Belize Expands School Feeding Programme on International School Meals Day

As the world observed International School Meals Day on March 14, Belize celebrated the growth of its National Healthy Start School Feeding Programme (NHSFP), which now provides daily nutritious meals to nearly 15,000 students across the country. The initiative, led by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science, and Technology (MoECST), aims to enhance student health, learning, and overall well-being.

The NHSFP operates through a decentralized model, where meals are prepared fresh at individual schools rather than through a centralized catering system. This approach, developed from pilot programs under the Mesoamerica Hunger-Free Program and the Resilient Caribbean Initiative, has now been successfully scaled up to 75 schools nationwide. The program not only improves student nutrition but also strengthens food security and boosts local economies.

Belizean nutritionists, with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), have developed national school menu handbooks that offer tailored meal plans for both primary and secondary school students. These guides outline balanced, nutrient-rich meal options using local ingredients and include food safety protocols. Additionally, school cooks receive ongoing training in safe food preparation and meal planning, with further capacity-building planned for 2025 in collaboration with FAO.

The success of the NHSFP is driven by partnerships with key government ministries, including the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise (MAFSE). International support from organizations like UNICEF, PAHO, and AMEXCID has provided crucial policy and technical guidance since 2015. The programme’s expansion for the 2023-2024 school year was made possible through a $3 BZD per child per day funding contribution from the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) via the 2022 Bilateral Cooperation Programme.

Belize is also piloting a QR code-based student meal attendance app in high schools, aiming to integrate school feeding data into the Belize Education Management Information System (BEMIS). This tech-driven approach will help track trends, improve efficiency, and enhance decision-making for future expansions.

As Belize marks International School Meals Day, the continued growth of the NHSFP underscores the nation’s commitment to ensuring all children have access to nutritious meals, setting the foundation for better education, healthier communities, and a stronger, food-secure future.