The Global Survey of School Meal Programs is administered by the Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF). The purpose is to strengthen the work of the global school meal network with a comprehensive description of all the core aspects of large-scale school meal programs around the world.The survey asks a standard set of questions to form the baseline database on the state of school feeding programs in all countries of the world, including those with no school feeding activities.
First launched in 2019 with participation from 105 countries, the Global Survey of School Meal Programs was conducted for a second time in 2021 with data from 139 countries; together with the first survey round, this forms a comprehensive global database with results from 155 countries, filling a critical data gap for this major social safety net program. The data have been rapidly incorporated into major global reports such as GCNF’s School Meals Around the World, World Food Programme’s State of School Feeding Worldwide, UNESCO’s Ready to Learn and Thrive report, and is a key part of the monitoring mechanism for the School Meals Coalition.
This database is the product of information provided by government officials or their designees in response to the Global Survey of School Meal Programs © conducted by GCNF in 2021 and 2019, supplemented in limited ways with publicly available data, primarily from the United Nations and the World Bank. The data are provided in good faith and for general information purposes only. GCNF makes no guarantee as to the completeness or accuracy of the information.
Required Citation: Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF). 2024. Global Survey of School Meal Programs Database. Accessible at https://gcnf.org/global-reports/
GCNF is a non-political, non-profit entity. Funding for the survey is provided, in part, by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The information collected here will help us support our users and ensure the effective maintenance and advocacy of the Global Survey of School Meal Programs Database. Please provide the following basic information about yourself, your organization, and a brief description of your interest in accessing the database.
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The GCNF Team