Solution description
WFP works with the Government of Namibia to implement the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP), a component of the National School Feeding Programme in 29 schools, benefiting 11,412 school children. The HGSFP is a model whereby the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture (MoEAC) provides financial resources to these 29 schools to procure fresh produce from smallholder farmers surrounding the schools, complementing the maize blend porridge provided by the Ministry as part of the National School Feeding Programme, enhancing the nutritional intake of school children. However, these financial resources do not cater for food safety aspects and the capacity of HGSFP smallholder farmers. The HGSFP Evaluation Report 2024 revealed that one of the key challenges is HGSFP smallholder farmers’ inconsistent supply of fresh produce to schools due to climatic challenges, skills, food safety and poor agricultural infrastructure. This leads to HGSFP schools procuring fresh produce from commercial retailers (incurring high transport costs) instead of the smallholder farmers in the vicinity of the schools, defeating the purpose of achieving the expected local economic outcomes of the HGSFP model.
In addition to the above, the current drought has devastated the nutrition situation in Namibia. The 2024 preliminary Standardized Monitoring & Assessment for Relief and Transition (SMART) Survey results, indicate that stunting in Ohangwena at 25.8%, Kavango West at 23.6%, and Zambezi at 23.5%, underscoring the urgent need for targeted interventions to address acute and chronic malnutrition and build climate resilience. Hence, the proposed solution aims to foster South-South cooperation for strengthened agricultural productivity and climate resilience of Home-Grown School Feeding smallholder farmers in Ohangwena, Kavango West, and Zambezi Regions.
As per consultations with MoEAC to recommend HGSF schools and smallholder farmers, WFP will support HGSF smallholder farmers through the provision climate-smart solutions such as, shade nets with water efficient irrigation systems, water harvesting equipment, and training on good agricultural practices (Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, MAWLR), nutrition (WFP) and food safety practices (Brazil Center of Excellence and Facilitator). The aim is to improve their agricultural production, climate resilience, and capacity, enabling them to consistently supply safe and diverse fresh produce to the HGSFP schools. This solution will contribute to HGSF smallholder farmers’ ability to adapt and mitigate climate impacts by promoting climate-smart farming practices that improve soil fertility, water conservation, and enhance ecosystem health. Other expected outcomes include enhancing livelihood opportunities and income generation for these smallholder farmers, creating jobs for youth, improving learning outcomes, attendance, and nutritional intake, and reducing school dropout rates. This solution will support 2,698 beneficiaries, consisting of school children, Government officials, and smallholder farmers.
In Namibia, the National School Feeding Programme, including the HGSFP, is fully funded by the government through MoEAC, where WFP provides technical support for the programme. The Government’s endorsement of this proposal and commitment strengthens the popularization of this programme and sharing lessons learnt at international platforms, including the School Meals Coalition (SMC), Brazil Center of Excellence (CoE), UNOSSC, and other SSTC platforms demonstrating that to achieve the outcomes of the HGSF model, a three-pronged solution is required: a multidimensional intervention focusing on school-going learners (education outcomes), nutrition (health outcomes), and the capacity of smallholder farmers (economic outcomes). To further support SSTC, this solution will be complemented by exchange programmes between the Namibian Government and other Governments with school feeding programmes that facilitate skills transfer, visualization, and create a learning and knowledge sharing platform. This solution will also leverage from the UNOSSC platform to share the best practices and lessons, and disseminate information, including through organizing learning virtual workshops.
This innovative solution will yield social and economic impacts at the school and smallholder farmer levels. According to the draft Value for Money Study (2024), School Feeding Programme in Namibia represents an opportunity to develop the local economy if considering a HGSF delivering modality. It is estimated that for each child benefiting from HGSFP, there is a positive transfer of USD 13 to local small holder farmers and USD 2 to local shops.
The impacts will be measured through a monitoring framework to determine the increased learning outcomes/performance, school attendance, improved nutrition status of the school children, and strengthened production yield and income generation by the HGSF smallholder farmers. The percentage of jobs created, number of people trained, improvement in food safety, quantity of water harvested, enhanced climate-smart practices created through this solution will also be measured. SSTC impacts will be measured through enhanced WFP-facilitated SSTC missions, number of Brazil CoE Virtual Study visits, reviewed School Feeding Policies, number of learning and knowledge exchange workshops/webinars and number of countries engaged.
Innovation alignment
This co-financed solution is unique, firstly, through an extensive consultancy process and community-based approach. The proposed solution is designed to enhance the social, economic, and environmental outcomes nexus, as opposed to the current HGSFP model that does not cater for food safety aspects and the capacity of the smallholder farmers.
The methodology of this solution is Human-Centered, ensuring that WFP and the Government incorporate the voices of the beneficiaries throughout the entire programme. This innovation framework focuses on the needs, hopes, and realities of the people affected by the challenges we aim to solve.
The solution is equally innovative as it not only strengthens existing government-owned programmes but will also fosters a diverse array of partnerships involving the government, school children and smallholder farmers, each playing distinct yet complementary roles in the success of this initiative. WFP and the Government will bring together stakeholders to share knowledge and strengthen the capacity and efficacy of the solution. WFP and MoEAC have brokered and obtained support from all the relevant Government Ministries and stakeholders highlighted in this proposal. The proposal development was collaborative, with the different stakeholders contributing and affirming its content, ensuring alignment to national priorities.
WFP and the Government will work together to enhance food and nutrition security, develop human capital, and promote food sovereignty by providing nutritious food to school children, strengthening government capacity, and implementation of the Food and Nutrition Policy. WFP will support Government to review the Namibian School Feeding Policy, optimize market linkages, and connect smallholder farmers to the HGSFP. This investment is essential for advancing human capital development, ensuring food safety and security, and reducing malnutrition in the targeted regions.
Lastly, this solution seeks to foster South-South cooperation. WFP and the Government will incorporate a robust learning and knowledge exchange component to ensure that this innovative solution is evaluated, and the lessons learned are documented to contribute to corporate learning. An impact study will set the stage for Namibia to become a pioneer in creating a more inclusive and climate-resilient market system in the context of HGSFP. Furthermore, the Government will advocate for and share the insights from this solution on international platforms such as the SMC, Brazil CoE, and UNOSSC’s South-South Galaxy. This investment will have a considerable impact on the development of similar projects in the future, both in Namibia, Brazil and within the SMC Community and UNOSSC Galaxy.
Through its multifaceted approach, the solution will contribute to 6 key SDGs:
1. SDG 1 (No poverty): School children who will receive meals through HGSP and smallholder farmers who will have a source of livelihood because of this solution.
2. SDG 2 (Zero hunger): The number of school children who will receive meals through HGSP and smallholder farmers who will have a source of livelihood from this solution.
3. SDG 3 (Good health and well-being): The number of schoolchildren who will receive meals through HGSP and smallholder farmers who will have a source of livelihood from this solution.
4. SDG 4 (Quality education) – improved learning outcomes, performance, and retention of school children who will receive meals through HGSP.
5. SDG 8 (Decent work and economic growth) – for the HGSF smallholder farmers and the additional jobs they will create; and
6. SDG 17 (Partnerships for the goals) – all the partners convening to make this solution a success.
Solution impact
The project aims to foster South-South cooperation for strengthened agricultural productivity and climate resilience of HGSF smallholder farmers in Ohangwena, Kavango West, and Zambezi Regions. This will, in turn, create substantial economic, social, and environmental benefits for the HGSF smallholder farmers and the school children.
Economic Impact
This project aims to enhance HGSF smallholder farmers’ market access and income stability by improving climate-resilient agricultural practices and strengthening linkages to the HGSFP. Central to this approach is the positive impact on HGSF smallholder farmers’ livelihoods. This program will increase their income by enhancing the value chain, connecting with local markets, and improving agricultural infrastructure and inputs. As a result, this solution will expand smallholder farmers’ markets beyond HGSFP, thereby creating job opportunities, strengthening the reliability of local food supply chains, and ultimately boosting local socio-economic development.
Social Impact
The project will significantly enhance food security and nutrition among school children. To contribute to addressing hidden hunger and stunted child development, this initiative will support HGSF smallholder farmers in diversifying the fresh produce for schools, ensuring that school children receive balanced, nutritious meals that promote their growth, cognitive development, and overall health.
In addition to nutrition, the project will enhance community resilience through knowledge-sharing, capacity-building, and local collaboration. Training programs by MAWLR and WFP will equip smallholder farmers with sustainable agricultural and food safety practices, market access, and financial literacy, allowing them to make informed decisions that benefit their households and communities.
Environmental Impact
Climate change poses a significant threat to Namibia’s agricultural sector, with increasing droughts and erratic rainfall impacting agricultural productivity. This project will directly tackle these challenges by promoting climate-smart farming practices that improve soil fertility, water conservation, and enhance ecosystem health. The MAWLR will train smallholder farmers in drought-resistant crop cultivation, conservation agriculture, and sustainable land management to mitigate the effects of unpredictable rainfall and extended drought periods.
Measuring Impact
The impacts will be measured through a monitoring framework to determine the increased learning outcomes/performance, school attendance, improved nutrition status of the school children, and strengthened production yield and income generation by the smallholder farmers. The percentage of jobs created, number of people trained, improvement in food safety, quantity of water harvested, enhanced climate-smart practices created through this solution will also be measured. SSTC impacts will be measured through enhanced WFP-facilitated SSTC missions, number of Brazil Center of Excellence Virtual Study visits, reviewed School Feeding Policies, number of learning and knowledge exchange workshops/webinars and number of countries engaged.
Replicability / scalability
The HGSFP model is currently implemented in 29 schools in Namibia, benefiting 11,412 school children and 185 smallholder farmers (111 female and 74 male). Since its inception, the government has viewed HGSFP as a national priority. Given the government’s commitment, ownership, and endorsement of this proposal, this solution has the potential to be replicated to enhance the agricultural production and resilience of all smallholder farmers supplying to HGSFP schools. It also aims to improve their capacity and consistency in providing these schools with safe and diverse fresh produce. The Government is intensely interested in expanding the HGSFP to Early Childhood Development Centers, which further creates an opportunity to scale up this solution. Through international platforms such as the SMC, Brazil CoE and UNOSSC’s South-South Galaxy, this Namibian solution on climate-smart HGSF can also be adopted/replicated in other countries.
Cooperation potential
This solution will contribute to SSTC in three distinct ways:
Firstly, the project will facilitate SSTC learning exchanges between the Namibian Government and other Governments within the Region e.g. the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mozambique, Tanzania etc. with School Feeding Programmes and willingness to work on HGSF using SSTC in alignment with their Country Strategic Plans (CSPs). This will enrich the overall scalability of this programme, providing various Governments with a platform to enable learning, further access to training, technology transfer, technical assistance, monitoring and other areas of collaboration can be explored at minimal cost to the boost impact of HGSFP. Furthermore, this solution will be disseminated through the Brazil CoE Virtual Study Visit project, bringing countries closer to the Namibian experience on climate-smart HGSF at minimal cost. The Brazil CoE will also support with sharing good practices and information on strengthening the food safety of HGSFP.
Secondly, Namibia is a member of the SMC; hence, this programme is aligned to the objectives of this Coalition, and it forms part of the Government of Namibia’s Commitment to urgently scale up healthy school meals for every child by 2030. Therefore, the Government of Namibia will pioneer this solution and share the experiences, good practices and lessons learned, serving as an advocacy and benchmarking tool to showcase examples to other Member States and Partners of the SMC. This proposed programme also presents an opportunity for the SMC to support countries with technical assistance, financing and promote partnerships to replicate this innovative solution.
Thirdly, this climate-smart innovative solution will leverage the South-South Galaxy’s knowledge hub on innovative good practices, approaches, the diverse pool of partnerships and use this space to understand similar solutions from other Southern Countries and explore areas of integration and collaboration.
Lastly, through WFP’s facilitated SSTC and in line with the MoEAC/WFP MoU and the 2025 Workplan, WFP plans on strengthening the Government’s capacity in monitoring food safety and nutrition outcomes of the HGSFP, strengthen market linkages to HGSFP and complement the Government’s efforts to review and assess the achievements and identify pending milestones of the Namibia School Feeding Policy. This innovative solution is strongly aligned to Government needs. It will support Government efforts to implement food and nutrition policy and strengthen national capacity in monitoring and evaluation of the HGSFP. The outcomes of this SSTC component will form part of the Government’s efforts to promote a structured mutual learning process to fill specific gaps in its policy design and implementation, enabling it to share experiences and provide technical support other countries with similar policy needs.
Territory coverage
This programme will be implemented in the Ohangwena, Kavango West, and Zambezi regions, which were identified in consultation with the government for their agricultural potential and the commitment of smallholder farmers capable of expanding horticulture production. These regions also experience high food insecurity and malnutrition levels, as indicated by the preliminary SMART Survey 2024 results. The solution will focus on smallholder farmers who can expand supply to the HGSFP and beyond. These farmers will be connected to HGSFP schools, ensuring a steady supply of fresh produce to enhance the quality of school meal nutrition.
Collaborators
World Food Programme (WFP, Namibia)
As the lead implementing Agency, WFP provides technical support to the MoEAC to implement the HGSFP and forms part of its Steering Committee. Thus, WFP brings extensive national and global expertise in school feeding programmes. Additionally, the Country Office has demonstrated capacity to implement resilience and smallholder farmers support programmes hence strengthening resilient food systems is one of the key strategic areas in the Country Strategic Plan 2025-2029. WFP will provide technical oversight and overall project coordination, ensuring effective implementation and alignment with national priorities.
Project team:
1. Ndaindila Kayofa, Head of Food Systems and Nutrition – PhD Sociology Candidate (Food Systems and Rural Transformation); MSc in Food Safety, Hygiene and Management; Honors Degree in Environmental Health Sciences (Project Lead)
2. Bridget Rieth, Head of School Based Programme (Member of the HGSFP Steering Committee) – PhD in Economics; MSc in Economics; Honors Degree in Law
3. Iyaloo Mwatotele, Nutritionist – MSc in Health Sciences (Nutrition Sciences); Honors Degree in Human Nutrition
4. Sem Mandela Uutoni, Head of Communications and Partnerships – PhD Economics Candidate (Social Protection); MSc in Regional Development and Environmental Economics; Honors in Regional and Rural Development,
5. Rawan Taha – Head of Reporting, Assessment and Monitoring – MSc in Public Health and Nutrition
Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture (MoEAC)
The MoEAC is the custodian of the Namibia School Feeding Programme, which includes the HGSFP hence, the Ministry will play a central role in the targeting of HGSFP schools, strengthening the linkage between the smallholder farmers to schools and knowledge sharing through the UNSSOC and SMC platforms. Through its regional and school-level structures, the Ministry will oversee the coordination with schools and facilitate smooth implementation at school level. The Ministry’s experience in managing large-scale feeding programme further provides a strong foundation for scaling the enhanced agricultural supply chain.
As part of the Ministry, the schools will serve as key implementing partners, acting as key off-taker of the fresh produce. The schools will coordinate the procurement of fresh produce in line with their school menus.
1. Andreas Shigwedha, Inspector of Education (National Coordinator of the HGSFP and Member of the HGSFP Steering Committee) – Masters in Statistics and Demography; Honors Degree in Education (Project Co-Lead)
Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform (MAWLR)
Through their established farmer training programs and extension services, MAWLR will provide technical support to the smallholder farmers, including training on climate-smart farming practices, soil health, irrigation systems, land management, and drought resistant crops. The MAWLR’s agricultural subsidy programs will enhance access to critical inputs such as drought-resistant seeds, fertilizers, and irrigation, strengthening smallholder farmers’ productivity and resilience to mitigate climatic shocks and sustainably meet the increasing demand for high-quality, nutritious food.
1.Petrus Thiyemo, Chief Agricultural Scientific Officer (Member of the HGSFP Steering Committee) – MSc in Animal Science; Honors Degree in Agriculture, Certificate in Climate Change (Project Co-Lead)
Smallholder farmers
The targeted smallholder farmers will be the primary producers, providing fresh, diverse, and nutritious foods to the HGSFP schools. By leveraging their years of experience and established commitment to local horticulture production, they will grow various climate-resilient crops, ensuring a consistent supply of healthy food to schools while decreasing dependence on imported fresh produce.
The Government, WFP and other partners will ensure the food safety of the fresh produce supplied to HGSFP schools in the targeted regions.
