I am writing today to ask you to support robust funding for the McGovern-Robert Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program through the FY25 Agriculture Appropriations bill. Funding for this program will help the millions of vulnerable children who depend on school meals around the world.
The McGovern-Dole Program supports education, child development and food security in low-income countries that rely heavily on food imports to feed their communities. The program is carried out by an array of organizations, including the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), and has provided over 5.5 billion school meals since it began.
In 2023 alone, the U.N. World Food Programme provided 21.4 million schoolchildren in 61 countries with nutritious meals, take-home rations or snacks. Robust government funding and support for the McGovern-Dole Program is critical to continue this work.
Every day, millions of children walk into school on an empty stomach which makes it impossible to learn, much less thrive. Today, 153 million people under the age of 18 are extremely hungry – an alarming, devastating number that is only expected to rise. Evidence shows that school meals are vital in: breaking the cycle of hunger and poverty, increasing school enrollment, reducing the number of school dropouts (especially among girls) and improving the overall health of children.
As the world faces unprecedented challenges, this is the time for strong U.S. leadership. The U.S. has a long legacy as a leader in the fight against global hunger through international school meals initiatives like the McGovern-Dole Program. That is why I’m asking you — my Member of Congress — to provide robust funding for the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program through the FY25 Agriculture Appropriations bill.
Please continue to provide strong U.S. support for the U.N. World Food Programme and its work to fight hunger around the world.
