The World Vegetable Center: Vegetables-go-to-School. Improving nutrition by agricultural diversification

Micronutrient deficiencies or ‘hidden hunger’ affects more than two billion people worldwide, many of them are children. To provide school children with nutritious food, the World Food Programme uses fortified foods for school feeding. While addressing the same issue, this project will work with the schools to grow their own vegetable crops to feed the children. Fresh vegetables contain a range of micronutrients and minerals; growing and eating fresh vegetables contributes to a healthier, balanced diet. Sustainability is thus more likely because the schools enable themselves to provide for the children.

To provide scientific evidence that school garden based approaches improve nutrition among school children in the age of 6-18 years.

The primary beneficiaries of the project are school children from 6 to 18 years old. Secondary beneficiaries include families of the school children; staff members of the Ministries of Agriculture, Health and Education in terms of capacity-building regarding school vegetable gardens; trainers and national country managers; schoolmasters and schoolmistresses who participate in the training; researchers who take part in nutrition related research; and whoever learns from the research results that are generated from this project.

Results from previous phases:  

The Philippines, Indonesia, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Nepal and Tanzania have existing school garden initiatives which differ considerably. The project planning workshop raised awareness of the importance of diet diversity and nutrition amongst the group, enhanced their understanding of the needs and opportunities, and preliminary country strategies for school vegetable garden approaches were developed.

Phase 1 01.09.2012 - 31.12.2016   (Completed)