The importance of school meals programmes in fragile and conflict affected settings: framing the prospects for contribution to peace and social cohesion

In 2023, WFP partnered with IDS to critically assess the nascent yet limited evidence and explore opportunities for deeper insights into how school meals can support peace and social cohesion, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected settings. As part of this collaboration, this comprehensive framing paper establishes a shared understanding of the main risks and opportunities of school feeding in emergency contexts and outlines potential pathways through which school meals could not only achieve their primary objectives but also foster peace and social cohesion, emphasizing the importance of conflict-sensitive programming and further evidence-generation.