Brasília, Brazil, May 31, 2023 – Twelve Latin American countries participated in the international mission of the Sustainable School Feeding Network (RAES), held from May 22 to 26 in Brasilia, Brazil. Vice ministers, international directors, program coordinators and other professionals from Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Panama participated in the mission.

The RAES mission was organized by the Brazilian Cooperation Agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (ABC/MRE), the National Fund for Educational Development of the Ministry of Education (FNDE/MEC) and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Organization (FAO), within the framework of the school feeding project of the Brazil-FAO International Cooperation Program.

In his words, the director of ABC, Ambassador Ruy Pereira said: “School feeding, supported by the right to adequate food, is a fundamental element in the fight against hunger.” According to the ambassador, in Brazil, food security is a priority objective of the government and adequate school feeding is a fundamental ally in combating hunger.

The president of the FNDE, Fernanda Pacobahyba, highlighted the relevance of the RAES, created by the Brazilian government with support from the FAO: “The RAES’s mission is to strengthen school feeding policies, support the structuring of sustainable programs, develop capacities techniques and exchange experiences. Pacobahyba added: “we still have a lot to build from now on, for the RAES to be a living and vibrant exchange network.”

The RAES, created in 2018, provides technical assistance to the countries of the region in the implementation and reformulation of their school feeding programs, under the principle of the human right to adequate food.

According to the director of Formulation and Nutritional Evaluation of the National Institute of Student Well-being (INABIE), Ana Carolina Báez, representing the RAES countries present in the mission, the exchange of knowledge and experiences is key to learning about best practices and continuing to strengthening the school feeding policy at the regional level.

“I wish they return to their countries with many lessons learned, new knowledge and, above all, new ideas to continue strengthening this very important policy in their countries,” added Rafael Zavala, FAO Representative in Brazil, Rafael Zavala, about the policy. of Brazilian school feeding, during the inauguration of the event, with representatives of 12 Latin American countries

Three new countries join the RAES

During the mission, the three new countries that become part of the Network were announced: Chile, Nicaragua and Venezuela. With this, the RAES currently has 21 participating countries from Latin America and the Caribbean.

The alliance between Brazil and FAO

In the panel “Brazil-FAO Cooperation: strategic actions, activities in 2023 and perspectives for the RAES”, the person in charge of South-South cooperation with international organizations of ABC, Cecília Malaguti, presented the actions that the Agency executes within its program of technical cooperation, with emphasis on the alliance with FAO and the issue of food, which this year celebrates its 14th anniversary.

The ABC leader highlighted the creation of the RAES, as a response from the Brazilian government to the United Nations Decade of Action for Nutrition (2016-2025). The director of educational actions of FNDE, Gilnei da Costa, highlighted Brazil’s alliance with FAO on the issue of school feeding and the role of the RAES: “We have to sensitize all the actors in the school feeding programs because this policy It has the potential for transformation.

Talks and field visits

The international delegation participated in a series of talks to exchange experiences and learn more about the operation of the National School Feeding Program (PNAE) in Brazil, executed more than six decades ago and a reference as a public policy for the region. The countries also discussed the next steps of the RAES for the period 2023-2024.

After the sections of dialogues and presentations, the group participated in field visits, where they were able to learn in ‘practice’ the operation of the Brazilian school feeding public policy, which serves more than 40 million public school students every day.

The international delegation visited the Ipê school, located in the rural area of Brasília, which attends 400 students from 6 to 10 years old full-time. The school menu includes regional foods, as little processed as possible, mainly with products from family farming. The school also develops food education actions with pedagogical school gardens. The Secretary of Education of the Federal District, Hélvia Fraga, was present at the visit and highlighted the importance of a balanced diet for students. The visit was supported by the DF Secretary of Education.

To find out how public purchases from family farming for school feeding works, the delegation visited the West Lake Producers Association (ASPROESTE), with the support of the DF Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Company (Emater-DF). and the Brazilian Association of Rural Technical Assistance and Extension Companies (Asbraer).

On the farm of the family farmer Anaildo Porfirio, which has an organic production of strawberries, zucchini, bananas, among other fruits and vegetables, the delegation discussed the implementation of the Brazilian law that requires that at least 30% of the products for school feeding are purchased from family farms, since 2009. “The school feeding public policy was a structuring policy that really changed the lives of the farmers in our association. With the inclusion of farmers in this policy, our income increased,” said the farmer.

The representatives of Peru commented that the associative and intersectoral model for the execution of the school feeding program was admirable, noting that their country has also pursued the cooperative model for the organization of family farming. The Costa Rican group evaluated the mission very positively, as an opportunity for new knowledge, in addition to promoting through the RAES a space for reflection to generate a significant change in the school feeding program.

The representatives of Peru commented that the associative and intersectoral model for the execution of the school feeding program was admirable, noting that their country has also pursued the cooperative model for the organization of family farming. The Costa Rican group evaluated the mission very positively, as an opportunity for new knowledge, in addition to promoting through the RAES a space for reflection to generate a significant change in the school feeding program.