WFP joins hand with Tunisian govt for better nutritional meals in schools

A new cooperation agreement worth USD 340,000 as recently been signed between the United Nations World Food Programme and the Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture – Regional Commissariat for Agricultural Development of Siliana. The objective of this exclusive cooperation agreement is to promote local agricultural development and better nutrition through innovative, home-grown school feeding programmes in the south of the Siliana governorate.

The signing ceremony (between the the United Nations World Food Programme aka WFP and the Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture – Regional Commissariat for Agricultural Development of Siliana aka CRDA) took place at the Governorate House in Siliana. It took place in the presence of Governor Abderrazak Dekhil, regional representatives of the ministries of Agriculture and Education and WFP Representative and Country Director in Tunisia Fatimata Sow Sidibé, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Representative in Tunisia Zine El Abidine Ghoudi.

The Tunisian government requested the WFP to offer technical assistance and capacity-strengthening activities; in the framework of the International Fund for Agricultural Development PROFITS project that aims to improve the living conditions of vulnerable rural populations in the southern Siliana region by developing agricultural value chains.

According to the official website of WFP, it intends to support the development of the capacities of smallholder farmer families to manage their own future, by reinforcing their technical and marketing skills. The CRDA Siliana is the implementing entity of the multi-year PROFITS project, which is valued at USD 34 million.

“Providing balanced and nutritious school meals to vulnerable children, based upon locally grown ingredients in Siliana, will allow them to reach their full potential as teenagers and young adults. And by linking smallholder farmers to school canteens, we will be supporting the rural economy and contributing to the sustainability of the National School Feeding Programme,” Fatimata Sow Sidibé opined.

The agreement falls within the scope of the WFP five-year plan in Tunisia (2018-2022) which aims to strengthen the capacity of national institutions to implement enhanced school meals and social protection programmes; with the main focus on improving the National School Feeding Programme (NSFP).