Sierra Leone: School meals can give farmers a market

Finding buyers has been a challenge for farmer Isata Feika Sesay. In a report dated 25 July 2025, she tells the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) about selling produce to the organisation in bulk. The report describes her at a rice-processing facility in Kambia district. The rice is destined for school meals. WFP's report, 25 July 2025

WFP also tells the story of Fatmata Kamara, a volunteer cook at a school in the same district. In the report, she says her daughter eats local rice and potato for school lunch. These are two glimpses of the programme; the report does not trace a specific delivery from Sesay to Kamara's kitchen.

That opens a practical question: could a need that recurs throughout the school year become a market that farmers are better able to plan for?

A single sale gets a harvest to market. If orders become more predictable, farmers may also have a firmer basis for planning the next season. But recurring meals do not automatically mean guaranteed orders. What matters is what buyers and producers can actually agree on.

Authorities, producer associations and schools could explore some concrete questions together: which children do the meals reach? What does the kitchen need, when is it needed, and who can supply it? Could several small producers work together to supply the quantities required? Who handles processing and transport, and when does the farmer get paid? These are possible questions for planning, not descriptions of the agreements in Sierra Leone.

The children’s own experiences of mealtimes also matter. Do they have time to eat in a calm setting? How can they say what works and what they would like to change, and have a say in the meals? These are our editorial questions for further inquiry, not findings from the WFP account.

Trade is only part of the connection. Kamara and others who prepare the food turn ingredients into meals. Where that work is voluntary, planning also needs to account for time, equipment and working conditions. An arrangement that looks simple from a purchasing office must also work for the people in the kitchen.

The same applies to who can take part. Quantity or delivery requirements may be harder for a small producer to meet. A joint effort could therefore explore which farmers can supply food on their own and which need a shared arrangement. Participation will not necessarily suit everyone, and buying locally is not always the best choice.

Imports and a mix of supply sources are real alternatives too. The choice needs to take account of a dependable supply of meals, costs and conditions for the people who supply and prepare the food. The story from Kambia offers no ready-made recipe for other places. It offers a starting point for exploring whether a meal can also create a connection that benefits more people.

About the sources: These accounts were published by WFP, which is itself involved in the programme. We have not interviewed the women or checked contracts and payments. We therefore do not know what the trade means for farmers' net incomes over time. The possibilities and planning questions are our editorial analysis, not measured outcomes.

AI assisted with source checks, translation and language editing. Bjørn Moe Aldema holds human editorial responsibility.