Publications and resources

The National School Meal Program (PRONAE) was adopted by the Mozambican government in 2013, as a multi-sectoral program with the objective to “reduce the impacts of food insecurity and malnutrition on the education sector, particularly the weak access to education, dropout, absenteeism and failure rates” (Republic of Mozambique, 2013). The program encompasses the provision of diversified meals to students with food procured locally, alongside other interventions such as nutrition education, school gardens and deworming. 

This report analyzes the costs of the national school feeding program (SFP) and attempts to quantify its impact on education, health and nutrition, social protection, and local agricultural economy. By comparing the costs and benefits of the SFP, it aims at assessing its value for money. It contributes to the evidence that the school feeding program in Mozambique presents high value for money when looking at the effect over 7 years of primary education, and can serve as a valuable resource for policymakers, providing insights to inform strategic decisions aimed at strengthening and expanding the national SFP. 

The National School Feeding Program (NSFP) in Namibia is designed to provide nutritious meals to children attending primary school. In this report, we quantify all the costs and benefits incurred by the NSFP and compute its multisectoral impact on education, health and nutrition, social protection, and local agricultural economy. 

By comparing the costs and benefits of the program, this study assesses its value for money. Additionally, it assesses the value for money of the homegrown school feeding (HGSF) pilot currently implemented in Namibia to further evaluate its broader potential in terms of increased benefits to the local economy. 

The third round of the Global Survey of School Meal Programs © was conducted by the Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF) from November 2023 – July 2024, gathering information on the school year beginning in 2022. The survey saw participation from 142 countries. The Global Survey provides detailed global data on school meal coverage, financing, food baskets, laws and policies, home-grown school feeding, and more, serving as a resource for monitoring global progress over time. This report contributes to the State of School Feeding 2025 report, which presents the official global data on school meals and is scheduled for release later in 2025. 

This scoping review, published by the Emergency Nutrition Network (ENN) & UNICEF with support from the Governments of Ireland and Norway, examines the nutrition needs of school-age children and adolescents (ages 5–19) in humanitarian contexts. It identifies critical gaps in data, guidance, and programming, and outlines a recommended minimum package of interventions including school meals, micronutrient supplementation, and nutrition education. Drawing on interviews with key agencies and six case studies—from Bangladesh, Latin America, Gaza, Ukraine, Cameroon, and the Philippines—the report offers actionable recommendations for governments and partners to better support nutrition in emergencies.

This report presents a cost-benefit analysis of Burundi’s National School Feeding Programme (PNAS), quantifying its multi-sectoral impact. Recipients are shown to complete an average of 1.8 more years of schooling and have improved health outcomes, including reduced anaemia and 55 additional healthy life years per 1,000 students. The study also estimates a strong financial return: for every 1 Fbu invested, 6 Fbu in long-term benefits are generated.

This case study presents Ecuador’s national school meals programme, highlighting how it is legislated, financed and delivered across the country. It outlines the two programme modalities—centralised industrial rations and territorial meals sourced from smallholder farmers—and examines institutional arrangements, monitoring systems, and equity considerations. It also reflects on key lessons and persistent implementation gaps, including in sustainability and local procurement.

José Andrés Ocaña Navas, Yolanda Jacqueline Contreras Díaz, Rene Larenas, Grace Piedad Guerrero Zurita, Carolina Elizabeth Sinchiguano Almeida, María Gabriela Zurita, Andrea Carolina Estrella Proaño, Jessica Pamela Pinto Delgado, Jose Julio Villalba Vásquez, Angelica Ochoa Avilés, María Cecilia Vintimilla Álvarez.

This case study examines Morocco's school feeding programs, detailing their historical context, objectives, coverage, targeting strategies, nutritional standards, food procurement processes, legal frameworks, implementation costs, funding mechanisms, monitoring and evaluation practices, lessons learned, best practices, and challenges. ​

This report updates estimates on the number of vulnerable children in low- and middle-income countries needing school meals, highlighting an increase to 101 million post-COVID. It identifies priority populations based on school feeding coverage, malnutrition, and poverty, with a strong focus on India and Sub-Saharan Africa.