Publications and resources

This report presents an analysis of the financial landscape for school meal programmes in light of the learning crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It discusses the fiscal challenges governments face and explores the role of school feeding programmes in addressing education, poverty, and malnutrition issues. The report includes seven case studies and emphasizes multi-sectoral benefits, fiscal space limitations, and donor funding challenges.

This working paper documents Togo'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 case study provides an in-depth look at the development, implementation, and challenges of school meal programs in Senegal. It focuses on local economies, food security, and the nutritional impact on students, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas. It also discusses public policies, financing mechanisms, and collaboration with international partners.

School meal programs are popular, serving 61% of primary students in high-income countries but fewer in less wealthy countries. They contribute to education, health, nutrition, and social protection, with evolving objectives such as focusing on learning, healthy diets, and crisis response. These programs also support smallholder farmers, though this impact is not well-studied. This review highlights strong evidence for school meals but notes gaps in effectiveness and cost clarity, with the School Meals Coalition calling for better evidence in response to COVID-19.

This article proposes a comprehensive value-for-money framework for investments in school systems, highlighting the multisectoral returns—such as improvements in education, health, nutrition, and social protection—that emerge from implementing school-based programmes. It emphasizes the benefits of harmonizing interventions across sectors using schools as a common delivery platform.

This case study outlines Ethiopia’s school meals program, including government-led initiatives and development partner involvement. It highlights the integration of Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) to support local agriculture and combat malnutrition. The program focuses on food security, increasing school attendance, and promoting educational outcomes in food-insecure regions.

Memirie ST. School Meals Case Study: Ethiopia. London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine; December 2023.

This statement summarizes the outcomes of the first School Meals Coalition Global Summit held in Paris on October 18-19, 2023. The summit highlighted the Coalition's growth, emphasizing school meal programs as pivotal for education, health, social protection, and food system transformation. Key achievements include increased global investment in school meals and commitments to expand and enhance these programs worldwide.

This report summarizes key outcomes from the School Meals Coalition Global Summit in Paris (2023), where countries and partners reaffirmed commitments to expanding school meal programmes. It highlights progress, new country pledges, financing strategies, and the role of school meals in education, nutrition, food systems, and climate action.