The technical mission of the Dominican Republic to the state of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil, which took place on May 29th and 30th, was organized within the framework of the project “Promoting a Healthy School Environment through Innovative Strategies to Strengthen the School Feeding Programme”. The visit was also co-organized by the project Consolidation of School Feeding Programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean, developed under the Brazil-FAO International Cooperation Programme.
Approximately 15 professionals from the Dominican Republic and Brazil were in the city of Niteroi, in Rio de Janeiro to meet with officials responsible for school feeding policies, family farmers who supply food for this programme, and experts from the Collaborating Center on Food and Nutrition at the Federal Fluminense University (CECANE-UFF).
The group consisted of members from FAO in Dominican Republic, the National Institute for Student Welfare (INABIE), the Supérate Programme, and the ministries of Agriculture and Health, as well as representatives from the Brazil-FAO International Cooperation, representing the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), FAO, and the National Fund for Educational Development (FNDE).
The visit to the farmers took place at the Agroverde Cooperative, located in Guapimirim, in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro, which supplies food to more than 400 municipal and state schools in Rio de Janeiro. The delegation had the opportunity to visit plantation areas and engage in conversations with various producers, learning about their challenges and sharing lessons learned.
