Combats hunger and poverty and strengthens food and nutrition security in Africa, Asia, and Latin America by unlocking full potential of national school feeding programs
Gets off the ground with US$80 millionfrom the four founding partners plus France and the Global Partnership for Education
BERLIN, Jan. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany (BMZ), Novo Nordisk Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, and the World Food Programme (WFP) launch a first-of-its-kind School Meals Accelerator today to reach an additional 100 million children by 2030. The Accelerator, which gets off the ground with more than US$80 million from the four founding partners with additional support from France and the Global Partnership for Education, will connect countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean with technical assistance to strengthen and scale national school meal programmes. By pooling resources and expertise, the four founding partners seek to unlock the full potential of national school feeding programmes to combat hunger and poverty, while strengthening food and nutrition security around the world.
Founding partners launching Schools Meal Accelerator’s during the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture in Berlin from left to right: Prof. Flemming Konradsen, Chief Scientific Officer, Professor, Health, Novo Nordisk Foundation; Ms. Elizabeth Yee, Executive Vice President of Programs, The Rockefeller Foundation; H.E. Ms. Reem Alabali Radovan, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development for Germany; Ms. Rania Dagash-Kamara, Assistant Executive Director, WFP (credit: Liesa Johannss
Announced during the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture in Berlin, Germany, BMZ’s participation in the Accelerator underscores the country’s commitment to innovation in development cooperation. Through this initiative, Germany is backing a new model that taps into the growing demand by governments to expand home-grown school meals and integrate them into broader strategies for food systems transformation, fostering equity and resilience.
“School meals are more than just a plate of food. They are a significant game changer in our global fight for better education, empowerment, health and for a better future together,” said Reem Alabali Radovan, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development. “Germany strongly supports this initiative, which combines innovation and partnership to fight hunger and poverty.”
“Governments are leading an unprecedented transformation in school meal programmes,” said Rania Dagash-Kamara, Assistant Executive Director Partnerships and Innovation of the World Food Programme (WFP). “The Accelerator supports that ambition—working alongside WFP and other partners to help countries turn their commitments into sustainable systems that support children and communities and strengthen education and food security.“
“Healthy diets in childhood are the foundation for lifelong health,” said Professor Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, CEO of theNovo Nordisk Foundation. “The Accelerator will help countries design programmes that improve nutrition and prevent chronic disease.”
“School meals are one of the most powerful and underleveraged investments in development,” said Elizabeth Yee, Executive Vice President of Programs at The Rockefeller Foundation. “The Accelerator will help countries unlock the full potential of national school feeding programmes for their communities – turning political commitment into sustainable systems that nourish children, support farmers, and strengthen food and nutrition security. The Rockefeller Foundation is proud to support this effort as part of our $100 million commitment to regenerative school meals.”
School meals have evolved into a global policy priority. Since 2020, global funding for school meals has nearly doubled—from $43 billion to $84 billion annually—with 99 percent now coming from domestic budgets. Today, at least 466 million children benefit from school meals—80 million more than four years ago. However, even as these programmes become increasingly popular, integrating school meals into national systems and securing long-term, sustainable financing can prove challenging.
The Accelerator was born out of the School Meals Coalition, a network of more than 110 governments and over 150 non-profit, philanthropic, and research partners, hosted by WFP as its Secretariat, working to prioritize school meals as a strategic investment. To date, 60 countries have submitted national commitments with concrete targets.
TheSchool Meals Accelerator: This innovative collaboration gets off the ground with the support of its four founding partners, as well as the co-chairs of the School Meals Coalition – France, Finland and Brazil – and inputs from many organizations and networks. These include the School Meals Coalition initiatives, the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, the Centre of Excellence Against Hunger in Brazil, the International Development Research Centre, and the Global Partnership for Education, which supported inception efforts through its technical assistance facility and will continue to be a main partner, connecting the education sector to this work.
The School Meals Accelerator will help governments unlock the full potential of national school feeding programmes and reach an additional 100 million children with more nutritious school meals by 2030 by:
Bringing together governments, non-profit, and philanthropic partners to integrate school meals programmes into broader strategies, so they become a driver of systemic change rather than isolated interventions.
Pooling expertise, resources, and innovations to foster cross-sector collaboration, advance implementation efforts, and strengthen national capacities.
Prioritizing demand-driven support to ensure that technical assistance responds to and is reflective of countries’ specific needs and contexts.
School meals programmes offer a reliable pathway out of poverty by building the skills children need to succeed later in life. They are among the most cost-effective ways to improve education quality, with measurable gains in cognitive skills, mathematics and literacy. By increasing both school participation and learning outcomes, they support future productivity and economic growth. These programmes strengthen food systems by sourcing locally and sustainably, creating markets for farmers and stimulating rural economies. They are drivers of climate resilience and regenerative agriculture, linking global sustainability goals with local livelihoods. For additional information on the opportunities provided by school meals programmes, visit: School Meals Coalition | A healthy meal every day for every child.
About Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany (BMZ) Within the German government, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is responsible for Germany’s development policy. The ministry’s efforts are focused on fighting poverty and hunger and ensuring that people can lead healthy lives in a healthy environment. The BMZ understands itself as a transformation ministry globally engaged in advancing the transition to sustainable economies which are compatible with the protection of the global climate and the natural environment, and simultaneously working to strengthen peace, freedom and human rights.
About Novo Nordisk Foundation Established in Denmark in 1924, the Novo Nordisk Foundation is an enterprise foundation with philanthropic objectives. The vision of the Foundation is to improve people’s health and the sustainability of society and the planet. The Foundation’s mission is to progress research and innovation in the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic and infectious diseases as well as to advance knowledge and solutions to support a green transformation of society.
About The Rockefeller Foundation Investing $30 billion over the last 113 years to promote the well-being of humanity, The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on unlikely partnerships and innovative solutions that deliver measurable results for people in the United States and around the world. We leverage scientific breakthroughs, artificial intelligence, and new technologies to make big bets across energy, food, health, and finance, including through our public charity, RF Catalytic Capital (RFCC). For more information, sign up for our newsletter at www.rockefellerfoundation.org/subscribe and follow us on X @RockefellerFdn, Instagram @rockefellerfdn, YouTube @RockefellerFdn, and LinkedIn @the-rockefeller-foundation.
About the World Food Programme (WFP) The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and recurring shocks. In 2024, 119 million children in 78 countries received school meals through national programmes supported by WFP, while reaching 20 million children directly.
SOURCE The Rockefeller Foundation
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