Since 2009, the National Students' Nutrition Program in Brazil has been implementing a mechanism for food purchasing from family farming, generating an interesting trade opportunity for this segment and stimulating them to formalize their organizations. Since this is an innovative and complex program, this research aims at identifying and analyzing those aspects that will determine its proper implementation. In-depth interviews to qualified informants and a thorough record analysis were carried out, concluding that some of the key factors leading to implementation are: the proper management by the Brazilian government of food security policies and rural development; having access to the reference and acquired knowledge of the Food Acquisition Program of Brazil and the official acknowledgement of family farming by the State. Among the pending challenges to be faced, we can mention the need to foster the state instruments supporting this sector; increasing legal formalization of family faming organizations; the development of marketing and distribution chains to supply schools; the strengthening of their facilities for the management of fresh food products and finally the implementation of a nationwide evaluation program.