Project Consolidation of School Feeding Programs in LAC was presented in the summit Food for Health: Transforming Policy and Outcomes
Santiago de Chile, May 30, 2022 – The project Consolidation of School Feeding Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean, carried out within the framework of the Brazil-FAO International Cooperation, was highlighted in a parallel hybrid event of the World Health Assembly, held in Geneva, in Switzerland, on May 26. The summit ‘Food for Health: Transforming Policy and Outcomes’ was organized by Bloomberg Philanthropies in partnership with the University of Cambridge and presented successful international experiences in topics such as creating healthier food and beverage environments in the public sector, especially in schools, taxes on unhealthy foods and beverages, front-of-package warning labels for unhealthy food and beverages and restrictions on the marketing of unhealthy food and beverages, particularly seen by children.
Through the project, various activities are promoted with the countries, including international missions, technical advice and training courses for professionals who work with the school feeding policy. The exchange of information and knowledge has, over the last 14 years, contributed to the dissemination of a vision of sustainable school feeding as a fundamental element for the right to healthy and adequate food. The project is jointly carried out by the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC/MRE), the National Fund for Educational Development (FNDE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Najla Veloso, project coordinator, detailed the actions of the Brazil-FAO International Cooperation in school feeding since 2009, highlighting the strengthening and consolidation of this public policy in Latin American and Caribbean countries. She added that the school feeding policy has made a big difference in reducing global food insecurity. “We have the possibility of, within schools, reach 20% of the planet’s population. In Brazil alone, approximately 41 million students are served every day by this policy“. In addition, it is worth mentioning the millions of students who have this as their main or only meal of the day.
The coordinator also added that a sustainable school food program considers the need to offer nutritionally adequate, tasty, balanced, varied and culturally relevant food. “There is no healthy diet without fruits and vegetables, preferably purchased locally from family farming, stimulating short production circuits and promoting local territorial development“. Another reference also learned from the Brazilian school feeding program is the importance of implementing food and nutrition education actions, the institutionalization of social participation (such as the School Feeding Councils – CAE in Brazil) and the definition of percentages of public procurement from family farming.
On the importance of sustainable school feeding programs, she emphasized: “In addition to being a policy to guarantee the human right to adequate food, it impacts the entire food chain, the production, the consumption, the delivery, the food culture, creating a model of sustainable production and ensuring stability between urban and rural,” said. “Surely, school feeding is a transversal policy with impacts on health, agriculture, education and the local economy, reducing poverty and food insecurity, even in times of crisis“.
In the audience of this lecture were ministers of state and high-level officials from Argentina, Uruguay, Barbados, Ethiopia and Nigeria, as well as representatives from India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Pakistan, South Africa and Vietnam.
The summit convened Ministers and senior officials from several countries around the world to recognise and build on the work they are already doing to transform their food environments. The event aimed to encourage and support policymakers to develop and deliver ambitious, evidence-informed policies to improve health outcomes in their countries.
Content originally published in the website of the Brazil-FAO International Cooperation
