Foto: Eliana Betancor/FAO

19 June 2017, Santiago, Chile - Public purchase programmes create a virtuous circle between family farming, local markets, government assistance programmes and consumers; providing benefits for all. 

This is indicated in the study, published in English and entitled: "Public Purchases from Family Farming, and Food and Nutrition Security in Latin America and the Caribbean," by the regional project to support strategies of Food and Nutrition Security (FNS) and poverty reduction in countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. The document presents the lessons learned and successful experiences in various countries of the region, which have demonstrated the effectiveness of this public policy, thus providing valuable information to the countries. 

Public purchase programmes also encourage better eating habits, create new markets for family farming, and promote public policy coordination. 

"It is an innovate tool that is producing optimal results in the fight against hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean," stated Emma Siliprandi, Regional Coordinator of the project. 

Siliprandi explains that the decision was made by the project to have the study translated into English, considering that these programmes of public purchases from family farming can also be an important tool for Caribbean countries in terms of food and nutrition security, as well as the inclusion of Caribbean farmers in institutional purchases. "On the other hand, FAO has received requests from other regions of the world that are interested in learning about these experiences in Latin America." 

The book points out that such purchase programmes allow for increased social participation, diversified food production, increased income and improvements in quality of life for small farmers. 

In addition, these programmes improve the diversity and quality of fresh food consumed by the most vulnerable populations, by providing healthy food to children participating in school feeding programmes, public hospitals and similar institutions. 

Public purchase programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean

The book, produced within the framework of the Brazil-FAO International Cooperation Program, provides a broad view of the contributions of purchases to family farming as an efficient public policy for development. 

At present, Brazil and Uruguay have public purchase laws in place for family farming, while other countries, such as Paraguay, have legal decrees regulating such purchases. Furthermore, there are currently several initiatives to create legislation for School Feeding and Family Farming, which include the topic of public purchases. 

Brazil features two programmes of public purchases from family farming: the Food Purchase Program (PAA), which has been operational since 2003, and the purchase programme linked to the National School Feeding Program (PNAE), in force since 2009. In its first decade, the PAA alone assisted more than one million family farmers, who were “able to sell 3.6 million tonnes of food products." 

A way to reduce costs

Public purchases from family farming could entail a reduction in the cost of food rations acquired by the governments for their respective social assistance and school feeding programmes, thanks to lower transportation costs. 

In 2014, a pilot project was carried out in Paraguay, where school feeding coverage increased from 4,500 to 7,000 rations - using the same budget - simply by purchasing from family farmers. 

Why purchase from family farming?

The study analyzes the structural aspects of supply and demand, along with institutional elements, agreements, legislation and management models, which guarantee the efficiency, equity and transparency of these programmes. 

In addition, it presents ten lessons learned from the experiences currently underway in Latin America and the Caribbean, which serve as guidelines for other countries aiming to create or improve their respective public purchase programmes. 

1. These purchases serve as a mechanism to strengthen and guarantee the human right to adequate food.
2. They are a policy to improve assistance to those most vulnerable.
3. Support local development and strengthen the "short circuits" (local markets) in commercialization.
4. Contribute to the formation of healthy eating habits.
5. Allow for the opening of new markets for family farming.
6. Fairer legal and regulatory frameworks of purchases.
7. Promote public policy coordination.
8. They contribute to greater social participation.
9. Increase the visibility of family farming in society.
10. They contribute to the diversification of food production.