Africa: 11th Africa Day of School Feeding Concludes With Strong Call for Integrated Investment in Nutrition, Water, and Hygiene

Ministers responsible for school meals and education from African Union Member States, together with development partners, civil society, private sector representatives, researchers, youth and children, concluded the 11th Africa Day of School Feeding in Gaborone, Botswana, with a renewed commitment to strengthen integrated school feeding systems across the continent.

The 11th Africa Day of School Feeding was co organized by the Government of Botswana and the African Union under the theme “Ensuring Access to Nutritious Meals, Clean Water, and Hygiene, Promoting Safety and Resilience in Every School Meal Investment.”

Held in alignment with the African Union Theme of the Year 2026 on “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063,” the meeting emphasized the strong link between school feeding, water and sanitation systems, climate resilience, and Africa’s human capital development.

Participants reaffirmed that school feeding programmes are strategic investments that directly contribute to the goals of African Union Agenda 2063, particularly Aspiration 1, which envisions a prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development. They also underscored the role of school meals in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, especially Zero Hunger, Quality Education, and Clean Water and Sanitation.

Over the past decade, Member States have made notable progress in institutionalizing school meal programmes. Thirty-five (35) countries have established dedicated national budget lines, and more than 80 percent of programme financing is sourced domestically, reflecting growing national ownership and sustainability.

The meeting highlighted that sustainable school meals models aligned with climate smart agriculture and resilient food systems are essential for long term impact. Participants stressed the need for innovative financing mechanisms, including public private partnerships and increased domestic resource mobilisation, to expand access and progressively achieve universal coverage.

Leaders further recognized that school meals programmes contribute significantly to improving school attendance, particularly for girls, addressing menstrual health related absenteeism, and promoting gender equality. However, they called for intensified efforts to ensure inclusion of children with disabilities, refugees, and marginalized communities.

Delegates emphasized the importance of cross sectoral collaboration among Ministries of Education, Agriculture, Health, Finance, Water and Sanitation, and Social Protection to deliver integrated, child centered services. Strengthened data systems, research, and impact evaluation were identified as critical to improving programme efficiency, transparency, and evidence-based policy making.

Through the Gaborone Call to Action, Member States committed to:

Champion integrated school meal programmes that combine nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), gender equality, health, climate resilience, and education outcomes.
Institutionalize Home Grown School Feeding within national policy and budget frameworks to support smallholder farmers, especially women.
Expand sustainable domestic financing and explore innovative funding mechanisms.
Invest in safe water, sanitation facilities, menstrual hygiene management, and food safety standards in schools.
Strengthen national coordination and accountability mechanisms.

Research institutions and academia were encouraged to promote knowledge sharing and evidence-based innovation, while parliamentarians were urged to strengthen legislative and financial support for sustainable school feeding systems. Development partners, private sector actors, and financial institutions were called upon to align support with nationally led priorities and continental frameworks.

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