Nepal, WFP launch reports showing progress in school meals, food security

KATHMANDU: The Government of Nepal and the United Nations World Food Programme launched two reports on Tuesday showing progress in food security, nutrition, education, climate resilience and social protection under national leadership and partnerships.

The publications — 'The Journey of the National Mid-Day Meals Programme' and WFP’s 'Annual Country Report 2025' — record Nepal’s shift from partner-supported interventions to nationally run systems that now reach millions, WFP said in a press release.

Riaz Lodhi, WFP Representative and Country Director in Nepal, said: “The achievements celebrated today reflect the power of partnership. Together with the Government of Nepal, development partners, and communities, WFP has helped advance solutions that strengthen food security, improve nutrition, build resilience and support human capital development.”

'The Journey of the National Mid-Day Meals Programme in Nepal' traces more than five decades of the school meals initiative. Launched in 1967 to tackle classroom hunger, the scheme has grown into one of Nepal’s largest social protection programmes, reaching nearly three million children across all 77 districts and becoming fully financed by the Government of Nepal in 2025.

The report notes gains in school enrolment, attendance, retention and nutrition outcomes, and highlights the Home‑Grown School Feeding approach that links schools with local smallholder farmers through cooperatives, strengthening local food systems.

Petri Puhakka, Ambassador of Finland to Nepal, said: “Finland is proud to support Nepal's education sector through the School Sector Education Plan and Home‑Grown School Feeding programme. School meals in Nepal are not just about feeding children: they bring together schools, local governments, parents and farmer groups; and thus, creating a shared commitment to children's wellbeing and education.”

US Embassy Nepal Chargé d’Affaires Scott Urbom said: “The best development investments deliver results far beyond their original purpose. School meals improve education and nutrition while creating reliable markets for Nepali farmers, cooperatives, and local businesses. The US Department of Agriculture has proudly partnered with Nepal on this effort since 2005 because a healthier, better educated, and more prosperous Nepal is also a stronger partner for the United States, creating new opportunities for trade, investment, and cooperation between our countries.”

National Planning Commission Vice‑Chairman Dr Gunakar Bhatta said investing in children remains a national priority and that strengthening school meals underpins Nepal’s future prosperity. He said school meals are a strategic investment that advances education, nutrition, agriculture and local economic development, contributing to long‑term human capital development.

Bel Bahadur Rana Magar, Minister of Social Development for Sudurpaschim Province, said nationalisation of the Mid‑Day Meals Programme shows what can be achieved through strong government leadership, sustained partnership and innovation. He acknowledged WFP’s role in strengthening local food systems and creating market opportunities for women and farmers through closer links with schools, and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to building resilient systems for children and communities.

The report sets out an ambition to extend the programme to grade eight and to increase coverage to as many as 4.5 million children in the coming years, reinforcing school meals as a central element of Nepal’s social protection and human capital agenda.

WFP’s 'Annual Country Report 2025' records support to more than 438,000 people through programmes on emergency preparedness and response, school meals, nutrition, climate resilience, sustainable livelihoods and food systems transformation. The Home‑Grown School Feeding approach reached more than 208,000 students across Nepal, strengthening links between schools, farmers and local markets.

(With inputs from RSS)