THE GLOBAL SURVEY OF SCHOOL MEAL PROGRAMS©

addresses a critical data gap, producing the world’s most comprehensive data resource on national and large-scale school meal programs worldwide.

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THE GLOBAL CHILD NUTRITION FORUM

Our multi-day conference designed to foster learning, collaboration, and technical support for countries as they develop and implement sustainable school meal programs.

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TURN KNOWLEDGE INTO ACTION

Use our country reports, infographics, and briefs to advocate for greater investment in school feeding.

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Who We Are

The Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF) provides governments and their partners with knowledge, tools, and connections to build high-quality school meal programs that support all children and contribute to national educational, agricultural, economic, social protection, health, and nutrition goals.

How We Work

We work together with a global network to ensure that hunger is not a barrier for learning for any child.

Why School Meals

At least 407.8 million children worldwide receive food through their schools.

For many children in vulnerable situations, a school meal is the only nutritious meal they will receive throughout the day.

School meals are powerful tools for ensuring children attend school and are able to learn.

School meal programs have potential to be key drivers of global food system transformation, fostering demand for nutritious foods, supporting livelihoods, and promoting the sustainability of food systems worldwide.

HOW WE WORK

We support government efforts to effectively implement and sustain national school meal programs.

We engage civil society and businesses to strengthen supply chains and increase political will for school meal programs.

We share best practices and tools to support the creation, expansion, and improvement of national school meal programs.

We coordinate with partners in the field—nonprofits, schools, and researchers—to raise awareness and secure robust support and resources for school meal programs.

We research school meal programs to highlight their multisectoral intersections and identify areas of challenge and opportunity.

THE LATEST SCHOOL MEALS NEWS

A Ghanaian smallholder farmer and Food for All Africa worker harvesting beans to be disturbed at schools.

Bridging the Gap: How Food Banks Can Help School Meal

June 20, 2025

Across Africa and around the world, school meal programs face an ongoing balancing act of...

Feeding the Grades – Calling for an Expansion of School

June 11, 2025

Why do children drop out of school, and what helps them stay? These questions are...

School Meals Programs: Expanding access through innovative financing to accelerate progress

June 10, 2025

With less than five years remaining, the world is at a critical juncture in achieving...

GCNF Newsletter for April 2025

May 8, 2025

Spring 2025 is in full swing, and it’s already been meaningful for the global school...

VOICES FROM OUR FORUM

“The GCNF Forum 2024 provided a unique space for global leaders to share ideas, inspire innovation, and build partnerships that strengthen school meal programs worldwide.”

“Moments like these remind us of the collective power of innovation and collaboration in shaping a healthier, more sustainable future for our communities.”

“Having attended many global gatherings across many different themes – food systems, climate change, biodiversity and nutrition – these last 30 years and more, I have to say that GCNF has created a gathering that is very special and unique in many ways.”

OUR COMMITMENT

Powerful things happen when parents, educators, community organizers, local businesses, and government officials within a school system share a common vision for healthy children.

Yes, a child’s prospects are changed but it is far more than that. Local farmers work with purpose knowing there’s a ready market for their goods. Jobs are created to distribute and produce food. Local economies grow stronger as children grow up to be healthy, productive citizens who can access and create opportunity.

When systems work together in this manner, school nutrition programs are sustainable and scalable. Societies develop in which hunger is not a barrier to children’s learning and local economies thrive.

Please join Global Child Nutrition Foundation in our mission to give every child a chance to learn and thrive.

Gene White
Co-Founder, Global Child Nutrition Foundation

JOIN US!

Join GCNF in helping to ensure governments and their partners have the tools, connections, and knowledge they need to implement high quality school meal programs.

Help by making a tax-deductible contribution to GCNF today.