Record School Meals Partnership Expands Support for Children and Farmers

A record private-sector commitment will help provide nutritious school meals to 366,000 children while supporting sustainable farming and stronger local food systems across Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia.

“School meals are one of the best investments a government can make in a nation’s future — and the results speak for themselves,” said Cindy McCain, Executive Director of the World Food Programme. “This record contribution shows what is possible when partners come together.”

The World Food Programme, the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Grundfos Foundation are launching the third phase of their school meals partnership, backed by up to USD 80.85 million in funding. The programme will create stable markets for more than 57,500 smallholder farmers over the next five years by linking schools with locally sourced food, regenerative agriculture and climate-friendly kitchens. Building on a programme already reaching 321,400 students in 375 schools, the new phase expands into Ethiopia for the first time and also supports efforts to improve school meals for an additional 100 million children globally by 2030.