From farm to classroom: Feeding children and supporting farmers in Timor-Leste

In the mountainous municipality of Manufahi, in southern Timor-Leste, where healthy food is often beyond the budget of most households, the United Nations is helping to make sure the benefits of development are broad.

“Our students were not starving, but they were not to getting a nutritious diet,” said Domingos de Jesus, principal of the Cossamar primary school in the town of Same, where 500 students get a meal each school day. “Now they get more protein and vegetables and proportionally less carbohydrates.”

On a full stomach, students are more alert and pay attention in class, said Caetano Marcelo, principal of the Betano Primary School on the country’s southern coast. “This is very important for their learning,” he added.

The families of some students cannot afford breakfast, and most cannot afford nutritious meals. “Meat, eggs and some vegetables are hard to buy for many of the families here,” Mr. de Jesus said. Most of the regions 60,000 residents are small-scale subsistence farmers.

In Timor-Leste, 18 per cent of people face hunger daily and 45 per cent of children under five are stunted. Improving children’s nutrition is among the government’s top three priorities and a cornerstone of the new United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework in the Asian island nation, which is expected to be signed in coming weeks and implemented in the 2026-2030 period.

The UN-supported school feeding programme benefits over 70,000 children across the country, while strengthening government capacity in nutrition, ensuring long-term sustainability.

The Government has made school feeding a national priority, decentralizing its management and funding to municipalities.

While this approach promotes local ownership and the inclusion of home-grown produce, challenges remain in diversifying diets and guaranteeing consistent access to locally grown foods.

To bridge these gaps, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are working alongside national and local authorities to strengthen menus and supply chains, improve kitchen infrastructure, and train school staff on nutrition and hygiene, in support of the government’s vision of linking nutrition, education and local economic development for long-term sustainability.

Stew and beans

On a recent Monday, the menu at the Same school consisted of deer stew, vegetables and brown rice, all served on stainless steel trays provided by the Ministry of Education with support from WFP.

WFP also advised authorities on creating balanced meal plans using local ingredients and is helping to build a modern kitchen on the school grounds.

In Betano, where the children on the same Monday enjoyed chicken satay skewers with spinach, accompanied by rice and beans, FAO provided kitchen equipment. WFP provided training on budget management, school menu preparation, and kitchen hygiene.

“The students eat everything, and that is great to see,” said Imana Imaculada Fernandes, the head cook at the Same school. “The meal plans – developed on the advice of the government and WFP – include 75 per cent local produce.”

Ms Fernandes and her team can spend 35 US cents per day per child and an additional 7 cents for other costs, such as fuel and labour. “That is 70 per cent more than we had before – and that translates into more nutritious food and improved hygiene”.

Eat what you grow

The initiative also brings steady income to local farmers. Andre Pereira de Sousa and his neighbours on the outskirts of Betano have seen stable demand for their tomatoes, watermelon, sweet potatoes and bananas.

“The biggest advantage is that we no longer spend time and use fuel going to the market,” he said. “We can use that time to improve our farms and spend more time with our families.” Stable demand has also reduced food waste and encouraged farmers to increase production.

The Betano farmers supplying the schools were among the 9,000 households who have benefitted from an FAO programme on conservation agriculture.

As a result, they have diversified into higher value crops and now use compost rather than fertilizer, reducing costs and the environmental impact of their farms. The farmers’ group also received small mills to produce flour and prepare snacks for sale, along with a trailer to transport their produce.

A united approach

The coordinated work of FAO and WFP exemplifies an approach increasingly adopted by the United Nations, where agencies work in complementary ways to support the government.

“This is a great example when one plus one equals more than two, re-enforcing benefits for greater sustainability of projects,” said Funmi Balogun Alexander, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Timor-Leste. “The new Cooperation Framework between Timor-Leste and the UN is built around such joint approaches.”