Publications and resources

The 4th Annual Statement of the Research Consortium for School Health and Nutrition expands the global evidence base on school meals and explores its implications for policy. Prepared as an input to the School Meals Coalition for parliamentarians and policymakers, it aims to strengthen the reach, quality and comprehensiveness of national school meal programmes towards 2030. The statement draws on the Consortium’s Global Academy network of over 1,200 experts across 120 countries, offering insights to guide decision-making and accelerate progress.

This report, by Prof. Mariana Mazzucato & Sarah Doyle and colleagues at the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, explores how school meals can serve as a lever for industrial strategy and food system transformation. It argues that public procurement of school meals can catalyse innovation and investment across the food value chain, shaping markets to deliver food that is healthy, sustainable and accessible.

Drawing on case studies from Brazil, Sweden and Scotland, the report highlights the social, ecological and economic benefits of school meals and their potential to drive structural change when designed as part of a mission-oriented industrial strategy. It calls on governments to reframe school meals as an investment in growth and development, not a cost, and to align procurement and financing tools accordingly.

The State of School Feeding Worldwide is the United Nations’ official reporting mechanism on school meals, produced biennially by the World Food Programme, as a flagship publication, as secretariat of the School Meals Coalition. It presents the most comprehensive global assessment of how countries support their children through effective school meal programmes worldwide, highlighting trends in coverage, financing, policies and impact.

The 2024 edition reveals unprecedented expansion, with 466 million children now reached worldwide—80 million more since 2020. It highlights governments’ investments of US$84 billion annually, evidence of multisectoral impacts across education, health, nutrition, jobs and food systems, and the role of the School Meals Coalition in driving progress. This edition also highlights a clear shift: school meals are no longer just seen as a donor-driven priority but as a nationally owned and powerful policy lever. Around the world, governments are elevating school health and nutrition in their agendas—recognising school meals as a smart investment in children’s futures and stronger food systems.

The report draws on draws on the best available data sources to present a global picture of school meals coverage, implementation practices, emerging research and costs of school-based health and nutrition programmes from direct government reporting, global surveys, WFP estimates and World Bank data.

Since its launch in 2021, the School Meals Coalition has driven transformative change across more than 110 countries and 160 partners, expanding school meal programmes, increasing funding, and strengthening local food systems. The Achievements Report highlights national progress where governments are scaling coverage, investing in local procurement, and piloting innovations in sustainability and programme quality. It also documents how Coalition initiatives are supporting governments through evidence generation, stronger data systems, and cross-regional collaboration, advancing global efforts to combat hunger, improve education, and deliver on the 2030 goal of healthy, nutritious meals for every child.

The School Meals Coalition's National Progress Reports is a showcase of the progress made by governments on school meals. Each country presents key achievements across areas such as advocacy and partnerships, evidence and data, financing, institutional and policy reform, programme design, and coverage expansion.

Together, these achievements show how countries are turning political commitment into action. While each country follows its own path, all are contributing to the Coalition’s shared goals. They offer an opportunity to learn from country experiences, exchange ideas, and inspire further action.

This report analyses procurement models and financing strategies for home-grown school feeding (HGSF) programmes, drawing on four case studies from Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Bolivia, Brazil, and Cambodia. It examines how these programmes are structured, financed, and implemented at national and municipal levels, and explores their role in improving nutrition, supporting smallholder farmers, strengthening local food systems, and advancing climate-friendly agri-food policies. Prepared by the Sustainable Financing Initiative (SFI) of the School Meals Coalition, the report highlights context-specific challenges and lessons learned to inform policy dialogue and future programme design.

This advocacy brief positions school meals as a proven cross-sectoral solution that improves child nutrition, supports education, strengthens local economies, and promotes climate-smart food systems. It includes key messages, facts and figures, examples of government leadership, and clear recommendations for action at different platforms. 

A new joint report by the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) examines school meal programmes in Guatemala and Peru, showing how they lower the cost of nutritious diets, improve nutritional quality, strengthen local food systems against extreme weather shocks, and boost child development and public health. It also stresses the need for community engagement, integrated policies, and action to tackle ultra-processed foods and the triple burden of malnutrition.