As part of the UNFSS+4 High-Level Convening, a thematic session titled "Nourishing the Future through Regenerative School Meals" was held on July 26, 2025, at the Sheraton Addis on Taitu St. It brought together prominent figures including Ethiopia’s former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, former First Lady Roman Tesfaye, and Kenya’s First Lady Rachel Ruto. Organised by the Rockefeller Foundation, the event focused on overhauling child nutrition through regenerative agriculture. Sarah Farley, Vice President and Global Food Portfolio Lead at the Foundation, called it a “milestone event” marking a shift toward agriculture that reduces greenhouse gas emissions while boosting food quality and soil health. She said the Foundation is reimagining school meal systems in Ethiopia within a broader global food systems agenda. Farley highlighted the need to integrate school meals into national climate resilience strategies, noting how food security and climate goals are increasingly linked. "Ethiopia has made notable progress since 2019," she told Fortune, pointing to the national school lunch programme, which now serves six million children and targets 21 million by 2030. To help reach that goal, the Foundation has pledged $100 million over five years to support the Regenerative School Meals initiative in Ethiopia and other countries. The programme will work with governments, farmers, and partners to develop local financing models. Farley called it a "big bet" on improving child health, resilient food systems, and climate sustainability. The funding will provide technical support to governments, schools, and farmers, in collaboration with partners like the World Food Programme. Farley said scaling the programme will require a tenfold boost in support from governments, donors, and private investors. She also cited Stanford and University of Wisconsin research showing climate variability is already disrupting fragile supply chains.
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