Schools are where we lay the foundation for future economic growth and human capital, and where our future political leaders, scientists, economists, artists and thinkers are formed. Along with quality education, good health and nutrition are required for children to be able to participate and learn in school and become more productive adults.
Most countries have established school feeding programmes to provide a safety net for vulnerable families and boost children’s educational and health outcomes. Today, more than half of the world’s school children receive food at school, the largest number and proportion ever. However, in many low- and middle-income countries, national school feeding programmes remain incipient. This is why – for the past 60 years – WFP has provided operational support and technical assistance to governments to help children in the poorest regions of the world attend school and reach their full potential.
In 2018, while continuing its efforts working at the country level, WFP re-energized its school feeding efforts by creating a new School Feeding Service and engaging in extensive dialogue and learning to pave the way for a new strategy in early 2020.
WFP plays a dual role in fostering access to school feeding: through direct service provision and country capacity strengthening. In 2018, WFP provided school meals, technical assistance or a combination of both to 71 countries. This included direct support in 61 countries that faced challenges such as recurrent economic or natural shocks, instability or insufficient capacity.
In another ten countries with more stable contexts, WFP helped governments establish, strengthen and consolidate their nationally-owned and operated school feeding programmes. In all these countries, WFP also provided technical assistance to help build the skills, systems and structures required for government-led programmes.
million
schoolchildren provided with nutritious meals, snacks or take-home rations in 61 countries
million
schoolchildren assisted in countries facing emergencies
countries
scaled up school feeding operations in 2018, reaching an additional 1.7 million children in fragile and less stable contexts
Diverse financial, social, religious, health and safety concerns may all present disproportionate obstacles to school attendance of girls. Additional factors affecting girls’ access to education include time spent away from school to earn income, early marriage, early pregnancy and safety and security issues.
WFP used integrated approaches, including joint activities with other United Nations agencies, to address some of these barriers and improve girls’ school enrolment and retention rates.
of the school children assisted through WFP school feeding activities were girls
of countries met the target for female retention rates
month per year
reduction in child labour for girls in Mali thanks to school feeding programmes
While there has been significant investment in the first 1,000 days, the subsequent 7,000 days of life are equally critical to the development of children into healthy productive adults, yet they have been insufficiently addressed. Age-specific support is required during these 8000 days, and school feeding serves as an essential intervention for primary school-age children.
School feeding contributes directly to making sure that children receive adequate food and nutrients. Home-Grown School Feeding programmes also enable schools to use food that is grown locally.
countries
provided with school meals consisting of foods known to meet the essential nutritional requirements of growing children
countries
supported by WFP in implementing school feeding with Social and Behaviour Change Communication, including nutrition education and community mobilization which leads to improved knowledge and social practices amongst children, and within households and communities
Country Strategic Plans
outline WFP’s commitment to support a national Home-Grown School Feeding model
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