Historic $40M Partnership to Expand Home-Grown School Meals in East Africa

The partnership, which builds on WFP's long-standing work to address school hunger globally, will run from January 2025 to December 2027.

In a major step towards combating food insecurity and promoting sustainable agriculture, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has entered into an expanded partnership with the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Grundfos Foundation. This landmark collaboration aims to scale up the WFP's successful home-grown school meals programme in East Africa, specifically in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, ensuring that schoolchildren across the region receive nutritious meals sourced from local farms, while simultaneously strengthening the resilience of smallholder farmers and advancing climate-smart agricultural practices.

The partnership, which builds on WFP's long-standing work to address school hunger globally, will run from January 2025 to December 2027. It has secured a historic co-financing commitment of USD 40 million from the Danish Government, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, and the Grundfos Foundation. This is the first time WFP has received such a level of co-financing for a project of this magnitude, marking a pivotal moment in its efforts to create lasting change in East Africa.

Empowering Smallholder Farmers and Promoting Sustainability

One of the primary objectives of the programme is to ensure that school meals are not only nutritious but also locally sourced, providing a steady market for smallholder farmers. This effort helps boost the incomes of local farmers while supporting sustainable agricultural practices. A central feature of the partnership is the promotion of climate-smart farming techniques. Over the next three years, the programme will train over 61,000 smallholder farmers in these methods, helping them improve their crop yields while minimizing their environmental impact. Additionally, 1,300 school gardens will be established around the participating schools, further promoting local agriculture and contributing to the overall food security of the communities.

This initiative also aligns with the broader development goals of the countries involved, supporting the national agendas of Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. By linking school meals with local agricultural production, the project aims to build a self-sustaining model that can continue to provide benefits long after the initial investment.

Enhancing Climate Resilience and Promoting Clean Cooking Solutions

In addition to its focus on local agriculture, the expanded home-grown school meals programme will play a key role in enhancing climate resilience in the region. A portion of the funding will go toward equipping schools with clean, fuel-efficient cooking technologies. These systems will reduce the environmental impact of school meal preparation by minimizing the use of firewood and promoting the use of renewable energy sources. This will also help improve air quality and reduce the health risks associated with traditional cooking methods that rely on open fires.

The partnership will also work to build a more resilient and sustainable infrastructure for water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in schools. New WASH facilities will be constructed or rehabilitated, ensuring that schools are equipped with clean water and safe sanitation facilities, which are essential for the health and well-being of students. The programme will provide training for cooks and school staff, as well as run public information campaigns to raise awareness about proper hygiene practices and nutrition.

Long-Term Impact and Community Engagement

Beyond just providing meals to students, the programme aims to foster broader community development. In total, the initiative will reach approximately 321,400 students across 375 schools in East Africa. Through the establishment of school gardens and the training of farmers, the project will create lasting economic opportunities for local communities, particularly for women, who often play a central role in agriculture in the region. By creating sustainable markets for locally grown food, the programme also fosters job creation and contributes to strengthening local economies.

The partnership emphasizes research and learning, with the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Grundfos Foundation bringing their expertise in sustainability and innovation to the initiative. This collaboration will ensure that the programme is continuously monitored and adapted to maximize its impact. Government staff will also be trained to strengthen national capacity in implementing and sustaining school meals programmes, further ensuring the long-term success of the initiative.

A Model for Global School Meals Programmes

This expanded partnership builds on the initial phase of the programme, which ran from November 2022 to December 2024 in Rwanda and Uganda with an initial investment of USD 4.1 million from the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The success of this first phase laid the groundwork for scaling up the programme to include schools in Kenya's Turkana County and further expanding coverage in Uganda and Rwanda.

The initiative also complements the global momentum for school meals, as highlighted by the School Meals Coalition, which is led by the WFP and aims to promote the importance of school meals in supporting education, nutrition, and food security. Through this collaboration, WFP hopes to inspire other governments and private-sector partners to invest in school meal programmes that can help build sustainable food systems and provide lasting benefits to communities.

Looking to the Future

As the programme progresses, it is expected to have a profound impact on the lives of students, farmers, and local communities in East Africa. By connecting the dots between education, food security, climate resilience, and economic development, the initiative offers a model for how multi-sectoral partnerships can address some of the region’s most pressing challenges.

With the support of its partners, WFP is committed to ensuring that the home-grown school meals programme not only improves the nutritional outcomes of children in East Africa but also contributes to the long-term sustainability of the region's agricultural and food systems. This initiative marks a significant milestone in the fight against food insecurity and climate change, while demonstrating the power of collaboration between the public and private sectors.