Publications and resources

This journal article examines how school feeding programmes in low and middle-income countries can address health and socio-economic disparities. It discusses the impact of these programmes on child nutrition, educational outcomes, and social protection, highlighting their role in promoting equity and well-being among vulnerable populations.

This report analyzes the costs and benefits of Ethiopia’s school feeding programme, highlighting its impact on education, health, and local agriculture. Findings show that school meals increase years of schooling, reduce anemia, and support smallholder farmers, delivering $4 in benefits for every $1 invested.

This working paper documents Kenya’s national school meals programme, detailing its organization, funding, and monitoring processes. It presents the country’s profile, outlines the design and implementation of school feeding programs, describes monitoring and evaluation processes, and highlights lessons learned, best practices, and challenges.

This working paper documents Burundi's national school meals program, detailing its organization, funding, and monitoring processes. It presents the country's profile, outlines the design and implementation of school feeding programs, describes monitoring and evaluation processes, and highlights lessons learned, best practices, and challenges.

This statement presents new evidence on the design and benefits of school meals programmes, including impacts on growth, enrolment, and learning. The statement also explores the comparative effectiveness of cash transfers and school meals as social safety nets and highlights the cost-benefits of these programmes. It concludes with a call for further research to support national governments in adopting sustainable, planet-friendly school meals policies.

This report highlights the vital role of school meal programmes in tackling global challenges, detailing their impact on nutrition, learning, and rural livelihoods, and their contribution to the SDGs. It also presents scenarios for expanding school feeding in low- and middle-income countries and addresses financial and policy needs to achieve universal access by 2030.

Outcome statement from the School Meals Coalition Task Force’s second ministerial meeting in Nairobi, with strategic actions defining Coalition priorities for 2025-2026 on school meals financing, health, and education, aiming to provide nutritious meals to all schoolchildren by 2030.

This working paper documents Benin's national school meals program, detailing its organization, funding, and monitoring processes. It presents the country's profile, outlines the design and implementation of school feeding programs, describes monitoring and evaluation processes, and highlights lessons learned, best practices, and challenges. ​