School meals programs key part of Finnish Edu success: Minister

Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari on Tuesday termed the School meals programmes as a key part of the Finnish education success story.

"School meals programmes are a key part of the Finnish education success story. A school meal goes far beyond a plate of food," the Ministry for Foreign Affairs wrote in a twitter post, quoting Skinnari as saying at the ministerial meeting of the international School Meals Coalition in Helsinki.

"We are building a system of solutions - not a sector," the Minister said.

The ministerial meeting of the international School Meals Coalition held co-chaired by Finland and France, which promotes access to school meals globally.

The World Food Programme (WFP) heads the secretariat of the School Meals Coalition.

WFP’s Executive Director David Beasley attended the meeting.

Supporting school feeding plays a key role in improving food security and addressing undernutrition in developing countries.

The School Meals Coalition strives to increase the coverage and resources of school feeding even in the most fragile countries. Sometimes school meal is the only meal of the day for children in the world’s poorest countries.

Finland has invited the 12-member core group of the School Meals Coalition.