Nairobi: Twenty million more children in Sub-Saharan Africa are now receiving school meals through government-led programmes than in 2022, according to the latest edition of the State of School Feeding Worldwide, a flagship global biennial report released today by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).
According to African Press Organization, the African continent has seen the most significant rise of any region, with the number of children receiving school meals increasing by over 30 percent from 66 million in 2022 to 87 million in 2024. Countries such as Chad, Ethiopia, Madagascar, and Rwanda have significantly expanded these programs, increasing the number of pupils receiving school meals by up to six times.
Government investments in school meals in Sub-Saharan Africa have grown, indicating a shift from reliance on foreign aid to recognising school meals as a strategic public investment in children's education, health, and broader national development. In Benin, for instance, government-funded school meals, which primarily purchase local food, contributed over US$23 million to the economy in 2024, with direct purchases from smallholder farmers increasing by 800 percent, benefiting more than 23,000 people.
In Burundi, local food procurement for school meals by WFP led to a 50 percent increase in farmers' incomes in 2024 and created employment opportunities across 67 cooperatives with 20,000 members. In Malawi, every US$1 spent on school meals generated US$8 in economic benefits.
In Sierra Leone last year, 40 percent of food for school meals was sourced from smallholder farmers, primarily women and youth, providing a varied diet including rice, pulses, sweet potatoes, and vegetables. Meanwhile, in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, WFP, The Novo Nordisk Foundation, The Grundfos Foundation, and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs are supporting eco-friendly diets for children by developing 1,300 school gardens, training 61,500 smallholder farmers in climate-smart agriculture, and supplying schools with fuel-efficient cooking equipment.
"A meal at school is more than just giving food to a child; it is also an investment in the family, the community, and ultimately a country's future. Sourcing food locally provides healthy, culturally appropriate meals for children while supporting smallholder farmers, driving economic growth and national development," said Eric Perdison, WFP's Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa.
Despite these advancements, millions of children, especially in low-income African countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Somalia, and South Sudan, still lack access to school meals due to low domestic funding and reliance on diminishing external donor support. WFP will continue to prioritise children in these fragile settings for direct delivery of school meals to safeguard their access to learning and nutrition amid global uncertainty and reduced funding.
The report's release precedes the second School Meals Coalition Global Summit in Brazil, scheduled for 18-19 September, where leaders will gather to assess progress and mobilise further action.