WFP supports the Philippine Government to help local farmers and schoolchildren through home-grown school feeding

The Province of Isabela, situated in the flood-prone Cagayan Valley region of Luzon Island, frequently suffers from severe flooding and landslides that impact farmers’ livelihoods and disrupt children’s education.  The newly launched programme aims to reach 2,000 schoolchildren with daily, nutritious meals supplied by 500 smallholder farmers during the 2024-2025 school year. WFP and partners plan to expand this effort to benefit 6,000 schoolchildren and 1,000 local farmers by 2027.

“Through the home-grown school feeding programme, the Department of Education is happy to partner with WFP in ensuring that our learners are provided with every kind of support they need to succeed and thrive in academics and beyond,” said DepEd Assistant Secretary Dexter Galban.

This initiative follows the successful launch of the HGSF programme in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in July, with support from the Government of Japan and the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education. In BARMM, WFP aims to reach 10,000 schoolchildren and integrate 5,000 smallholder farmers in seven towns in Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur provinces.

“By supporting our farmers and schoolchildren, we are building a healthier and food-secure future for the next generation—one where no student has to enter the classroom with an empty stomach,” said WFP Representative and Country Director in the Philippines, Regis Chapman.

In the Philippines, WFP is implementing the HGSF model in two distinct contexts in Luzon and BARMM. The hot meals, which include meat, vegetables, eggs and beans, and locally sourced iron-fortified rice provided by WFP, are purchased by the local government from neighboring smallholder farmers and delivered daily to schools.

WFP, in collaboration with other UN agencies is working to expand the HGSF programme in the Philippines, to reach 3.2 million schoolchildren and support 1.6 million local smallholder farmers by 2028.

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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 the impact of climate change.

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