Chile is currently discussing a draft bill on school feeding
Brasília, Brazil, June 16, 2025 – The Sustainable School Feeding Network (RAES) participated in the international seminar “Feeding the Future: Regulatory Frameworks and Legislation on School Feeding,” a gathering held in Santiago, Chile, that brought together authorities, experts, and parliamentarians from various countries to address the challenges and legislative advances related to school feeding.
The event took place on June 13 in a hybrid format at the Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center (GAM), organized by the National Board of School Assistance and Scholarships (Junaeb) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The seminar was supported by the RAES Network and aimed to promote the exchange of experiences regarding school feeding laws and to identify opportunities for the implementation of regulatory frameworks in Chile and other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Representatives from RAES member countries participated online throughout the event.
RAES is a trilateral South-South cooperation initiative jointly carried out by the Brazilian Cooperation Agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (ABC/MRE) and the National Fund for Educational Development of (FNDE/MEC), with technical support and executive secretariat provided by the FAO. The network currently has 18 member countries.
Chile is in an advanced process of drafting and monitoring a bill on school feeding, the result of a joint effort with FAO Chile. The initiative began in 2023, when Junaeb and FAO signed an agreement to provide technical and legal assistance in developing the proposal. The country, which is a member of RAES, has also received support from the Network during the ongoing dialogues.
Participants in the international seminar included Camila Rubio Araya, National Director of Junaeb; Eve Crowley, FAO Representative in Chile; Najla Veloso, Executive Secretary of RAES; Verónica Silva Villalobos, Undersecretary for Children; Valeska Naranjo Dawson, Executive Secretary of the Elige Vivir Sano programme; Chilean Congressman Hernán Palma; Renata Mainenti from Brazil’s FNDE; and parliamentarians Orlando Blanco of Guatemala and Soraya Suárez of the Dominican Republic.
On behalf of the RAES Executive Secretariat, Najla Veloso congratulated the officials on the Chilean government’s commitment to advancing school feeding policy and emphasized the importance of regulatory frameworks in strengthening public policies like school feeding. Veloso noted that the school feeding policy in the region has evolved from a welfare approach to a rights-based approach focused on guaranteeing the human right to adequate food implemented in schools. She underscored the importance of working cooperatively across countries: “Being in a network means working hand-in-hand, strategically, where one country strengthens the other and progress is made collectively. Actions like this one reinforce school feeding policies across our region,” she said.
Camila Rubio Araya, Junaeb’s National Director, highlighted the progress made in feeding programmes and reaffirmed the view that school feeding is a structural public policy with the potential to significantly impact the present and future well-being of millions of people in the country. “We have expanded coverage to 100% in early childhood education, improved the quality and relevance of menus, and promoted procurement from smallholder family farms, artisanal fisheries, and seaweed harvesters. Additionally, we established clear rules to prevent market concentration, encourage participation of small enterprises, and ensure the financial health of suppliers — guaranteeing the continuity of services and the working conditions of more than 35,000 food handlers,” she said.
Experiences
The seminar also showcased legislative experiences from Mexico, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, and Brazil, while providing a platform to discuss the factors that have facilitated the passing of similar laws in other Latin American countries. In the closing panel, participants discussed common challenges in building sustainable and culturally relevant legal frameworks.
Renata Mainenti, Coordinator for Social Oversight Support at FNDE, emphasized the value of participating in a collective construction process. She congratulated Chilean authorities for their efforts in drafting a bill to strengthen school feeding in the country and praised the dialogue spaces facilitated by RAES.
“These moments foster growth not only for Brazil but for all countries. Food is a universal issue—it makes a difference—and we are united in this process of growth. This is everyone’s fight,” she affirmed. She also emphasized the role of social participation and civil society in building legal frameworks, such as Brazil’s School Feeding Law: “Our experience shows that a law built with broad collaboration not only manages to be enacted but can also be significantly strengthened by the entire support structure behind it.”
Draft Bill
Eve Crowley, FAO Representative in Chile, highlighted the collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Junaeb in developing a draft bill that seeks to set standards for ensuring proper nutrition for children and adolescents. She reiterated FAO’s commitment to providing technical support to strengthen the human rights approach in the country’s food policies. “Improving school feeding in Chile requires strong and sustainable regulatory frameworks, built through dialogue, technical evidence, and multisectoral participation,” she said.
Key components of the draft bill:
- Strengthening educational infrastructure: improving the quality and efficiency of food delivery in schools.
- Access to healthy and sustainable food: focus on purchasing local products and improving school nutrition.
- Participation and transparency: encouraging involvement of the school community and local producers, promoting accountability.
- Food and nutrition education: promoting healthy eating habits from early education onward.
- Environmental sustainability: introducing environmentally responsible principles such as waste reduction and efficient resource use.
Recording of the event (only available in English)