Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CPF) is expanding its Eggs for Next Gen school nutrition programme to 1,030 schools across Thailand, with 12 new schools joining this year. Delivered with the Charoen Pokphand for Rural Lives’ Development Foundation, the initiative aims to improve access to fresh eggs and practical food production skills. The programme now reaches more than 229,502 students, 17,447 academic staff and 2,690 communities across 74 provinces. It also includes participation from more than 523 persons with disabilities and targets approximately 28 million eggs per production cycle.

Nutrition Access In Schools

CPF’s expansion comes as food security remains closely tied to children’s access to safe and nutritious diets. The company points to figures showing that around one in 10 children under five in Thailand lives in severe child food poverty, while 13% are stunted and 7% are underweight.

Eggs for Next Gen focuses on making a source of protein available within schools, rather than relying solely on external food provision. Schools can use the eggs produced for lunches, helping bring fresh food closer to pupils during the school day.

The programme has operated since 1989, giving it a long-standing role in CPF’s work on food access. Its scale now extends across communities in every part of Thailand, combining school meals with local production capacity.

Building School Food Production

Participating schools receive poultry houses, equipment, laying hens and feed. The support also covers technical knowledge in animal health, farm management, sanitation, production planning and egg management.

Students and teachers gain experience in agricultural production while schools establish systems that can continue beyond an initial donation. Eggs can be used in meals, while surplus production can generate revolving income to support future production cycles.

This model gives schools a direct role in managing their own food resources. It links nutrition with practical learning and helps communities maintain regular egg production over time.

Food Security Beyond Supply

CPF presents the programme as part of a wider approach to food security that considers availability, access and continuity. Producing fresh eggs locally helps schools maintain a supply of quality protein while building skills that can support food self-reliance.

The company operates and invests across 17 countries, with products distributed in more than 50 countries. Through its Kitchen of the World vision, CPF places food security within its sustainability strategy alongside food safety, nutrition, responsible production and sustainable supply chains.

For schools involved in Eggs for Next Gen, the practical benefit is a system that supports both immediate meals and future production. The programme is designed to strengthen local capability rather than provide short-term food support alone.

Supporting Long Term Resilience

CPF links its school programme with investments in technology, automation, biotechnology and nutrition. The company sees these areas as part of the work needed to improve food quality and strengthen the resilience of food systems.

Kobboon Srichai, Head of Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations at CPF, said:

“For CPF, food security means ensuring that people can access food that is safe, traceable and affordable today and in the future. To achieve this, we need to strengthen the entire food system, from production to access. By combining technology and automation, strong partnerships, and advances in biotechnology and nutrition, we can improve both the quality and resilience of the food system. Eggs for Next Gen demonstrates how these capabilities can be translated into practical impact, improving children’s access to quality nutrition while helping schools and communities build greater food self-reliance over the long term.”

With the programme now operating in 1,030 schools, CPF is connecting its food expertise with practical support for children, teachers and communities. The initiative shows how school-based production can contribute to healthier diets and more resilient local food systems.