A leading academic feels that the free meals provided across schools in Wales need to be “more cost effective, healthier, and more climate friendly".

Cardiff University's Professor of Governance and Development, Kevin Morgan, has commented that Wales is a “long way off” from being able to source entirely local food across its schools.

In Wales, all primary school children are eligible for free school meals. Best on household income eligibility, the families of older children may also apply for free school meals. The government of Wales said it’s working closely with councils to ensure that the “best possible food” is offered across schools.

Having previously written a book on the food provided in schools, prisons and hospitals, Professor Morgan has stated that the standard of school meals served in Wales must be improved.

Speaking to Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement, Prof Morgan commented: "We are the first and only UK nation to have implemented free school meals in all primary schools. Wales has won international plaudits for doing so – but we need to raise the quality of that food. There is no good universalising poor quality food."

Talking about his concerns over Wales’ ability to source "local food", Professor Morgan said: "If we wanted to source entirely local food in schools tomorrow, it couldn't be done, not least because our horticulture sector in Wales is so under-developed.

“That is one of the great opportunities before us now, as we are boosting the demand side of things. You need to use that power of purchase, procurement budgets, to build up that source of supply."

The professor’s comments come almost a decade after the establishment of the Future Generations Act, which imposed a legal obligation on public bodies to consider the needs of future generations.

Having been hailed as ground-breaking by the United Nations, the act was first introduced in April 2015 by the then-National Assembly for Wales.

Professor Morgan further added: "Free school meals... is the best example of a tangible expression of the Future Generations Act.”

Calling it a "wonderful and laudable piece of legislation", Prog Morgan stated that the act has suffered from "everything that devolution has suffered from in Wales" terming it "the gap between aspiration and delivery".

"We are asking local authorities and public bodies to step up to this enormous challenge, after almost twenty years of austerity budgets, where their capacity has been hollowed out.”

Speaking about their efforts, the Welsh government said: "We want the best school food offered in the UK to give our children the healthiest start to life. Our roll out of free school meals for all primary school learners means every child is offered a nutritious meal.

"We are working closely with our local authorities to offer the best possible food in schools. Over the next year we are updating and improving our healthy eating regulations."