[{"bbox": [147, 152, 383, 186], "category": "Section-header", "text": "2 RATIONALE"}, {"bbox": [147, 215, 295, 244], "category": "Section-header", "text": "2.1 Context"}, {"bbox": [147, 258, 1084, 472], "category": "Text", "text": "On average 1 million Malawians need food assistance every year during the lean season, reaching however 3.7 million in the 2022/2023 season. In addition, 35.1% of children under 5 are moderately or severely stunted, and only 36% of primary school going children have access to safe, adequate, and nutritious foods and improved learning. Income generating opportunities for farmer organisations/cooperatives are limited in rural areas. Farmers have limited access to markets, due to physical distance and high transport costs, lack of information on commodity prices and potential buyers. Furthermore, because of limited storage facilities, farmers are obliged to sell right after harvest, when commodity prices are at their lowest."}, {"bbox": [147, 482, 1084, 829], "category": "Text", "text": "This Action will support the expansion of school meals in primary schools and Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres, while improving market opportunities for smallholder producers, as preferred suppliers to the schools. Through the homegrown school feeding (HGSF) approach, the Action will work with District Councils to ensure that school learners receive diversified school meals throughout the school terms. This will ensure regular access to healthy food for pupils, contributing to a better nutrition and better school performance. It will also increase school attendance, hence contribution to primary school completion rate, especially for girls who are most at risk of dropping out. As the nutritious food composition will be purchased from local farmer groups around the selected schools, the Action will boost agricultural commercialisation and increase income generating opportunities for smallholders, mostly parents of the pupils receiving school meals, triggering a virtuous cycle of community socio-economic empowerment. Through a crisis modifier, it will provide safety nets for households in times of crisis (should schools be closed again due to a pandemic or should farmers require support to face a challenging planting season)."}, {"bbox": [147, 839, 1084, 948], "category": "Text", "text": "The Action contributes to **MIP Priority Area 1**, Green and Resilient Economic Transformation, specific objective 1.1, Boosting productivity, resilience, diversification and commercialisation for agriculture and fisheries. It will also contribute to **MIP Priority Area 3**, Human Development and Social Inclusion, specific objective 3.2 of strengthening social protection systems."}, {"bbox": [147, 958, 1084, 1173], "category": "Text", "text": "This Action seeks to build on existing investment under the Tsogolo la Thanzi (TSOLATA) – “Healthy Future” intervention, implemented by WFP and Ministry of Education, in 4 districts of the South of Malawi and 200 primary schools. It will expand this approach adding three more districts and doubling the number of targeted primary schools. It will also expand the school meals to ECD centres, following the MIP’s priority of empowering women and girls throughout the lifecycle. Since it contributes to primary school completion, it also lays the foundations for the EU support to secondary education. The Action will seek to build synergies with the ongoing programme Kulima and Afikepo, supporting agricultural diversification and increased productivity and nutrition education at community level."}, {"bbox": [147, 1183, 1084, 1318], "category": "Text", "text": "The Action is in line with **Malawi's international and national commitments with regard to school meals**: Malawi is among the African Union member states that in 2016 endorsed a commitment to promote nationally owned homegrown school feeding programmes to contribute to agriculture and economic empowerment of farmers as well as to improve nutrition and education of its children. The universal provision of school meals in all public primary schools was set as a Cabinet Directive in 2007."}, {"bbox": [147, 1328, 1084, 1489], "category": "Text", "text": "Recognised for its multiple benefits on education, health and nutrition, social protection, and agriculture (when linked to a homegrown model), school feeding in Malawi is multisector in nature and it is enshrined in policy frameworks such as: National Multi-Sector Nutrition Policy (NMNP 2018-2022), National School Health and Nutrition Policy (SHNP 2017), National Education Sector Investment Plan (2020-2030), Malawi National Social Support Programme (MNSSP II) and National Strategic Plan for Early Childhood Development (2018–2023)."}, {"bbox": [147, 1499, 1084, 1607], "category": "Text", "text": "Malawi also participated in the discussions leading to the **United Nations Food Systems Summit** in 2021 and national-level consultations recognised the importance of a multi-sector approach in building healthier, sustainable and equitable food systems. The role of school meals was highlighted as one of the initiatives that will positively contribute to **Action Track 1 (Ensure access to safe and nutritious**"}, {"bbox": [976, 1680, 1082, 1706], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 4 of 26"}]