Cambodia hosts Southeast Asia School Meals Coalition Summit

2024-11-28 22:51 Stories of success

For the first time in its history, Cambodia hosted the Southeast Asia School Meals Coalition Summit, held from November 20 to 22 in Siem Reap Province. Organized under the global School Meals Coalition initiative, the summit provided a significant platform to discuss human capital development and food system transformation.

From plate to perspective: summit objectives

The summit aimed to foster regional collaboration in establishing sustainable school feeding programs that enhance children's health, improve academic progress, and unlock the potential of future generations. Delegates from Southeast Asian nations, along with representatives from China, Japan, and South Korea, explored strategies to ensure that every child in the region receives a nutritious school meal by 2030.

“Thիs summit represents a crucial opportunity for Southeast Asian nations to collaborate on policies that promote children’s health, education, and future potential through sustainable school meals programs,” a joint press release said.

School feeding in Cambodia: a path to a better future

Cambodia is already making significant progress in this area. The Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports is implementing the national Home-Grown School Feeding Program, which currently covers nearly two-thirds of target schools. By 2028, the program is expected to embrace 1,114 schools and benefit over 300,000 students.

Cambodian Minister of Education Hang Chuon Naron highlighted the country’s progress, noting that Cambodia joined the FAO and WFP’s School Meals Guidelines and Standards for Protecting Children and Adolescents’ Right to Food initiative in 2022. This partnership has led to increased funding, streamlined procurement processes, improved cooking facilities, and the delivery of healthy meals to thousands of children.

Minister Hang Chuon Naron emphasized the importance of the summit for sharing best practices and strengthening partnerships:

“This summit is an importantplatform for governments and partners to come together, exchange best practices, and reaffirm commitments to providing nutritious meals for young learners,” he said.

Nutrition and health: transforming the future

Key topics addressed during the summit included:

Improving the quality and efficiency of nutrition and health programs
Strengthening policy and regulatory frameworks
Establishing sustainable funding mechanisms
Enhancing inter-agency collaboration

The summit served not only as a venue for exchanging experiences but also marked progress toward creating a unified approach to tackling child malnutrition and improving educational outcomes.

The significance of the event

Hosting the summit in Cambodia underscores the critical role of school feeding in addressing social, economic, and educational challenges. Sustainable feeding initiatives not only improve students’ health but also enhance their academic success, laying the groundwork for future economic growth and regional stability.

The summit marks a pivotal step toward the global goal of ensuring nutritious meals and a healthier future for every child.