The Initiative Now Will Support WFP’s Work Providing School Meals to Children in Need
Michael Kors has announced a new chapter in the evolution of its global philanthropic platform, Watch Hunger Stop, which focuses on combating hunger through a longstanding partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme. The initiative will now support WFP’s Home-Grown School Feeding program, aimed at enhancing local economies and providing sustainable school meals to children in need.
Since launching its collaboration with WFP in 2013, Michael Kors has helped provide over 35 million nutritious school meals to children in food-insecure areas around the world. The new focus on the Home-Grown School Feeding program marks an expansion of this mission, targeting long-term benefits for the communities WFP serves. The initiative supports local farmers—many of whom are women—by connecting them with schools as meal suppliers, thus creating reliable income sources and fostering local economic growth.
The program operates by sourcing ingredients for school meals from local farmers, promoting a circular economy that boosts local food systems. Farmers receive essential training and tools to produce safe, diverse, and nutritious food, while schoolchildren receive meals that contribute to better health and educational outcomes.
Sri Lanka has been chosen as the first location for the expanded partnership between Michael Kors and WFP. Through this initiative, WFP aims to reach an additional 300,000 children with regular school meals and support 1,000 more farmers in supplying produce for these meals. The program also includes infrastructure improvements, such as kitchen and classroom renovations and the implementation of sustainable energy solutions like solar panels.
“I’m very excited about the evolution of Watch Hunger Stop. Home-Grown School Feeding is designed to achieve longer-term, sustainable impact, and it highlights the importance of women and girls in transforming the future,” said Michael Kors, the designer behind the brand. “I’ve always believed that the fight against global hunger is one we can win, and as we enter our second decade working with WFP, I’m more encouraged than ever that we are helping to build a better world.”
WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain praised the brand’s commitment, saying, “We’re thrilled by Michael Kors’ continued commitment to supporting WFP’s work. The company has provided millions of nutritious school meals for children over the past ten years. With global hunger at alarmingly high levels, it’s vital we invest in programs that enable the vulnerable people we serve to become more self-sufficient. Thanks to Michael’s humanitarian leadership and the brand’s commitment, our home-grown school meals program will benefit even more children and communities across Sri Lanka.”
