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Working to ensure governments and their partners have the knowledge, tools, and connections they need to increase coverage of high-quality school meal programs that contribute to national educational, agricultural, economic, social protection, and health and nutrition goals.

Why school meals?

Global Child Nutrition Foundation believes school feeding programs are a powerful and integrated way to encourage children to attend school, support their learning, and prepare them for success.

Why locally sourced?

Working with local farmers and making use of perishable foods such as fruits and vegetables, schools can provide daily meals to more children while increasing local economic returns.

We are GCNF.

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

Join us!

The Global Survey of School Meal Programs © has collected data from over 160 countries

VOICES FROM THE NETWORK

With the experiences I've had and the exchanges with others, I am determined to make things happen in my country for school meals, which are a major investment.
Henri-Vital EkaRepublic of the Congo
In one sentence, the overall management of the Global Child Nutrition Forum was excellent. The learning from the forum will help us to implement a school feeding programme more efficiently, effectively in Bangladesh
Bablu Kumar SahaBangladesh
Excellent networking opportunities. Wonderful support from organizers and support team. Learned a lot. Enthused to improve our own programme further to benefit the world’s children.
Faith KumaloSouth Africa
School feeding goes beyond just feeding school children but rather it is a socio-economic policy issues - which calls for all countries to develop a national policy on school feeding.
Serufo NtsabneBotswana
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News from the Network

A Window of Opportunity Not to be Missed: Investing in Adolescent Girls

Adolescent girls and young women stand to gain the most from a stronger focus on the first 8,000 days of life. However, in many cultures around the world, women and girls often eat last and eat least, affecting both their short and long-term health.
Read More

GCNF Newsletter for September 2024

The Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF) invites you to attend the Global Child Nutrition Forum taking place in Osaka, Japan from 9 through 12 December 2024! This four-day learning exchange is organized by GCNF and International Child Nutrition Japan in collaboration with the Government of Japan and the School Meals Coalition (SMC).
Read More

Building the evidence: Early nutrition sets the stage; subsequent investment plays out across childhood

The first 1,000 days of a child’s life—from conception to their second birthday—are a critical period for nutrition. During this window, appropriate nourishment lays the foundation for physical growth and development, neuro-cognitive development, and overall health.
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Shokuiku – How Japan Leverages School Meals as a ‘Living Textbook’ for Lifelong Healthy Eating 

In Japan, school meals go beyond just a meal and serve as a “living textbook” to prepare children with the good judgment required for lifelong good nutrition and sustainable diets.
Read More
More News

Voices from the Network

School feeding goes beyond just feeding school children but rather it is a socio-economic policy issues - which calls for all countries to develop a national policy on school feeding.

Serufo Ntsabne

Botswana

With the experiences I've had and the exchanges with others, I am determined to make things happen in my country for school meals, which are a major investment.

Henri-Vital Eka

Republic of the Congo

Excellent networking opportunities. Wonderful support from organizers and support team. Learned a lot. Enthused to improve our own programme further to benefit the world’s children.

Faith Kumalo

South Africa

In one sentence, the overall management of the Global Child Nutrition Forum was excellent. The learning from the forum will help us to implement a school feeding programme more efficiently, effectively in Bangladesh

Bablu Kumar Saha

Bangladesh

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

There is an immediate opportunity to reach 65 million school age children around the world who currently attend school but do not get enough to eat. 
Help us reach them by making a tax-deductible contribution to GCNF today.
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