Latin America and the Caribbean urgently need Investing in quality school feeding programshe said World Food Programme (WFP) on the occasion of the inauguration in Mexico City of the 10th Regional Forum for School Feeding in the region, which began this Tuesday and will last until August 29.
The meeting brings together some 200 delegates from more than 20 countries, including government ministers, representatives of international financial institutions and the UN to discuss sustainable and nutritious school feeding programmes across the region.
Strategies to be promoted include purchasing local foods to increase the availability of healthy foods, create jobs and foster economic growth in a region where the The average cost of a healthy diet is $4.56, 40 million people suffer from hunger and one in three children is obese.
Reversing malnutrition
The WFP regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean asserted that for the countries of the region it must be a priority to reverse malnutrition in all its forms, since negatively impacts children’s development.
“By sharing experiences and working together, we can building more equitable societies “where every child has access to a nutritious meal at school. We all want to see children learning, playing and smiling so that the next generation has a healthier and more prosperous future,” said Lola Castro.
For his part, Ruy López Ridaura, national coordinator of Food Systems in Mexico, a co-sponsor of the conclave, said that the abundance of ultra-processed foods, misleading advertising and lack of access to healthy options have led to widespread obesity, a global public health crisis in which children are especially vulnerable.
“Healthy school meals can be essential to transform this environment,” he said, adding that, in addition, school meals are a fundamental pillar of learning of any educational system.
Pioneer region
The meeting in Mexico will serve to highlight the significant progress made by governments in the region in their school meal programmes. Participants will present evidence, good practices and innovative solutions aimed at improving these programmes in all countries. The role of partnerships in access to school meals will also be addressed.
Latin American and Caribbean countries are pioneers in school meal programs with impact on local economiesas they have created stable markets for small farmers who supply food to schools, generated jobs for women and promoted local purchasing.
Thus, the report on the State of School Food showed that a total of 80.3 million pre-school, primary and secondary school children benefited from school meals in 2022. Most of them live in South America (63.2 million), followed by Central America and Mexico (13.3 million), and the Caribbean (3.8 million).
WFP supports governments in the region through technical assistance or direct implementation as needed. This includes a wide range of interventions: health and nutrition support, the rehabilitation of school infrastructure and the purchase of fresh local produce from smallholder farmers’ associations. It currently supports school feeding in eleven countries in the region and provides technical assistance to six Caribbean countries, directly reaching more than three million children.
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