Proceedings of the Regional Policy Forum on "From Farms to Schools: Towards Sustainable and Inclusive School-Based Food and Nutrition Programs in Southeast Asia"

This publication provides an in-depth synthesis of strategies to design and implement sustainable, inclusive school-based food and nutrition programs that benefit both children and smallholder farmers across Southeast Asia. Going beyond a forum report, the volume presents a regional roadmap for integrating local agricultural systems with school meal initiatives, emphasizing nutrition, food security, and economic inclusion. This proceedings document discussions during the regional policy forum titled “From Farms to Schools: Towards Sustainable and Inclusive School-Based Food and Nutrition Programs in Southeast Asia” convened by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Asian Farmers' Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) in April 2023. This publication offers practical guidance on how to localize procurement systems, ensure dietary diversity, and link smallholder producers, particularly women and family farmers, to stable institutional markets. It also covers enabling policy instruments and multi-sectoral coordination models that countries can adopt to align school feeding with national agricultural and nutrition agenda.