School Feeding Menu Booklet for Addis Ababa-2025 Launched
ADDIS ABABA – April 09, 2025 (NIPN/EPHI) - A day-long policy dialogue and booklet launch on School Feeding Programs, organized jointly by the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), the National Information Platforms for Nutrition-Ethiopia (NIPN-Ethiopia), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), was held here yesterday under the theme “Sustainable School Feeding-Feed a Student, Grow a Nation”.
Opening the event, Deputy Director General of EPHI, Dr. Getachew Tollera, said that EPHI would do everything necessary so that the School Feeding Program (SFP) is implemented in a more intensified manner. The Depuy Director General stated that EPHI has previously conducted several workshops focused on analyzing the impacts of SFP and fostering collaboration among stakeholders in collaboration with the NIPN-Ethiopia, IFPRI, and GIZ.
“These workshops addressed the structural reforms needed for effective school feeding. They were also forums for in-depth discussions between government sectors and partner organizations to establish a robust school feeding framework and develop multi-sectoral approaches,” said Dr. Getachew.
Dr. Getachewemphasized that the government and its partners are making significant contributions to providing meals (especially breakfast and lunch) to students in selected schools, particularly in regions where food insecurity is prevalent. Evidence suggests that the meals often include cereals and fortified foods, he said.
The Deputy Director further stated that the homegrown school feeding program has been a great success in providing school meals with locally grown food. “This practice is contributing significantly to the economic support of local or small-scale farmers. It also stimulates the local economy and provides children with access to fresh, healthy, and nutritious food,” he said, adding that SFP has greatly improved the process of working with organizations such as WFP, UNICEF, and Save the Children.
While School Feeding (SF) in Ethiopia has been actively implemented in Addis Ababa and cities in the Oromia Region, the program is also being implemented in other regions, especially in areas prone to food insecurity.
Chief Executive Officer of the Educational Programs and Quality Improvement at the Federal Ministry of Education (MoE), Dr. Yohannes Wogasso, said that SFP has brought about significant change in the teaching and learning process. According to him, the disparity in promotion rates, (from class to class) previously observed between private and government schools, has narrowed significantly since the SFP began.
Speaking about the activities planned for the future, Dr. Yonannes stated that the ministry is working to implement community-centered SFP. “We have planned to improve the food provisions for SFP through the implementation of state farms to be established in regional states,” he said. Dr. Yohannes said that although SF remains a major challenge for the education sector, the MoE is striving hard to address it. Developing a national policy framework, outlining strategic operations, and adopting a hosted strategy were among the efforts being made by the ministry to address the SF challenges across the country, according to the senior official.
Advisor to NIPN-Ethiopia from GIZ, Dr. Archana Sarkar, said on her part that the event jointly organized along with GIZ partners EPHI, NIPN, and IFPRI “marks a significant milestone in the collective efforts to enhance the nutritional well-being of students and ensure every child has access to cost-effective, healthy, and culturally appropriate school meals”. Dr. Sarkar mentioned the long-standing Ethio-German cooperation on Food and Nutrition Security related projects being implemented through the BMZ Initiative of One World-No Hunger.
She stated that the collaboration between the two countries is more relevant than ever as it addresses critical issues of hunger and malnutrition, nutrition data, and evidence for nutrition programming. NIPN is an initiative of EU-BMZ to strengthen evidence-based nutrition programming through strengthening data, policy questions, and capacity building in a multi-sectoral approach, Dr. Sarkar emphasized.
She further noted that the discussion “is an opportunity to share insights, gather valuable feedback, and collectively refine our approach to sustainable SFP”.
Speaking about the School Feeding Menu Booklet for Addis Ababa-2025, Dr. Sarkar said that it was designed to support schools, policy makers, and communities in providing affordable, nutritious, and locally sourced meals that cater to the diverse dietary needs of students in Addis Ababa.
A representative from the House of Peoples Representatives said on the occasion that the SFP being implemented across the country encouraged school children to pursue their education. He expressed his appreciation to those involved in the program and called for more coordinated effort to bring about greater change.
A lengthy panel discussion held on the occasion addressed issues raised by a moderator, Dr. Endale Amare from EPHI. The challenges witnessed on SF, such as the affordability of food, the procurement process, how to make the foods nutritious, how the farmers who provide the foods should be encouraged by incentives, and how the food provisions should be financed, were among the issues raised for discussion.
Panelists drawn from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Ethiopia School Meal Initiative, Addis Ababa Mayor’s Office, UNICEF, and WFP reflected in-depth ideas on SF, shared experiences, and discussed the way forward.
Over 40 individuals from various governmental and non-governmental organizations participated in the policy dialogue discussion and School Booklet Menu Launch event held at the Hilton Hotel, Addis Ababa. (NIPN/EPHI)
