Journey of the National Mid-day Meals Programme in Nepal

Nepal’s Mid‑Day Meals Programme is, at its heart, a story of national resolve. It spans more than five decades of experimentation, partnership, political transformation and political will, and an unwavering commitment to ensuring that every child, regardless of geography, ethnicity, or wealth, can learn and thrive. 

What began in 1967 as a small initiative to address classroom hunger has evolved into one of the country’s largest social protection programmes, reaching nearly 3 million children across all 77 districts and becoming fully financed by the Government of Nepal in 2025.
The publication documents the programme’s contribution to improved school enrolment, attendance, retention and nutrition outcomes, while also strengthening local food systems through the Home-Grown School Feeding approach that connects schools with local smallholder farmers through cooperatives. 

It also outlines Nepal’s ambition to expand the programme up to Grade 8 and increase coverage to as many as 4.5 million children in the coming years, further reinforcing school meals as a cornerstone of the country’s social protection and human capital development agenda.