PM Drew Meets World Food Program Mission

BASSETERRE — A technical mission from the World Food Program paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister The Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew Thursday as part of an assessment of school meals and nutrition initiatives in St. Kitts and Nevis.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education The Hon. Dr. Geoffrey Hanley also attended the meeting, along with permanent secretaries from the Ministries of Education, Health and Agriculture.

Discussions focused on the link between nutrition and education, as well as efforts to strengthen school feeding programs and improve access to healthy meals for students across the federation.

The WFP team is also conducting field visits, consultations, and workshops with stakeholders across the Federation. Officials say the engagements are aimed at identifying opportunities to build stronger and more resilient food systems that support children and families.

The WFP Technical Mission moved closer to its conclusion with the hosting of a halfway technical workshop involving representatives from the Ministries of Education, Health, Agriculture, and Finance, along with other key stakeholders, on Friday.

The workshop served as an opportunity for participants to reflect on findings gathered throughout the mission and engage in discussions focused on strengthening school meals and nutrition initiatives in St. Kitts and Nevis.

Key areas explored included the policy environment and institutional responsibilities related to school feeding programmes, nutrition and menu standards, and gaps within existing national guidelines. Participants also examined supply chains, procurement systems, and opportunities to strengthen connections with local farmers and food producers.

Discussions further addressed programme management, staffing, operational efficiency, costing models, and financial sustainability, while also considering ways to better connect school feeding efforts with broader social protection systems.

The workshop marked one of the final activities of the WFP technical mission, which included visits to schools, farms, wholesalers, supermarkets, and central kitchen facilities, as well as consultations with government officials and other stakeholders. The mission will ultimately produce a comprehensive report intended to guide future improvements to school meals and nutrition programmes in the Federation.