Boosting health and learning outcomes for children

Ending malnutrition and making healthy food accessible is a critical component of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2 – Zero Hunger)1. For us, this means making safe and nutritious food accessible to everyone, everywhere. 

That is why, for more than 60 years we have collaborated with customers, governments, stakeholders, and NGOs in the development of School Feeding Programmes to improve health and access to nutritious beverages, reaching millions of children worldwide. 

Each programme is different and the challenges – and opportunities – are evolving constantly. Combining our expertise on food safety and quality with the knowledge of our local stakeholders, we can provide guidance along the entire food value chain – from sharing best practices in programmes around the world, developing and launching fortified nutritious beverages to promoting environmental education and recycling of beverage cartons. 

School Feeding and Nutrition Programmes have made a major impact on children’s physical health, development and learning outcomes as, for many children, food at school is often the first meal of the day. School feeding is a good investment. Efficient programmes yield returns of up to US$9 for every US$1 invested, creating value across multiple sectors including: education, health and nutrition, social protection and local agriculture2.

9.400.000.000 cartons

Delivering 9.4 billion food packages to schools through school feeding programmes.

World and 41

Improving access to healthy food in 41 countries (2021).

61.000.000 people

Providing safe nutrition for 61 million children in 2021.

The School Feeding Programme handbook

School Feeding Programmes have played a key role in improving health and education for school children around the world. Explore the many benefits that the programmes are bringing to children and communities worldwide and how they have played a key role in improving health and education for school children. We also share many examples of School Feeding Programmes with impact data and best practices on the matters of organisation and implementation of these programmes.

Close to a century of school milk in Mexico

The School Milk Programme in Mexico is one of the longest running programmes in the world and it has made significant contributions to addressing challenges related to malnutrition, education, and food insecurity. School Milk Programmes often provide the first meal of the day for children and the Mexican programme is a flagship example of our work with School Feeding Programmes. That is why we share best practices from here with other programmes in 56 countries around the world where we participate.

Children in school drinking from cartons

Promoting food safety and recycling across 950 schools in Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, malnutrition is considered a critical obstacle for the socio-economic development of the country. Meanwhile, less than 40 percent of milk demand is produced locally. To address these challenges, we supported the government of Sri Lanka in launching a school milk programme, covering 400,000 children across 950 schools, and using 100% locally produced UHT milk. By providing technical assistance and training we could improve child nutrition, increase the production of high-quality milk in the local dairy sector and raise awareness on environmental issues and recycling.

Children in school uniform drinking from cartons

Fighting malnutrition and strengthening dairy value chains in Kenya

According to the World Food programme, Kenya is challenged by high child malnutrition levels, spanning from rural to urban areas. And while Kenya ranks high in milk production rates, most local smallholder farmers lack access to dairy processors and face quality issues due to unhealthy livestock. We collaborated with the Kenyan government, the Kenyan Dairy Board and local dairy processors to provide guidance on sourcing and supplying milk from smallholder farmers, which could be used as a valuable source of nutrition for 1,767 schools across the country.

Providing access to safe nutrition to school children around the world

Giving children the best start in life begins with the best fuel for the day. See the pivotal impact of the school milk programmes, providing sustainable nutrition to children in Kerry, Ireland, and around the world.

A GLOBAL NETWORK

Giz Deutsche Gesselschaft

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

Gain Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition

Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition

GCNF

Global Child Nutrition Foundation

Our journey

Girl in school

Increasing access to safe, nutritious food

Combining our global network with food packaging, processing, and technical expertise, we are committed to making food safe and available.

Green and red peppers

Reducing food loss and waste

Together with our customers, we develop high-performance food processing solutions to minimise food loss and create food packaging solutions that help increase shelf life and reduce food waste.3

Women in a rice field

Building sustainable food value chains

Together with our suppliers and stakeholders, we support, develop and supply solutions that encourage sustainable production, processing, packaging, distribution, and consumption.

Indian woman feeding cow

Dairy Hubs

Through Dairy Hubs, we collaborate with customers and stakeholders to link smallholder farmers to a dedicated local dairy processor while ensuring a “hands-on” practical knowledge transfer.

Dad and child picking up milk carton from supermarket

Aseptic solutions for reduced food loss and waste

Minimising food waste and loss is at the heart of everything we do. We invented aseptic technology, which today protects food across the globe.

How we contribute

Explore further

Two men shaking hands in the field

Collaboration

On our journey towards addressing global challenges related to food security and nutrition, it is essential to collaborate between stakeholders. Learn more how we collaborate throughout our journey.

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1https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/hunger/ 

2https://www.wfp.org/school-feeding

3By positive impact we mean driving better outcome for our own workforce, workers and communities in our supply chain, workers in collection and recycling and people in our value chain affected by climate change and the transition to net-zero in the areas of labour, discrimination, hazardous working conditions and sustainable income, among others