At the  Okinawa Summit on July 23, 2000, the president announced the Global  Food for Education Initiative and the pilot program. According to the White House press release, which was issued the day the  program was announced, the purpose of the pilot program is to improve  student enrollment, attendance, and performance in poor countries. Lessons Learned from School Feeding Programs Define Conditions for Likely Success

Research and expert views on school feeding programs indicate that these  programs are more likely to have positive results when they are carefully  targeted and integrated with other educational, health, and nutritional  interventions. According to a USDA official, the funds are being used to  facilitate monitoring and evaluation of the pilot program’s impact. While WFP officials are confident of  eventual support, most donor countries seem unlikely to provide  substantial support unless the United States adopts a permanent program  that is not dependent on surplus commodities and/or unless the pilot  program demonstrates strong, positive results. Long-Term Program Will Need Substantial Support from Other Donors

The U.S.-proposed GFEI challenged other donor countries and  organizations to join the United States in helping achieve the goal of  education for all children in developing countries by 2015. Since the  initiative was first proposed, U.S. officials have indicated they would like to  see other donors contribute, in aggregate, anywhere from two-thirds to  three-quarters of the total cost of a global food for education program. The Clinton administration estimated that at least 300 million children in  developing countries need school meals. USDA did not require WFP to provide  either the initial or supplemental submission. Comments from the U.S. Department of Agriculture

	GAO Comments

1.
What GAO Found

At the Group of Eight industrialized countries' summit in July 2000, President Clinton proposed a Global Food for Education Initiative (GFEI) whereby developed countries would provide school breakfasts or lunches to needy children in poor countries. The aim of the initiative is to use school meals to attract children to school, keep them attending once they enroll, and improve learning. The president also announced a one-year, $300 million pilot program to be run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to jump-start the proposed global effort. Research and expert views on the effectiveness of school feeding programs indicate that the programs are more likely to be successful when they are carefully targeted and integrated with other educational, health, and nutritional interventions. In establishing the pilot program, USDA did not build on some important lessons from previous school feeding programs. Although USDA expects more than eight million children to benefit from the pilot program, the structure, planning, and management fall short in ensuing that the program's objectives will be attained. Representatives of most other donor countries GAO interviewed said their governments were either noncommittal about, or unwilling to provide, substantial support for a comprehensive, long-term food for education program. This lack of support is a problem because the United States envisioned a multilateral program with other donors funding about three-quarters of the program's total cost. GFEI seems unlikely to attract much support from other donors unless the United States adopts a permanent program that does not depend on surplus agricultural commodities or the pilot program produces strong, positive results.