Southern Africa faces converging challenges that demand coordinated response. In 2024, extreme weather led multiple nations to declare states of emergency, prompting the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to convene an Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Governments. The scale of impact is significant: approximately 58 million people across the region have been affected, with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) estimating that 27.4 million people face food insecurity.

Climate extremes in Ethiopia are intensifying pressure on food, land, and water systems, destabilizing livelihoods, health, and socio-economic stability.

Competition over dwindling resources, alongside displacement from refugees/IDPs, risks eroding social cohesion—particularly in climate-vulnerable regions. Gender, age, and livelihood disparities further compound these challenges, demanding inclusive solutions.

Regional initiatives like the African Union’s Common Position on Climate, Peace and Security and IGAD’s Climate Adaptation Strategy 2023-2030 highlight opportunities to leverage climate action for conflict prevention. It is in this context that the CGIAR FOCUS Climate Security team of the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, co-convenes a stakeholder workshop in partnership with African Climate Policy Center, and the United Nations Economic Commision for Africa (UNECA).

This workshop aligns with the efforts mentioned, fostering dialogue on national and transboundary risks to peace and stability.

Objectives
This two-day workshop aims to:

• Build consensus on climate-driven vulnerabilities and human security risks in Ethiopia.
• Co-identify solutions using the Three Horizon Method:
  • Horizon 1: Current climate impacts and resource tensions.
  • Horizon 3: Envisioned resilient, cohesive communities.
  • Horizon 2: Pathways for cross-sector collaboration (governments, NGOs, private sector).

Expected Outcome: A shared roadmap to integrate climate adaptation with peacebuilding, supporting Ethiopia’s resilience goals.

AGENDA

Day 1: Identifying Climate, Peace, and Human Security Issues
09:00 – 10:00	Welcome – Opening remarks by the workshop facilitator and co-conveners ·        Dr. Cosmas Ochieng, Director, Climate Change, Food Security and Natural Resource Division, Economic Commission for Africa ·        Dr. Grazia Pacillo, Global Co-lead for Climate Security, Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT ·        Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, United Nations, Ethiopia ·        H.E. Dr. Girma Amente, Minister of Agriculture, Ethiopia ·        H.E. Mr. Seyoum Mekonnen, State Minister, Ministry of Planning and Development of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia	Moderator: Dr. James Murombedzi, Coordinator, African Climate Policy Centre, ECA
10:00 – 10:30	– Presentation on workshop agenda and goals ·        Overview of climate security ·        Aims and objectives of workshop ·        Three Horizon Method overview	Presenters: Dr. Radhika Singh, CIAT Dr. Joyce Takaindisa, CIAT Victor Villa, CIAT
10:30 – 10:45	Coffee Break
10:45 – 11:45	Session 1: Panel discussion on key issues in climate, peace, and human security – Types of migration, drivers, and impacts – Disaster risk reduction and disaster response – Effects of climate change on specific groups – Competition over natural resources	Moderator: Dr. Joyce Takaindisa, CIAT   Participants: Nimo Ahmed Abdilahi, UNHCR Enguday Meskele, Ethiopian Human Rights Commission Mawira Chitima, IFAD Beza Teferra, Welthungerhilfe
11:45 – 12:00	Comments and questions for panelists	Moderator: Dr. Joyce Takaindisa, CIAT
12:00 – 13:00	Presentations on research approaches and initiatives – CIAT Climate Security regional office presentation on “Research Approaches and Methodologies in Climate, Peace, And Security” – CIAT Ethiopia office presentation on “Building Climate Resilience and Conflict Management in Ethiopia’s Pastoral Regions through a User-Centered Water and Pasture Monitoring-Forecasting-Early Warning System”	Presenters: Brenda Chepngetich, CIAT Victor Villa, CIAT Dr. Sintayehu Alemayehu, CIAT
13:00 –14:00	Lunch
14:00 – 15:00	Session 2: Thematic discussion in working groups (Horizon 1) – What are the current issues related to the effects on climate change on human security in Ethiopia? Articulate key priorities.	Facilitators: CIAT Climate Security Team
15:00 – 16:00	Session 3: Goal mapping for desired futures (Horizon 3) – What are short, medium, and long-term realistic visions for the future? Articulate visions for the different thematic areas. Coffee is served in working groups	Facilitators: CIAT Climate Security Team
16:00 – 16:45	Plenary – Presentation by each working group on key issues and desired futures for each theme	Facilitators: Brenda Chepngetich, CIAT Victor Villa, CIAT
16:45 – 17:00	Closing – Open floor for questions and reflections and overview of Day 2 activities	Facilitators: Dr. Radhika Singh, CIAT
Day 2: Tackling Climate, Peace, and Human Security Issues
09:00 – 09:30	Recap of Day 1 and overview of the day’s agenda	Facilitator: Dr. Joyce Takaindisa, CIAT
09:30 – 10:30	Session 4: Panel discussion on response to climate, peace and human security issues – Coordination between stakeholders – Improving informal/formal institutional capacities – Strengthening policy coherence across sectors – Accessing finance and funding opportunities	Moderator: Dr. Radhika Singh, CIAT   Participants: Tendai Kasinganeti, UN Office to the African Union Dr. James Murombedzi, UNECA Habtamu Farada, Ministry of Finance
10:30 – 10:45	Comments and questions for panelists	Moderator: Dr. Radhika Singh, CIAT
10:45 – 11:00	Coffee Break
11:00 – 12:00	Session 5: Thematic discussion in working groups (Horizon 2) Given the current issues and key priorities (Horizon 1) and desired visions for the future (Horizon 3), what realistic steps can be taken to achieve goals?	Facilitators: CIAT Climate Security Team
12:00 – 13:00	Plenary – Presentation by each working group on how to improve response to climate, peace, and human security issues	Facilitators: Brenda Chepngetich, CIAT Victor Villa, CIAT
13:00 – 14:00	Lunch Break
14:00 – 15:00	Session 6: Research and evidence – Brainstorming session on key research and data gaps on tackling climate, peace, and human security issues	Facilitator: Dr. Grazia Pacillo, CIAT
15:00 – 16:00	Concluding Remarks – Summary of workshop outcomes and discussion on next steps	Facilitator: Dr. Grazia Pacillo, CIAT Dr. Joyce Takaindisa, CIAT

Undernutrition during childhood and early adolescence has long-term consequences for development and health, and for girls it can affect the survival and wellbeing of their children. Diet-related risk factors are estimated to cause 20% of global mortality, and changes in food systems have led to rapid shifts to unhealthy diets and reductions in physical activity, contributing to the increase in rates of overweight and obesity. Moreover, current dietary and population trends will exacerbate risks to humans and the planet.

School feeding programs, or school meals, are a widely implemented safety net with documented impacts across social protection, education, health and nutrition dimensions, and substantial projected economic returns to investment. Globally, programs reach over 400 million children for a total investment of over $50 billion a year. By being most effective for the most disadvantaged children, school meal programs can “level the playing field” in education, health, and nutrition. Experiences in high- and middle-income countries have also linked school meals to food systems transformation, where food procurement for school meals is used as an outlet for commercial farmers. National governments in LIMCs have shown interest in explicitly linking food systems transformation with the school feeding market through “home-grown” school feeding (HGSF). In HGSF, the “structured demand” for school food and related services is channeled to smallholders and other supply chain actors with the intent of stimulating agricultural productivity, increasing incomes, improving diets, and reducing food insecurity.

In practice, however, there is little rigorous evidence on the effects on smallholders of participation in school meal programs. The evidence on the effects of school meals on school-age children’s diets and food-related behaviors is also limited. In addition, school meal programs are being designed to also include objectives related to environmental boundaries and sustainability, though these links have yet to be extensively studied. Given the large-scale investment made for school meals globally, strengthening the monitoring, evaluation, and accountability of the investments is paramount.

The School Meals Coalition created in 2021, involving 106 member countries, has brought momentum and new opportunities for school meals, including three global research initiatives — the Sustainable Financing Initiative, the Data and Monitoring Initiative, and the Research Consortium on School Health and Nutrition (SHN). While there is already a strong evidence base for school meal programs, the SHN together with IFPRI have identified specific gaps in the current evidence on effectiveness and a particular lack of clarity around costs.

A second hybrid seminar will be held on February 4 by IFPRI and the Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF), on February 4. This event will launch School Meals Around the World, the report of GCNF’s third Global Survey of School Meal Programs©, completed in 2024. The survey offers comprehensive global data on school meal coverage, financing, food baskets, laws and policies, home-grown school feeding, and more, thus serving as a foundation for monitoring global progress over time. Please visit the event page to register.

Welcome and Introduction

• Purnima Menon, Senior Director, Food and Nutrition Policy; Acting Senior Director, Transformation Strategy, IFPRI
• Donald Bundy, Professor, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)

School Meals are Evolving: Has the Evidence Kept up?

• Harold Alderman, Research Fellow Emeritus, IFPRI

New Evidence from Impact Evaluations

• Impact evaluation of the home-grown school meal model in Jordan: Simone Lombardini, Evaluation Officer, World Food Programme (WFP)
• Impact evaluation of the home-grown school meal model in The Gambia: Benedetta Lerva, Economist, Development Impact (DIME), Development Economics, The World Bank
• Impact evaluation of an added milk intervention to a micronutrient fortified school feeding program in crisis settings: Lilia Bliznashka, Research Fellow, IFPRI

Panel Discussion: Moving from evidence to action

• Mangani Katundu, Secretary for Education, Government of Malawi
• Donald Bundy, Professor, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)
• Lindsay Carter, Director, McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition, Director, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)
• Lynnette Neufeld, Director, Food and Nutrition Division, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
• Kagwiria Koome, Manager, Food, The Rockefeller Foundation
• Mia Blakstad, Window Manager, Food and Nutrition, The World Bank
• Arlene Mitchell, Executive Director, Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF)

Moderator and Closing Remarks

• Aulo Gelli, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI

 

School meal programs are an effective way to boost children’s nutrition and wellbeing, including physiological development and academic performance. These programs can also play an important role in food systems transformation by ensuring access to healthy diets, supporting equitable livelihoods, and contributing to environmental sustainability. However, data on large-scale school meal programs have historically been fragmented and inconsistent, despite the global prevalence of these programs and evidence of their positive impact. The Global Survey of School Meal Programs © seeks to address this gap, collecting the most comprehensive data to date on national and large-scale school feeding programs, with information on 167 countries. It provides comprehensive global data on school meal coverage, financing, food baskets, laws and policies, home-grown school feeding, and more, thus serving as a foundation for monitoring global progress over time.

The Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF) and IFPRI invite you to the official launch of the third Global Survey report, School Meal Programs Around the World, 2024 edition, with results from the 2022 school year. The survey is implemented by GCNF, with funding from USDA and The Rockefeller Foundation and expert input from IFPRI and other lead researchers and organizations.  The resulting data provide governments and other stakeholders with an up-to-date global database of standardized information on school meal programs to make informed decisions.

Following introductory remarks on the contribution of school meals to nutrition and other food system outcomes, GCNF and IFPRI will present results from the latest survey, which concluded in August 2024, and a distinguished panel of experts will discuss implications of the survey for policy, research, advocacy, implementation, and business. Highlights of the 2024 survey results are already available in English and six other languages on GCNF’s website here. The full report, School Meal Programs Around the World, 2024 edition, and additional resources will be released on the day of the event.

IFPRI and GCNF are long-time collaborators on this important topic. On January 28th, GCNF will also join IFPRI’s Policy Seminar: School Meals in the 21st century: New Challenges and Evidence.  Register for that event here.

Introductory Remarks

• Purnima Menon, Senior Director, Food and Nutrition Policy; Acting Senior Director, Transformation Strategy, IFPRI
• Fabio Veras Soares, Researcher, International Policy Centre for Inclusive Development, Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPCid/IPEA), Government of Brazil
• Neo Sediti, Director, National School Nutrition Programme, Government of the Republic of South Africa
• Dana Thomas, Managing Director, Food is Medicine, The Rockefeller Foundation

Overview of Survey Results

• Arlene Mitchell, Executive Director, Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF)
• Liliane Bigayimpunzi, Survey Coordinator for Africa, Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF)
• Ayala Wineman, Research and Survey Specialist, Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF)

Panel: Putting the Survey Results into Use- Policy, Research, Advocacy, Implementation and the Business Perspective 

• Marie Tamagnan, Senior Operations Advisor, Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
• Mduduzi Mbuya, Director, Knowledge Leadership, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)
• Beatrice Wamey, President, Nascent Solutions
• Mia Blakstad, Social Protection Specialist, The World Bank
• Carmen Burbano, Director of School Meals and Social Protection, UN World Food Program (WFP) and Director of the School Meals Coalition Secretariat

Closing Remarks

• Catherine Bertini, former Executive Director, UN World Food Program (WFP)

Moderator

• Aulo Gelli, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI