The Government of Sierra Leone, in partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), has officially launched the WFP Country Strategic Plan (CSP) 2026–2030, setting a clear roadmap for strengthening food systems, improving nutrition, and building resilience nationwide.

The launch, held in Freetown, brought together senior government officials, UN Heads of Agencies, development partners, and civil society, underscoring food security as a cornerstone of Sierra Leone’s national development agenda. The new plan is aligned with the Medium‑Term National Development Plan, the flagship Feed Salone strategy, and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework.

The CSP marks a shift from short‑term food assistance to long‑term systems strengthening, focusing on three integrated outcomes: shock preparedness and response; improved access to safe, diverse, and locally produced nutritious food—especially for schoolchildren and vulnerable groups; and resilient livelihoods supported by stronger local value chains.

Home‑grown school feeding is central to the plan, linking education, nutrition, and local agricultural production. By sourcing food locally, the programme supports learning outcomes while creating stable markets for smallholder farmers, particularly women and youth.

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Speaking at the event, speakers emphasized that school feeding is not only a social intervention but a sound investment in human capital and economic growth.

WFP Country Director Andrew Odero said the new strategic plan reflects lessons learned from previous programmes and responds to changing realities on the ground. While food security indicators have improved in recent years, nutrition challenges remain serious, especially among children and rural households.

“The new Country Strategic Plan is about changing the trajectory of food security in Sierra Leone,” he said. “It moves us from short‑term response to long‑term systems strengthening—linking nutrition, education, agriculture, and livelihoods in a more coherent way.”

Addressing the gathering, the Deputy Minister 1 of Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Mrs Emily Gogra emphasised the role of school feeding in strengthening learning outcomes under the Free Quality School Education (FQSE) programme. While FQSE successfully expanded access to education, hunger remains a key barrier to attendance, concentration, and completion.

The Ministry of Agriculture represented by Deputy Minister 2  highlighted progress on home‑grown school feeding and local procurement, noting that a growing share of food used in school meals is now sourced from Sierra Leonean farmers. Investments in aggregation systems, rice milling, and value chains are helping smallholder farmers—especially women and youth—connect to structured markets.

“These are early but important signs that our food systems are beginning to function more predictably,” officials said. “The CSP provides the framework to scale this up responsibly.”

United Nations Resident Coordinator Dr. Seraphine Wakana placed the CSP within a wider global and national context, noting that Sierra Leone is navigating climate shocks, economic pressures, and global supply disruptions.

“The answer to these overlapping challenges is not isolated projects, but stronger systems,” she said. “This Country Strategic Plan reflects a shift across the UN system—from projects to platforms, from silos to integration, and from short‑term gains to long‑term resilience.”

She stressed that national ownership is central to the plan, with the UN playing a supporting and catalytic role.

The Minister of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, Ms. Kenyeh Barlay, welcomed the CSP as a tool for aligning partners, mobilising smarter financing, and delivering measurable results. She underscored that the real test will be implementation—whether farmers can access markets, children receive nutritious meals consistently, and communities become more resilient.

As Sierra Leone looks toward 2030, the WFP Country Strategic Plan 2026–2030 sets out an ambition that goes beyond hunger reduction: to build food systems that support learning, livelihoods, resilience, and inclusive growth for generations to come.