The impact of school feeding programmes

School feeding is increasingly recognised as a major investment in both human capital and in local economies which has accelerated country-led demand. It is seen as playing an important role not only in emergency contexts but also in social stability, peace-building and national development. Re-imagining School Feeding calls for increased investment targeted at the ages of 5-21, where new evidence shows the maximum impact on developing human capital potential. School feeding goes far beyond the plate of food, producing high returns in the following critical areas: education and gender equality, health and nutrition; social protection and local economies and agriculture