McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program

The McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program helps support education, child development and food security in low-income, food-deficit countries around the globe. The program purchases nutritious packaged U.S. agricultural commodities from American farmers, ranchers, and producers, to support school feeding and maternal and child nutrition projects. 

The statutory objectives of the McGovern-Dole Program are to reduce hunger and improve literacy and primary education, especially for girls. By providing school meals and teacher training, McGovern-Dole projects help boost school enrollment and academic performance. At the same time, the program also focuses on improving children’s health and learning capacity before they enter school by offering nutrition programs for pregnant and nursing women, infants and children under 5.  

Graduation is an important aspect of the McGovern-Dole Program. FAS and its implementing organizations work to ensure that the communities served by the program can ultimately sustain the benefits of the program and continue activities on their own or with support from other sources, such as the host government or local community. 

McGovern-Dole projects are conducted by nonprofit charitable organizations, cooperatives, the United Nations World Food Program, and other international organizations. FAS announces a list of priority countries each year, based on factors such as per-capita income, literacy and malnutrition rates, and commitments to sustaining the benefits of school meals.  

The McGovern-Dole Program is named in honor of Ambassador and former U.S. Senator George McGovern and former U.S. Senator Robert Dole in recognition of their tireless efforts to eradicate childhood hunger.