Context

Since 2009, within the framework of the Brazil-FAO International Cooperation Programme, the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC/MRE), the National Fund for Educational Development (FNDE/MEC) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have been developing projects and initiatives aimed at strengthening and consolidating school feeding programmes (SFP) and policies in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), based on the principle of the human right to adequate food.

In 2018, this international cooperation programme began its activities as the Sustainable School Feeding Network (RAES), which has become an important strategy for dialogue in the search for common solutions to the challenges faced by the school feeding programmes in the region.

During these years, much progress has been made in the field of school feeding with the support of the Brazil-FAO International Cooperation Programme in LAC, which is specifically linked to the work of the RAES. In December 2023, a new project was signed, called Regional Agenda for Sustainable School Feeding in Latin America and the Caribbean, which aims to formulate, together with the partner countries, a regional agenda for school feeding within the framework of the RAES. Therefore, the project provides for the development of articulated actions among the countries of the region to promote the achievement of the objectives of school feeding programmes, in particular access to healthy food for all students.

Live broadcast

In order to provide a segment of the actions of the project aimed at institutionalizing the RAES and the adhesion of the member countries, the virtual event Adhesion of LAC Countries to RAES - A sustainable school feeding for all, will be held on August 23 and a dialogue on the maturity analysis of the SFP in LAC will be carried out.

At the event, participants will be presented with the Joint declaration of commitment to advances in school feeding policy in Latin America and the Caribbean and the Adhesion Form for member countries of the RAES. In addition to this agenda, the implementation of the Maturity Analysis of the SFP in the region will be announced, which arises from the need to face the current problems and challenges that are found in the promotion of school feeding programmes in the region.

It will be explained and formalized that, by signing the RAES Member Country Adhesion Form, the countries declare their participation in the network and their commitment to seek, together and participatively, the strengthening and consolidation of school feeding programmes.   

The formal adhesion of countries aims to

Strengthen the RAES as a regional voice for the needs and propositions of the LAC countries related to the theme of school feeding in the School Meals Coalition;

Contribute to the joint development of the regional school feeding agenda;

Promote dialogue on the development of national school feeding policies;

Ensure the joint development of RAES guidelines and regulations to meet the needs of member countries.   

Objectives of the event

General

To present the Joint declaration of commitment to advances in school feeding policy in Latin America and the Caribbean and the Adhesion Form for member countries of the RAES. In addition, to discuss the maturity analysis of the school feeding programmes in the countries of the region.

Specific

To dialogue and to validate with the countries the propositions presented in the Joint Declaration of Commitment and the Adhesion Form to the RAES;

To present the schedule of activities for the second half of 2024   

To present the concept and methodological proposal for the application of the Maturity Analysis of the SFP to be developed by the RAES within the framework of the Brazil-FAO International Cooperation.

Participants

High-level representatives of Latin America and the Caribbean countries in the field of school feeding;

• FNDE Representatives
• ABC Representatives
• FAO Representatives
• Representatives from the Government of Brazil.

Organizers

Regional Agenda for Sustainable School Feeding in Latin America and the Caribbean within the framework of the Brazil-FAO International Cooperation Programme on School Feeding and the RAES.