What Has Biowatch South Africa Researched About the National School Nutrition Programme?

Updated

Biowatch South Africa has published a research paper and hosted a webinar examining the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP), with a focus on its design, implementation and outcomes in KwaZulu-Natal. The work looks specifically at the role of smallholder farmers and school food gardens in the programme, and at where agroecology could fit into national policy and provincial roll-out.

The research paper

Biowatch's research paper, Smallholder farmers, school food gardens and South Africa's National School Nutrition Programme, explores three things:

  • Design – how the NSNP is structured as a national programme.
  • Implementation – how it is actually carried out, with KwaZulu-Natal as the case focus.
  • Outcomes – what the programme produces in practice.

Two elements receive particular attention: the role of smallholder farmers in the programme, and the food production projects run in schools. The paper is described by Biowatch as "eye-opening," signalling that it surfaces gaps or tensions between the programme's intentions and what happens on the ground.

The webinar: agroecology and the NSNP

On Thursday 11 June 2026, Biowatch hosted a webinar titled Examining opportunities for agroecology in South Africa's school nutrition programme. The session covered:

  • National policy on the NSNP.
  • Roll-out of the programme in KwaZulu-Natal.
  • A snapshot of children's and schools' own views.

The framing — "opportunities for agroecology" — indicates the webinar was not only diagnostic but forward-looking: where could agroecological production, including smallholder supply and school gardens, plug into a programme that feeds large numbers of learners?

Mapping agroecology initiatives

A related piece of work sits alongside the NSNP research. As part of the Agroecology Action Collective (AEAC), Biowatch worked with partners in 2025 and early 2026 on a survey of agroecology initiatives in South Africa. This first phase was a pilot intended to give an initial view of initiatives within the immediate AEAC networks. It provides context for the NSNP work by showing who is already practising agroecology and where.

Why this research matters

The NSNP is a national programme, so questions about how it is designed and implemented have consequences well beyond any single province. By grounding its analysis in KwaZulu-Natal and in the direct experience of the communities it works with, Biowatch connects national policy to local practice — and to the smallholder farmers and school gardens that could supply it.

Where to find the material

The research paper, webinar and mapping survey are all listed under News & Updates on the Biowatch South Africa website, and the organisation points readers to its Publications & Documents section for a wider range of resources. You can also subscribe to Biowatch's news and updates to receive new research and event announcements.