Partnership between SIFI and the UN World Food Programme

and school feeding

Nicaragua, one of the poorest countries in Latin America, relies heavily on agriculture, which provides income for 80% of its population. Since 1994, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has supported a school feeding project in Nicaragua, which plays a critical role in assisting low-income families and increasing school attendance.

Community involvement, particularly from parents, is a key factor of success. Parents contribute by supplying some food products, preparing meals, and managing the transportation of supplies from municipal warehouses to schools.

Program Scope:

1.2 million children aged 3 to 12 are impacted

15% of funding comes from the UN WFP

85% is financed by the national budget

Economic Conditions

Nutritional Issues

Low wages in agriculture and limited competitiveness of small farms and cooperatives.

Despite achieving 80% self-sufficiency in food production, agricultural sector workers earn the lowest wages in the country.

Limited awareness of healthy eating principles

High rates of malnutrition and obesity due to unbalanced diets

To support the School Feeding Programme, the WFP launched the "Promoting Sustainable Home-Grown School Feeding through Enhanced Local Food Production Systems" project in 2020.

The project’s goal is to establish a sustainable school feeding system that will help improve children’s health and support local farmers.

Boost school attendance

Improve the quality of school meals

Enhance children’s health

Support local food systems

Expected results:

SIFI's

Recommendations Development

We issued recommendations for the improvement of school feeding, which included introducing new meal options and optimizing procurement processes to involve local farmers.

We conducted a comprehensive evaluation of Nicaragua’s school feeding system, identifying problem areas and proposing targeted solutions.

System Analysis

Ensuring the safety and improving the quality of school meals

Establishing community kitchens

school feeding

Installing refrigerators in school kitchens and establishing municipal centers for food storage.

Identifying cooperatives for food supply, alongside creating vegetable storage facilities and processing units.

Specialized kitchens where parents can take turns preparing meals for students. These kitchens will be equipped with modern appliances, and parents will receive training on their use. This initiative holds significant promise for Nicaragua, where many schools lack kitchen facilities, and parents actively support school feeding initiatives.

Installing refrigerators in school kitchens and establishing municipal centers for food storage.

Identifying cooperatives for food supply, alongside creating vegetable storage facilities and processing units.

Ensuring the safety and improving the quality of school meals

Developing legal frameworks to ensure equal distribution of resources, guaranteeing meals for all children.

Creating a parent-managed fund for bulk purchasing of food products, thus benefiting local farmers.

Distributing parental contributions

Providing instruction on meal preparation techniques.

Establishing guidelines and training parents and school employees to create varied and balanced menus.

Developing standards for school menus

Establishing community kitchens

Specialized kitchens where parents can take turns preparing meals for students. These kitchens will be equipped with modern appliances, and parents will receive training on their use. This initiative holds significant promise for Nicaragua, where many schools lack kitchen facilities, and parents actively support school feeding initiatives.

Offering consultations and financial assistance to farmers providing their produce for school meals to reduce costs and increase production.

This approach can also help curb youth migration and stimulate local economic development.

Supporting farmers

Installing solar energy stations

Providing electricity to kitchens through solar power systems and gaining extra funding for school meals by selling excess energy.

Creating an interagency committee

Involving local communities and farmers in school feeding initiatives to foster collaboration and shared ownership.

Implementing a hybrid procurement model

Considering local conditions and farmer capacities for reducing logistics costs while ensuring children have access to fresh, locally sourced food.

by SIFI experts

Establishing a training center for school administration

Gradually incorporating professional cooks into school staff

Developing regulatory documents to standardize school feeding

Expanding school menus to include new dishes

The project in Nicaragua is dedicated to creating a sustainable school feeding system that not only helps improve children’s health and school attendance but also supports local farmers and drives economic growth.

The proposed solutions aim to elevate the standard of school meals, engage local communities and farmers, and promote healthy eating principles among the population.