The mcgovern-dole international food for education and child nutrition program provides agricultural commodities and financial and technical assistance to carry out preschool and school food for…

The Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service awarded Counterpart International, Inc., a $40 million cooperative agreement on September 23, 2025, under the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program (CFDA 10.608) to implement school meals, teacher training, and nutrition support activities in Benin through September 30, 2031.

The program delivers preschool and school food for education initiatives, maternal and infant nutrition services for pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children age five and younger, and related literacy and primary education support, with particular focus on girls. Counterpart International is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit that specializes in bilateral development and agricultural programming for federal agencies, holding 136 active federal awards concentrated in food-security and agricultural-development initiatives across Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia.

The mcgovern-dole international food for education and child nutrition program provides agricultural commodities and financial and technical assistance to carry out preschool and school food for education programs in eligible countries to improve food security, reduce the incidence of hunger, and improve literacy and primary education, particularly with respect to girls; and maternal, infant, and child nutrition programs for pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants, and children who are 5 years of age or younger.