Minister of Education to Attend the Global School Meals Coalition Summit in Paris

Cambodia joined the coalition in 2021 following its launch at the United Nations Food Systems Summit, recognizing the potential of school meals to amplify human capital development and power local food systems. This global initiative, co-chaired by France and Finland, aims to guarantee that every child has access to healthy and nutritious meals necessary to thrive and flourish academically by 2030. Well-designed school meal programmes are one of the most impactful and efficient interventions that benefit entire communities. By focusing on one policy lever – school meal and related public food procurement policies – governments can strategically leverage their power to make progress on several systemic issues.

With a long-standing history of successful school feeding programme implementation and results, Cambodia has been recognized by the School Meals Coalition as a positive example to be highlighted in this year’s summit and as such it will feature prominently.

“Indeed, Cambodia’s nationalization of the school meals programme which started in 2020 is growing rapidly, thus attracting children to schools and supporting child learning, nutrition, health and long-term well-being,” said H.E. Naron. He added that WFP is working with national and local authorities to create the conditions for the Government to fully own the programme, by ensuring the programme is included in national budgets, planning and the country’s national protection scheme.

Given the French Government’s convening role, H.E. Jacques PELLET, Ambassador of France to Cambodia, the Minister and the World Food Programme's representative undertook a joint visit to Angserei Primary School in Kampong Chhnang province, where over 200 pre-primary and primary school-aged children are served hot, nutritious breakfast every morning.

The visit was an opportunity for the ambassador to witness the national school feeding programme in practice.

“As a co-chair of the School Meals Coalition, we are deeply committed to this noble cause of global nutrition and education at both national and international levels,” said H.E. Jacques PELLET, Ambassador of France to Cambodia. He emphasized that France is actively supporting the cause within its own country and worldwide through WFP’s school meals programme. “Our visit to this wonderful school today reinforces our shared vision for a world where every child is nourished in body and mind.”

Advocacy for school meals both in Cambodia and abroad is key to sustain commitment and peer learning to better feed tomorrow’s generations. The School Meals Coalition is the perfect platform where governments and partners can agree to work together under the same tent to improve the quality, sustainability and scale of national school meals programmes and complementary interventions.