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Overview
São Tomé and Príncipe, while progressing in the recovery from COVID-19, experienced economic challenges in 2023 that significantly affected WFP's operations in the country. Agriculture is a significant sector of the economy, representing 14 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) [1]. Currently, over 50 percent of the daily food supply is imported [2], with 73.6 percent of the population residing in urban areas [3]. Fuel is also imported and sold at high prices [4], with shortages negatively affecting critical infrastructure. External pressures and a year-on-year inflation rate (June 2022–June 2023) that exceeded 25.3 percent [5] further compounded the challenges for households in accessing food. In this context, 55 percent of the population faced moderate and severe food insecurity [6]. School-age children were notably affected, with a quarter of them depending on external support for their daily meals. Chronic malnutrition resulting in stunting also affected 11.7 of children aged 0 to 5 years [7].
In response to these challenges, WFP continued to position itself as a strategic partner to the São Tomé and Príncipe Government throughout 2023, focusing on development and country capacity strengthening (CCS). WFP worked in line with the strategic outcome 1 of the Country Strategic Plan (CSP) 2019-2023 and supported the Government in working more effectively to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 (Zero Hunger). Working alongside the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sciences, and the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Rural Development, WFP provided technical support to the implementation of school feeding programme and support to link it to smallholder farmers' (SHF) programmes, while supporting related policies frameworks. Sao Tome & Principe is among few countries in Africa to have achieved universal school feeding coverage.
WFP worked to achieve two key goals. Firstly, it maintained its support for homegrown school feeding (HGSF) and SHF to help them benefit from a conducive policy framework and improved access to basic inputs such as technology, electricity, and water. Secondly, WFP organized knowledge-building initiatives to strengthen smallholders' capacities in agricultural and organizational techniques to help improve their access to markets. Through a gender-sensitive approach, 27 percent of the participants were women, which is impressive compared to the country’s 5 percent participation rate of women in the private sector [9].
The Green Infrastructure for Health and Education joint programme (funded through the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund) focused on improving water and energy access in health and school facilities. WFP worked with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the São Tomé and Príncipe Ministry of Health on this.
In parallel, the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Joint SDG Fund focused on promoting local food value chains and equitable job opportunities through a sustainable agri-food industry. As part of that Joint SDG Fund project, WFP collaborated with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and São Tomé and Príncipe’s Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Rural Development.
The largest operation remained the National School Meals and Health Programme (PNASE, in Portuguese), currently implemented by the government. WFP 's support to PNASE directly benefited 24 schools and involved 62 SHF who produced and supplied fresh and nutritious food to the programme as an institutional market. It is important to note that the overall PNASE operation reached 50,000 school children in the country and has the potential to reach more. Regarding the material support for SDG 2 delivery, rural community assets were constructed in Cantagalo to support local food production. However, support for the Principe region was postponed until 2024 due to financial and logistical constraints. WFP also enhanced the capacity of SHF in the Uba Budo and Camavo regions through more effective coordination of value chain actors and improved market access. Technical support and expertise were provided to three national ministries, SHF, and local actors, with the collaboration of NGOs and other United Nations agencies.
Strong partnerships with Portugal and Brazil yielded good results in 2023. The Portuguese Camões Institute for Cooperation and Language, WFP, and the NGO HELPO reactivated community and school gardens. This resulted in the production of nine types of vegetables as well as 236 kg of animal protein, which was delivered to 24 schools in Cantagalo and Lobata. The Government of Brazil continued to support São Tomé and Príncipe in purchasing food from sustainable and organic sources for WFP assistance and HGSF operations.
In line with SDG 17, São Tomé and Príncipe promoted South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) actions, reinforcing the long-term impacts of CCS. With the support of Brazil, WFP reinforced PNASE’s homegrown and health components with the local purchase of organic and nutritious food produced by domestic smallholder farmers.
PNASE remained prominent, with the Minister of Education reinforcing the Government’s collaboration with WFP to achieve universal PNASE coverage. Discussions emphasized the Government's long-term goal for PNASE to run exclusively on public funds, while WFP and the Ministry of Education worked on scale-up plans that will require an additional USD 12 million from external sources. The Ministry of Education joined forces with WFP, including at the WFP Executive Board, and the School Meals Coalition Summit in Paris, France, to encourage government branches, donors, member states, and United Nations agencies to provide technical and financial support for PNASE as safety net for school-aged children’s food and nutrition security.
Throughout 2023, WFP promoted policy dissemination actions for HGSF and SHF. WFP hosted a workshop to promote the results and recommendations from the 2022 SABER Report. WFP and FAO broadcasted on a national radio station the importance of local SHF in maintaining food and quality safety. At the continental level, WFP STP participated with the PNASE coordinator in the 2023 Africa Day of School Feeding, in Luanda, Angola.
In 2023, WFP aimed to strengthen capacities in preparation for the implementation of the Country Strategic Plan (CSP) 2024-2028, while also providing technical support to the Government for school feeding, support to smallholder farmers, and climate adaptation.