This journal is a result of an analysis undertaken jointly in 2009 by the UN World Food Programme, The Partnership for Child Development and the World Bank which was published as "Rethinking School Feeding", to provide guidance on how to develop and implement effective school feeding programmes as a productive safety net and as part of the efforts to achieve Education for All.

The present paper reflects on how understanding of school feeding has changed since that analysis.

School feeding is now clearly evident as a major social programme in most countries with a global turnover in excess of $US 100 billion. This argues for a continuing focus on the evidence base with a view to helping countries ensure that their programmes are as cost-effective as possible. Clear policy advice has never been more important.