KEYIR NEWS - Education Minister, Professor Berhanu Nega, revealed at the 2nd United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Conference that more than 90 percent of the funding for the country’s national school feeding programme is sourced domestically, reflecting strong government leadership and broad-based community mobilisation.
Speaking at the conference hosted in Addis Ababa, Professor Berhanu highlighted the country’s significant progress in developing and scaling a sustainable, locally driven school feeding initiative aimed at enhancing education access, improving child nutrition, and stimulating local agriculture.
According to the Minister, the government has allocated 6.3 billion birr towards the programme. In addition, local communities have contributed 9.8 billion birr, while international partners, including non-governmental organisations and development donors, have provided 1.3 billion birr.
This funding model—wherein domestic sources contribute the vast majority, has been praised by observers as a rare example of national ownership in large-scale social programmes.
“Ethiopia’s approach is founded on self-reliance and inclusive development,” Professor Berhanu said. “Our communities, alongside the government, have made this programme their own. It is a shared investment in the wellbeing and future of our children.”
The Minister noted that the success of the initiative is largely due to the recently adopted National School Feeding Policy Framework, which formalises the role of school meals as part of the country’s educational and developmental agenda.
The policy seeks to align school feeding with broader economic objectives, including the promotion of local agricultural production and job creation in rural areas.
The programme currently serves millions of school-aged children across the country, with meals provided in both urban and rural schools. It has been credited with reducing absenteeism, improving classroom performance, and encouraging the retention of students, particularly among vulnerable groups.
“School meals do more than fill empty stomachs,” the Minister noted. “They keep children in school, allow them to concentrate, and help unlock their full potential.”
On the sidelines of the FAO Conference, Professor Berhanu met with senior representatives of the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World School Meal Coalition, where discussions focused on sharing best practices and strengthening international collaboration on child nutrition initiatives.
International observers at the conference commended Ethiopia’s model for its integration of education, agriculture, and social protection, and called it a replicable example for other developing nations.
Analysts say Ethiopia’s school feeding strategy reflects a shift in mindset, from dependence on aid to development through community-driven, government-led policy execution.
As the country seeks to scale the programme even further, education officials remain confident that the model will contribute not only to improved learning outcomes but also to long-term social and economic resilience.
“This is not a charity programme,” Professor Berhanu concluded. “It is a foundation for human development and national progress.”