Society & Policy

New Policy Ensures Universal Free School Meals for 30 Million Children Across 15 Nations

A landmark international agreement signed by 15 governments will provide free, nutritious school meals to 30 million children who currently go hungry during the school day. The program, modeled on Finland's 75-year-old universal school meal policy, is funded through a combination of domestic budgets and international development grants. Studies from pilot programs show that universal school meals increase attendance by 25%, improve academic performance by 18%, and reduce childhood malnutrition by 40%.