Cambodia launches initiative to advance school feeding program

PHNOM PENH, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia has launched a 10-million-U.S.-dollar initiative from 2025 to 2029 to promote the kingdom's school feeding program, a press release said on Tuesday.

Supported by South Korea, the program will be carried out by Cambodia's Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and the United Nations World Food Program.

The program will provide hot, nutritious meals to 133,300 pre-primary and primary school children across 428 schools, the press release said.

"Through this program, we are not only improving access to nutritious food but also investing in Cambodia's future by building a stronger, more resilient education system that supports our national development goals," Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Youth and Sport Hang Chuon Naron said.

The program adopts a home-grown approach, linking education and nutrition with local agriculture by sourcing food from smallholder farmers, the press release said.

In a country where 57 percent of households rely on agriculture, this approach stimulates local economies, strengthens food systems, and serves as a safety net for vulnerable families affected by recurrent shocks, it added. Enditem