Cambodia Hosts Southeast Asia 'School Meals' Cooperation Meeting

Phnom Penh —  Cambodia hosted the first Southeast Asia School Meals Coalition Summit in Siem Reap Province, northwest of the country. The summit aimed to advance human capital development and facilitate a transformation of the food system.

The three-day summit was part of a global initiative promoting school meal programs and brought together stakeholders from Southeast Asian nations, along with representatives from China, Japan, and South Korea.

Reports indicate that this summit served as a critical opportunity for Southeast Asian countries to collaborate on policies that support health, education, and the future potential of children through sustainable school meal programs.

The initiative aims to ensure that by 2030, every child in Southeast Asia and beyond has access to healthy and nutritious daily school meals.

Currently, Cambodia’s Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports is supporting a National Home-Grown School Feeding Program in nearly two-thirds of targeted schools. The ministry also plans to expand the program to cover 1,114 schools, benefiting over 300,000 students by 2028.

Hang Chuon Naron, Minister of Education, Youth, and Sports, emphasized that the summit provided a vital platform for government agencies and partners to share best practices and reaffirm their commitment to providing nutritious meals for young students. He highlighted the use of school meal programs as an essential tool for social protection.

The minister also noted that the summit underscored Cambodia’s dedication to cultivating human capital, fostering economic growth, and ensuring the well-being of children.

The summit’s agenda included discussions on enhancing the quality and efficiency of school meals and nutrition programs, strengthening policy frameworks, improving sustainable financing mechanisms, and promoting multi-sectoral coordination.

Source: Xinhua Thai