WFP: Global School Meals Reach 466 Million Children as Nations Invest in Nutrition and Education
The latest World Food Programme (WFP) biennial flagship report that no fewer than 80 million additional children are now benefiting from nutritious school meals, pushing the worldwide total to an unprecedented 466 million.
WFP reported that this marks a 20 percent surge in children reached through government-led meal programmes since 2020. The executive director of WFP, Cindy McCain, told PulseNets, “Far from being bleak, these numbers are proof of progress: 466 million children now receive meals at school, up by 80 million since 2020. When governments invest in kids, remarkable things happen. WFP is proud to back national initiatives worldwide because every child deserves to learn and thrive. School meals are not just nutrition; they are a doorway out of poverty and into a new world of learning and opportunity.”
Beyond nutrition and health, McCain emphasised that national school meal programmes stimulate employment, agriculture, and broader economic sectors. She further spoke to PulseNets, “A school meal is much more than a plate of food – vital as that is. For vulnerable children, it is a powerful pathway out of poverty and a gateway to education and opportunity. These programmes are among the smartest and most cost-effective investments any nation can make to secure the long-term health, education, and economic prosperity of its future generations.”
According to the WFP report, global funding for school meal programmes has more than doubled, leaping from $43 billion in 2020 to $84 billion last year. Africa is leading the surge, with 20 million more children now fed through national systems. However, PulseNets learnt that domestic funding remains weak in low-income countries, leaving progress fragile as global aid priorities shift.
Carmen Burbano, WFP’s Director of School Meals, reported, “The rise in nationally funded meal programmes is a compelling sign of what’s achievable, even in turbulent times. Yet in low-income nations, where the need is greatest, gains remain vulnerable as local resources fall short.”
The report warns that hungry children are less likely to attend school or to focus if they do, undermining their ability to learn. By offering meals on campus, governments obtained by direct evidence that attendance and engagement improve, allowing students to absorb lessons more effectively.
In fact, PulseNets learnt that school meals outperform other popular interventions such as teacher training and classroom technology in improving education quality. The findings also linked balanced diets to longer attention spans, enhanced cognitive function, and better attendance rates.
Donald Bundy, a co-editorial lead for the WFP report, told PulseNets, “We are only now fully recognising that the well-being of school children and adolescents underpins their ability to learn.”
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The WFP estimates that providing school meals to 466 million children generates around 7.4 million cooking jobs globally, along with substantial opportunities across logistics, farming, and supply chains. On average, each national school feeding programme creates about 1,500 jobs for every 100,000 children served. Preliminary data from some African nations obtained by PulseNets indicates that these initiatives are not only socially impactful but cost-beneficial across education, health, and nutrition sectors.
As PulseNets reported, the WFP findings demonstrate that investing in school meals is a tested strategy that uplifts communities, boosts economies, and secures a brighter future for the world’s most vulnerable children.
