School feeding can help an entire community

Recently I published an update on the World Food Programme’s (WFP) school feeding initiative in the West Bank and Gaza. School feeding offers a pathway for children to escape hunger and poverty. But there are also benefits for the entire community.

Ancel Kats of WFP pointed out in the update, “The West Bank School Feeding programme also provides employment opportunities for the community through a cash-for-work scheme, as the snacks used in distributions are prepared by bakeries and women centres, who in return receive cash and food commodities from WFP."

An entire community can become involved in a school feeding project. This means jobs and income for residents. The local economies can be stimulated. This local food production also saves on shipping costs that would be incurred through bringing in food from far-away locations.

Recently, WFP director Josette Sheeran was in Russia visiting a school feeding program that will serve as a model for initiatives in Armenia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. At first, Russia will provide the school meals for these three countries before local production kicks in. According to WFP,  the school feeding  "is designed with an eye to promoting sustainability and building links with local agriculture."

Local production of food is also the goal in Iraq.  WFP is currently providing date bars fortified with iron and vitamin A for the school feeding program there. WFP hopes to reach around 900,000 Iraqi children starting in April. Since this particular program is new, the date bars are being imported. However, WFP says the date bars “will eventually be produced locally in partnership with the private sector.”

So once this local food production can start in Iraq, there will be even more benefits from school feeding.  However, low funding for the World Food Programme threatens the success of these and many other food initiatives. School feeding programs are often the victims of these budget shortfalls.

What can you do to help? You can get involved with promoting global school feeding by volunteering for your state’s WFP committee. If you have a blog or a web site, you can join Bloggers Against Hunger and write about school feeding and global hunger issues.





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