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Background and Context 

This webinar is the culmination of OSAA's online course on the Peace and Development Nexus in Africa. It explores the application of the learnings from all previous modules to a specific case study: Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) programmes. Drawing on OSAA's 2024 policy paper on Homegrown school feeding programmes in Africa, this module highlights how HGSF programmes can be integrated into national development goals as macro-policy interventions with the potential for multiplier development impact.

As proposed and if well designed and implemented, they have potential to deliver multifaceted impacts, including improving education, health, agriculture, and scaling up energy access in rural and remote areas. By aligning HGSF with broader policy initiatives, governments can address urgent development deficits and promote sustainable development. This approach positions HGSF programmes not only as a means for enhancing state presence and building resilience, but as a strategic tool to achieving long-term development goals.

If envisioned as a theory of change, by improving educational, health and nutrition outcomes, HGSF helps build human capital, which is essential for long-term economic growth. By integrating energy access and scaling up renewable energy solutions, they can help address energy poverty and promote climate adaptation. And by supporting local agriculture and empowering smallholder farmers, majority of whom are women, HGSF interventions can help build more resilient and sustainable food systems. This multifaceted approach makes HGSF programmes a powerful tool for driving progress towards both the SDGs and Agenda 2063. A holistic approach to HGSF programmes could double the current ROI of school feeding programmes ($9 for every $1 invested).

Objectives

• Apply course learnings by comparing different models of HGSF across countries/regions and use the two case studies (Benin and Rwanda) to draw insights and explore ways to reposition HGSF programmes as macro policy tools for Africa’s sustainable development.

• Examine how integrating HGSF into national policies can amplify its impact across traditional school feeding dimensions, as well as the four new areas OSAA is promoting: peace and security, energy access, climate adaptation, and food systems transformation.

• Identify ways in which HGSF can address multiple development challenges simultaneously, including deployment of digital public infrastructure (DPI) to build inclusive and effective institutions and strengthen governance systems in Africa.

Guiding Questions 

1. Policy Integration and Multi-sectoral Impact 

• How can HGSF programs be effectively integrated into national development plans to achieve outcomes across sectors (education, agriculture, health and nutrition and energy)? 

• What are the key strategies for aligning HGSF with broader policy initiatives, such as SDG targets and national development frameworks? 

2. Inclusive Governance and State Presence 

• How can governments ensure that HGSF programs help strengthen state legitimacy and build trust in governance, particularly in rural communities?

• What are the challenges in financing and implementing HGSF programs, and how can they be overcome? 

3. Energy Access and Climate Adaptation 

• How can renewable energy solutions be incorporated into HGSF programs to improve energy access and address energy insecurity in poor and underserved communities? 

• How can HGSF be integrated to support climate adaptation efforts in Africa? 

• What role does Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) play in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of HGSF programs? 

4. Agriculture, Economic Growth and Food Resilience 

• In what ways can HGSF contribute to economic resilience by strengthening local food systems and supporting sustainable agricultural practices? 

• How can HGSF help build long-term human capital, particularly through its cross-sectional impact? 

Panel Composition 

• Moderator: Jean-Paul Adam, Director for Monitoring, Policy and Advocacy, Office of the Special Adviser on Africa. 
• Dr. Maxime Dahoun is a sociologist with a doctorate from the University of Bielefeld, Germany. He has specialized in development project management and evaluation with a focus on school meals programmes, with extensive experience working across several African countries, including Benin, Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, and the Central African Republic. His work has involved collaborations with major international organizations such as the European Union, World Bank, African Development Bank, and various national governments. Dr. Dahoun has also partnered with the Institut de Recherche et de Développement (IRD) in France, focusing on the development of science in the Global South. He has authored several publications on topics related to development, policy, and project management. His expertise extends to assessing the effectiveness of development programs and providing strategic insights for sustainable development in Africa. 
• Edoardo Tancioni is a Policy Specialist at the 51吃瓜 Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), where he has been providing strategic policy advice and developing sustainable investing policies and country-specific strategies across Africa, Asia-Pacific, and the Caribbean. Previously, he was engaged in World Food Programme (WFP) country programmes in Liberia and Nigeria, as well as monitoring fisheries policies with the European Commission. Through his current role with UNCDF, he has supported sustainable financing initiatives for local producers linked to Benin’s school meals programme, as well as initiatives linked to supporting young farmers and renewable energy in Rwanda and Kenya. 
• Dr Robert Ackatia-Armah is an experienced Nutritionist expert who has covered and managed a wide range of programmes for the World Food Programme. As such he is experienced in programme management, with a specific focus on nutrition, food security, food system and social protection. He is currently a Senior Programme Policy Officer with the World Food Programme Ethiopia Country Office and previously served in roles in WFP offices in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. Before joining WFP, he was a Senior Nutrition Analyst with the International Potato Center. 

Panel Structure and Timing 

• 8:00 – 8:15 am: Introduction to Module 5 by Jean-Paul Adam.? 

• 8:15 - 9:00 am: Panel discussion guided by the key questions.? 

• 9:00 - 9:45 am: Q&A session with participants.? 

• 9:45 - 10:00 am: Technical issues and UNSSC support.? 

Expected Outcomes 

• Understanding HGSF as a Policy Tool: A comprehensive understanding of how HGSF programmes can serve as multi-sectoral policy tools to address current and future challenges including: food security, education and health, agriculture, and energy access. 

• Actionable Strategies for Policy Integration: Insights on how to integrate HGSF into national development frameworks to achieve sustainable, inclusive, and resilient development. 

• Strengthened Capacity for Implementation: Increased capacity among participants to apply HGSF as a tool for addressing urgent development challenges while building institutional resilience and trust in governance.