In its twentieth edition, the Global Child Nutrition Forum approved a final statement with seven recommendations for participating countries. The set of recommendations calls for countries to take ownership of their school feeding programmes, working with partners to improve quality, ensure children and adolescents nutrition, and scaling-up.
The document recognizes the importance of political will, integration among various sectors, and nutrition-sensitive approaches to ensure school feeding programmes contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. It also recognizes the role of school feeding programmes both in stable environments and humanitarian crisis contexts.
This is the list of recommendations of the 20th Global Child Nutrition Forum:
- That governments take ownership of national school feeding programmes and gradually provide sufficient and regular funds, from national budgets, for covering all children and adolescents.
- Creating and enabling country-specific legal frameworks for school feeding programmes.
- Context-specific food and nutrition education be integrated into all grade level curriculum including a focus on skill development and behaviour change.
- That school feeding programmes have robust nation-led Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) systems that inform decision making and enhance quality and accountability.
- That school feeding programmes be based on country national development plans and policies.
- Integration of micro-nutrient rich food.
- That countries should reply to the School Feeding Global Survey.
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