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In this newsletter, you will find updates on GCNF's latest research, opportunities to connect with the global school meals community at the 2026 Global Child Nutrition Forum, and reflections from recent partnerships and events that are helping shape the future of school meal programs. In case you missed it, we've also included a recent webinar on school food costing, an announcement of GCNF's collaboration with the World Bank to strengthen access to global data for school meals, and our blog post celebrating the women behind school meal programs worldwide.
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Registration Open for the 2026 Global Child Nutrition Forum in Lusaka, Zambia
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Registration is open for the 2026 Global Child Nutrition Forum, taking place November 2–5, 2026 in Lusaka, Zambia! Regular registration ends September 30, 2026.
Hosted by the Global Child Nutrition Foundation in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Zambia, this year’s Forum will bring together school meal leaders across government, education, research, and related sectors to take part in this multi-day convening and technical learning event.
This year's theme, "From Vision to Action: Achieving Ambitious School Meal Program Objectives," will focus on strengthening operational capacity and translating national school meal commitments into effective implementation.
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Counting the Cost: School Meal Programs in the 21st Century
Co-organized by IFPRI and the Research Consortium for School Health and Nutrition, featuring Arlene Mitchell, GCNF
Despite a strong evidence base on their benefits, significant gaps remain in understanding the true, full costs of delivering school meals across diverse contexts. This seminar presents new cross-country evidence, offering fresh insights into cost structures, efficiency, and sustainability. It also examines how changing food systems and nutrition challenges are shaping the future of school feeding programs.
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The Pacific School Declaration
Including Collaborative Inputs from the 100+ Pacific School Food Talanoa participants
In June, GCNF's Arlene Mitchell and Shivani Gharge joined more than 100 school food champions in Nadi, Fiji, for the inaugural Pacific School Food Talanoa hosted by the Pacific School Food Network.
The Pacific School Food Declaration is a shared platform for advocacy, collaboration and collective action. Priorities include identifying government champions for school food, expanding healthy school food programs, strengthening coordination across key sectors, and establishing a mechanism to monitor progress through the Pacific School Food Network.
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Explore GCNF's Latest Publications
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GCNF continues to advance the global evidence base on school meals through research published in peer-reviewed journals. Drawing on data from the Global Survey of School Meal Programs©, these recent publications explore key topics shaping the future of school meals such as climate action, meal quality, dairy inclusion, and global data resources.
Recent GCNF school meals research:
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Beyond the Meal: The Women Who Power School Feeding Worldwide
Blog by: Jintana Malisueng White, GCNF Consultant & Leland International Hunger Fellow
School meal programs reached over 407 million children in the 2022 school year in the 142 countries that responded to the latest Global Survey of School Meal Programs©. The women who make that possible— cooks, food handlers, farmers, and program managers—are not a footnote to this achievement. They are its foundation.
Recognizing these women means more than acknowledgment. It means standardized wages, social protection, vocational credentials, and a voice in program design. It means investing in data so that the women critical to every school meal are counted and heard.
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Strengthening Global Data for School Meals: GCNF and the World Bank Collaborate to Elevate School Feeding in Global Dashboard
Blog by: the Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF) and the World Bank
The integration of GCNF’s Global Survey of School Meal Programs© data into the ASPIRE (Atlas of Social Protection: Indicators of Resilience and Equity) Social Protection Database and the Global Food and Nutrition Security (GFNS) Dashboard marks the first step in a broader process. Work is now underway to incorporate findings from the third round of the Global Survey of School Meal Programs©, providing an even more complete global picture.
When school feeding data is visible, it becomes actionable. By making school feeding data accessible and comparable, GCNF and the World Bank are helping governments design programs that reach more children, strengthen food systems, and turn every school meal into an investment in the future.
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- The Africa Food Systems Forum | August 31 - September 4, 2026 | Register
- Micronutrient Forum 7th Global Conference | September 28 - October 1, 2026 | Register
- World Food Day | October 16, 2026 | Learn more
- 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) | November 9-20, 2026 | Register
- IDF World Dairy Summit (WDS) | November 15-20, 2026 | Register
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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.
Generous partners and individuals help sustain our work. Explore ways to give!
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