Farmer Inclusion in School-Based Food and Nutrition Programs in Southeast Asia: Strengthening the Nutrition-Education-Development Nexus

This paper draws from the regional policy forum From Farms to Schools: Towards Sustainable and Inclusive School-Based Food and Nutrition Programs in Southeast Asia. The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) organized the forum in partnership with the Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (i.e., AFA) in April 2023. Participants represented Southeast Asian education ministries, international development organizations, academic institutions, as well as farmers’ and civil society organizations. The presentations, plenary discussions, and breakout group discussions served as the main inputs for this paper.

The paper briefly discusses the benefits of and challenges to school-based food and nutrition programs (SBFNPs), particularly on the meaningful inclusion of smallholder farmers or family farmers. It includes recommendations for policy and action to improve farmer participation in the SBFNPs and strengthen the nutrition-education-development nexus.