Strengthening agroecology-based school and college food procurement programs in East and Southern Africa

School feeding programs in East and Southern Africa are critical in improving nutrition, school attendance and learning outcomes, especially for marginalized learners. However, these initiatives face challenges such as an unstable food supply, reliance on non-agroecological markets, funding inconsistencies and weak linkages between schools and local farmers.

This project seeks to strengthen agroecology-based school and college feeding programs in Uganda, Kenya and Malawi. It will assess existing school feeding models, engage local stakeholders to co-design and test agroecology-based school feeding prototypes, enhance participation of women and youth, and scale best practices through policy advocacy and implementation support. The study will combine document/literature reviews, surveys, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. It will compare schools that practice agroecology and use products for school meals with those that are starting to and those that do not. Key outcomes include improved access to safe and nutritious agroecologically produced food, increased income for smallholder farmers and strengthened institutional frameworks for school feeding policies.

This 36-month project is part of a cohort of projects under the IDRC-led School Food Catalyzing Climate Resilient, Inclusive and Sustainable Procurement initiative that aim to catalyze the adoption and scaling-up of regenerative, equitable and inclusive practices in school meal supply systems in Africa. The ultimate goal is to contribute to the agroecological transition of local and national food systems.