This report seeks to begin a systematic process to better understand the strengths and challenges of school feeding programmes globally. It is a work in progress, and presents the current status of our understanding of school feeding. Information was drawn from a global survey conducted by World Food Programme (WFP) in early 2012 and a series of case studies and peer-reviewed technical working papers undertaken in collaboration with partners including the Partnership for Child Development (PCD) and the World Bank.

The analysis led to the identification of new areas that require more focused attention. The report highlights these areas and outlines the current research agenda on which WFP, the World Bank and PCD are currently collaborating.

The main conclusions from the report are:

• School feeding is present in almost every country in the world, but is not always efficient.
  
• The coverage and quality of school feeding programmes varies with national income.
• An analysis of school feeding costs reveals opportunities for increased efficiency.
• School feeding programmes achieve much more than feeding children.
• Linking school feeding to agriculture offers economic and health benefits.
• Development partners support school feeding, but there is a need to improve coordination.
• There is a need to strengthen the evidence base and share knowledge about school feeding.