WFP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific - 2016 SPRs RBB 2016 SPRs by project type | Page 50

Standard Project Report 2016
Rice Fortification and South Asia Regional Meeting
on School Feeding
Rice Fortification
Following several cases of vitamin B1 (thiamin) deficiency (beri-beri) among school children in several schools since
2011, as one of the mitigation measures, the Government requested WFP to provide support with rice fortification.
Following an initial workshop in 2015, a landscape analysis mission for rice fortification was organised, resulting in
concrete recommendations including specifications. Subsequently, the Government formed a rice fortification task
force to oversee the progress in the implementation of fortification works. In 2017, WFP plans to provide fortified
rice to all of the school children that it supports through its development project in Bhutan.
South Asia Regional Meeting on School Feeding
In August 2016, a three-day meeting on school feeding was hosted by the Royal Government of Bhutan bringing
together experts from the South Asian countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri
Lanka. Officials from the Government and WFP represented the countries along with the WFP Centre of Excellence
Against Hunger in Brazil. The meeting, which was the first of its kind, encouraged an active learning process among
countries implementing national school feeding programmes by creating an opportunity for school feeding
practitioners to share their experiences and learn from their peers in neighbouring countries, possibly leading to
future collaboration among government officials from South-Asian countries.
During the open and frank discussions, participants declared that school feeding is an important investment in the
development of a country and contributed towards meeting the commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals.
The participants discussed the importance of creating institutional capacity to implement school feeding initiatives;
how to use school feeding as an entry point for complementary activities such as food fortification; how to involve
local communities; and the relevance of having a robust policy framework for school feeding. A visit to two schools
was arranged for the participants, which enriched their experience and enabled them to interact with students and
teachers during a school lunch.
Given the diversity of school feeding programmes across South Asia, participants acknowledged that they would
benefit from more systematic exchanges of school feeding information. Participants decided to establish a platform
for regular knowledge sharing among South Asian countries, to be facilitated by WFP. This platform will provide
technical support to governments and create opportunities to engage in cross-country learning exchanges, with the
support of WFP Centre of Excellence against Hunger in Brazil, to integrate nutritional objectives and innovative
approaches into school feeding programmes.
Important outcomes of the meeting included agreement on the following actions:
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Developing and strengthening school feeding policy frameworks in respective national and sub-national levels;
Using evidence-based approaches to review the objectives of participating countries' respective school feeding
programmes;
Using systematic analytical and diagnostic tools to advocate for improved school feeding programmes;
Developing a roadmap for the way forward of the school feeding programmes in participating countries;
Reporting on the importance of enhancing investments in school feeding to the senior levels of government;
Conducting studies to incorporate innovative approaches from the experience of other South Asian countries.
Bhutan, Kingdom of (BT)
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Development Project - 200300