-The Legal Framework of the Brazilian School Feeding Program is similar to the description made by FAO of the School Food and Nutrition conceptual framework.
It is important to clarify that the name of the Programme in Portuguese is "Programa de Alimentação Escolar", which is literally translated to English it as school feeding, however the program is not only related to delivering a food ration to children.
The Brazilian Program is based on the 4 core components that FAO described on this paper". The Legal Framework of the Brazilian School Feeding Program provides, among other components contents of food and nutrition education as well as compulsory purchase of 30% of school meals from local family farmers.
This fact enables the development of school nutrition actions, especially with the use of school gardens as a tool for teaching practices of nutrition education, inserting in the primary education curriculum content notions of nutrition, environment and sustainability.
Additionally we have a specific project entitled "Educating with the school garden" where principals, teachers and nutritionists are trained for the development of education and nutritional activities.
The project is currently expanding and is now covering 300 of the 160.000 existing schools in the country.
In addition to school gardens, other nutrition education tools are identified in Brazilian schools through plays, games, marathons, culinary workshops, emphasizing the use of traditional food produced by local family farming.
The South-South Cooperation project "Strengthening School Feeding Program in Africa Countries" developed by FAO in partnership with the Brazilian National Education Development Fund is currently promoting the adoption of the 4 core components through an integrated strategy. Currently this project is being developed in Malawi and Sao Tome and Principe.
2- Yes, I think that FAO could promote regional activities in Africa as a way to disseminate the concept and importance of nutrition school insertion as a complementary approach to school feeding initiatives.
3-I think that the biggest challenge is the way that school feeding programs are developed in African countries, often dependent on international aid organizations, not internalized in the priority agenda of governmental policies. We must raise awareness and generate commitment to the implementation of government programs, legal and regulatory frameworks in order to ensure greater sustainability. Is also important to expand the conceptual framework of the programs in order to go beyond the traditional school meal component and instead promote the adoption of life-long healthy eating habits.
Rosane Nascimento