Perspective: Turning school feeding numbers into lasting change

Demewez Moges, Lead Advisor, Nutrition

The numbers are staggering.

733 million people— including 73 million children—lack access to sufficient calories. Another 2.8 billion cannot afford a healthy diet. It is easy to get lost in these numbers, but behind every number is a face. A child is missing out on their future. A family is struggling with more than just food insecurity. A community is confronting multiple challenges—from climate impacts and rising costs to shrinking opportunities.

Take school feeding programmes (SFPs), for example. They are widely recognised as a cost-effective investment, with returns of $3 to $9 for every dollar spent. But beyond food—this speaks to a question of opportunities. The children who come to school with empty stomachs but can get a meal in school are healthier and, therefore, more likely to learn, thrive, and stay in school longer. So, more than financial, the investment is social, educational, and fundamentally human.

Yet, despite the clear benefits, only 18% of school children in low-income countries are enrolled in national SFPs. In a world that values growth and progress, this is an inequity we cannot ignore. These are real children, sitting in classrooms across countries in Africa, Asia, and beyond, without access to the basic nutrition they need to succeed.

Over the last nine years, our experience in contributing to the rollout of school milk programmes in East Africa has taught us that SFPs, while an essential safety net, are about more than just food. For instance, the BRIDGE+ project in Ethiopia, funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN) and implemented alongside Wageningen University and Research and Agriterra, has ensured more than 160 schools now have access to school milk.

Again, beyond the numbers, this has meant breaking cycles of poverty and malnutrition. A stable meal allows children to focus on their studies, stay in school, and build a better future. The longer they stay in school, the less likely they are to fall into the traps of economic exclusion.

One powerful example from our BRIDGE+ programme reveals another layer of reality when it comes to reaching marginalised groups. The school milk programme (SMP), initially implemented with Imagine1day and later led by the Tigray Development Association, specifically included children from internally displaced people (IDP) sites, providing nutritional support to 14,000 children. In sensitive contexts, SMPs can offer more than food security. They create the conditions for children in conflict zones to learn and grow, not just survive.

What this really means for parents, too, is tangible relief. A review by Addis Ababa University and testimonies from parents highlighted that SFPs alleviate hunger in schools, financial strain and reduce household workloads. Parents shared that the money they would have spent on their children’s meals is now redirected to cover other household expenses. Additionally, parents can start their workday earlier since their children receive breakfast at school.

These are the human realities behind the numbers, and they are why we need to reframe how we talk about SFPs.

Of course, there are challenges. Numbers alone will not solve the problem. What is needed alongside more data, is a shift in approach.

For one, sustainable funding for school feeding must go beyond donor-funded projects that end when the funding dries up. SFPs need to be fully embedded within the community and supported by local governments, as well as businesses. Another set of numbers supports some of these realities. In Uganda, between 2015 and 2023, The Inclusive Dairy Enterprise (TIDE) project, also supported by EKN, established a parent-led SMP in 2,482 schools, reaching over 990,000 children with improved nutrition and supporting low-income families. In Ethiopia, too, as I have observed with BRIDGE+, when communities and local governments co-own school feeding programmes, they last longer, are more effective, and have a far greater reach.

Involving all levels—from national governments to community groups—creates ownership and ensures sustainability.

What is often ignored is that smallholder farmers are a vital part of this equation. Not only do they grow the food that fuels these programmes, but they also stand to benefit from them. Through better linkages between SFPs and local agriculture, we can create a virtuous cycle of food security, economic opportunity, and long-term resilience.

In Uganda, Ethiopia, and beyond, for us, the approach has remained to work with local dairy processors to increase production, ensuring that school meals are sourced sustainably—both environmentally and in terms of durability—and provide the nutrition that children need to succeed. If schools must offer food that contributes to the health and development of their students, this is where integrating dairy, fruits, and locally sourced, nutritious and diverse produce into the meals is so crucial.

Yet, while there is growing awareness of the importance of nutrition, we still face significant challenges in ensuring food safety and quality—especially with perishable food groups like dairy products. The BRIDGE+ programme has shown us that providing local processors with the right tools—matching grants for pasteurisation equipment and training in quality control—can help mitigate risks and ensure that the food served in schools is safe, nutritious, and free from contamination.

In turn, for many smallholder farmers, this partnership provides a steady market and predictable demand, reducing the risk of crop loss and ensuring stable income.

Beyond just feeding school children today, a forward-looking systems approach enables us to see this as a means of ensuring empowered communities tomorrow. Creating the systems, the structures, and the funding mechanisms that ensure sustainable school feeding will mean breaking down silos and uniting governments, businesses, communities, and smallholder farmers to work together. Eventually, if school feeding is to be a real priority, it must be a long-term commitment.

The numbers matter, but they will not change unless we approach them holistically, bringing together all the stakeholders who are part of the solution. The challenge is clear, the potential is even clearer. By investing in school feeding programmes, we are investing in a generation of healthier, better-educated, more resilient children and communities. And in doing so, we are investing in a brighter future for us all.

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