from all income backgrounds are not getting their recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables.

School food programs are a proven solution to this problem. They reduce students’ hunger throughout the school day and are linked to higher test scores, as well as improved mental health, attendance and behaviour. Hungry students are less able to learn.

All this comes down to dignity, equity and opportunity. Ontario must choose to invest in its future workforce by ensuring that all students have access to nutritious meals. By doing so, it can help foster a more competitive and capable generation of students.

This is also a matter of fiscal responsibility: research indicates that every dollar invested in school food programs generates more than two dollars in returns via improved health outcomes and increased academic performance. These programs make life more affordable, saving families up to $1,300 per child annually — a vital benefit to working families who struggle to make ends meet.

And the billions of dollars Ontario spends each year treating diet-related diseases? School food programs can help reduce those costs, too.

To ensure that our kids are properly fed at school, we need a cost-shared partnership between our federal, provincial and municipal governments, as well as parents and community donors.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has pledged to make the National School Food Program permanent and to invest in local procurement solutions. Ford can demonstrate a willingness to work collaboratively with the federal government by ensuring that Canada’s wealthiest and most populous province does its share to make adequate school nutrition a reality for Ontario’s 2 million students.

In Toronto, city hall recently increased its funding for school nutrition to more than $26 million annually, enough to provide morning meals for another 20,000-plus kids this year. And in March, Mayor Olivia Chow moved a motion to direct a further $5 million toward the cause.

Yet Ontario’s total annual investment in school food is still just $37.6 million, or 10 cents per student per day. By contrast, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island spend $3.40 and $1.87, respectively, per student per day.

Given the uncertainty wrought by U.S. President Donald Trump’s ongoing trade war with Canada, it seems likely that food prices will continue to rise, diminishing access for families and increasing the cost of school nutrition programs.

As Ontario gets ready to table its 2025 budget on May 15, here’s hoping that the Ford government will fund school food adequately — and give students across the province the fuel they need to learn and thrive.