United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and Italy partner to expand home-grown school feeding and resilience interventions in Malawi

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The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a contribution of €4 million from the Government of Italy to expand the Home-Grown School Feeding programme and support climate-smart agriculture and sustainable school meals by connecting schools with local farmers in Malawi’s Chikwawa District.

The funding will enable WFP to provide daily nutritious meals to 20,800 children in seventeen primary schools across Chikwawa and supports the national school feeding programme reaching over 800,000 children across Malawi. By sourcing ingredients locally, the initiative creates stable market opportunities for smallholder farmers – especially women – helping them increase production and income, while directly contributing to children’s well-being.

WFP Malawi Country Director ad interim, Simon Denhere, said the support from the Government of Italy will drive lasting impact by integrating food security, education, and livelihoods.

“This initiative goes beyond school meals; it strengthens entire communities. By linking smallholder farmers to schools and equipping them with resilience practices, we are improving children’s nutrition while helping communities recover from weather related shocks and to prepare for the future,” said Denhere.

“This partnership is a game-changer for Malawi, linking nutritious school meals to improved attendance and academic success, while empowering local farmers and enhancing community food security,” said Maureen Maguza Tembo, Deputy Director of School Health, Nutrition and HIV/AIDS  in the Ministry of Education.

Beyond school feeding, the initiative strengthens smallholder farmers’ resilience by improving access to weather resistant crops, promoting sustainable farming techniques, and expanding irrigation and financial services. These efforts help farming communities increase productivity and better withstand shocks.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Education, WFP, and Save the Children will jointly implement the project in Chikwawa District, with Save the Children and the District Council leading field interventions.

“Investing in school feeding and agriculture lays the foundation for lasting benefits for children, farmers, and the broader economy, fostering self-reliance and stability,” said H.E. Enrico de Agostini, Ambassador of Italy to Malawi and Zambia.

Malawi continues to experience climate shocks, including the recent El Niño-induced drought, making recovery efforts essential for families and communities.

“Smallholder farmers are the backbone of our agricultural sector, yet they face numerous challenges, including limited access to markets, inputs, and climate-related shocks,” said Geoffrey Mamba, Principal Secretary responsible for Irrigation in the Ministry of Agriculture. “This initiative will enhance smallholder farmers’ productivity and market access, particularly for women farmers, by integrating them into the school feeding system.”

The contribution was announced today by representatives from the Government of Italy, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Education.

Since 1999, WFP has supported school feeding in Malawi, currently reaching approximately 837,500 children across 778 schools. In addition to school feeding, WFP implements resilience-building projects in four districts in southern Malawi, targeting 57,914 households with initiatives that strengthen livelihoods, enhance agricultural productivity, and help communities withstand climate-related shocks.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Food Programme (WFP).

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