Brasília, October 16, 2023 - The first edition of the course "FNE in the school: school feeding as an educational strategy for a healthy life" was launched in October 2023. This initiative, running until the end of this month, aims to train approximately 500 professionals involved in Brazil's National School Feeding Programme (PNAE).

The virtual course was developed by the National Fund for Educational Development (FNDE) in collaboration with the Brazil-FAO International Cooperation Programme, which is executed by the Brazilian Cooperation Agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (ABC/MRE), the FNDE, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through the project Consolidation of School Feeding Programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean.

One of the course objectives is to promote reflection and understanding of the importance of public school feeding policies as strategies that promote Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), food and nutritional security (FNS), education, health, nutrition, social protection, and environmental care.

This course is an update of the version offered in Spanish between 2020 and 2022, reaching over 7,200 participants from Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay, Peru, and the Dominican Republic. This methodology may be replicated in subsequent years to reach more Brazilian professionals.

The target audience for the course includes school nutritionists, teachers, cafeteria staff, directors, pedagogical coordinators, family farmers, school feeding counselors, and education secretaries. The course, which began on October 1 and concludes on the 31st of the same month, is self-paced, has 40 hours, and provides a certificate upon completion of tests. It is being hosted on the Sustainable School Feeding Network (RAES) platform, another initiative supporting the strengthening of regional school feeding policies. 

Fernanda Pacobahyba, president of FNDE, emphasized the crucial role of school feeding in promoting values, knowledge, and habits that influence the lives of children, youth, and future generations. She stated: "This course provides valuable tools to effectively integrate FNE into their educational practices. Through the shared knowledge in the course, professionals will be better prepared to convey information about healthy eating, encourage positive habits, and contribute to the formation of more conscientious citizens."

"Driven by FNDE's commitment to strengthening the capacities of PNAE professionals in Brazil, this revised and updated version represents another strategy for building knowledge, technical empowerment, and strengthening Brazilian school feeding policy. Undoubtedly, this course allows us to broaden our perspective through the insights of national and international experts," said Najla Veloso, coordinator of the project Consolidation of School Feeding Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean.