Implement joint actions to support the strengthening of family farming and the promotion of food and nutritional security, within the scope of the National School Feeding Program (PNAE). This is the objective of the Technical Cooperation Agreement (ACT) signed between the Secretariat of Family Agriculture and Cooperatives of the Ministry of Agriculture (SAF/MAPA), the National Education Development Fund (FNDE) and the National Supply Company (Conab) , this Tuesday (13/07). The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa), Tereza Cristina, the Minister of Education (MEC), Milton Ribeiro, the presidents of Conab, Guilherme Ribeiro, and the FNDE, Marcelo Ponte, and the secretary of Family Agriculture and Cooperativism of Mapa, Cesar Halum.
The document provides for integration between institutions in order to contribute to the improvement of processes and information management, in addition to expanding the execution of food acquisition operations originating from family farming, in order to reach at least 30% which are mandatory by Law No. 11.947/2009. The actions provided for in the agreement will be carried out without implying the transfer of budgetary or financial resources.
“The intention is to expand dissemination and help producers across the country, who are at the cutting edge, to have access to information on how to access the existing tools to support the commercialization of their production. At the same time, work with the managers of these public policies on how to better use purchasing systems, in order to guarantee better applicability to the resources transferred to the PNAE”, highlights Guilherme Ribeiro.
Minister Tereza Cristina said that the union of Pnae with family farming is a “win-win” partnership. “We can go much further than this agreement. We can say what type of food Conab can source from family farming that is best for our children's nutrition. So, I think this is a partnership that can only win from now on if we work together thinking about the good of these children and their food.”
Minister Milton Ribeiro recalled the importance of the National School Meals Program for Brazilian children. “There are around 46 million students in the public basic education network who, in one way or another, receive lunch. And, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, we managed to ensure that 30% of school meals come from family farming”, commented the minister.
According to the president of FNDE, Marcelo Ponte, Pnae is responsible for more than 50 million daily meals. “Our objectives are to provide a healthy and nutritious diet and guarantee the effective purchase of family farming, that is, with this agreement, we will achieve a market for family producers, promote food security for our students and establish eating habits that are increasingly healthier from early childhood.”
The expectation is that the joint action of the institutions will increase the participation of family farmers in the school feeding program. To this end, technical assistance and rural extension (Ater) actions are planned for producers and their organizations, in addition to training programs on the process of buying/selling family farming products in the PNAE's field of activity. This training will be aimed at both farmers and technicians and managers of the institutions involved.
Other initiatives indicated in the ACT are the preparation of informative materials on the inclusion of family farming in the Program, in addition to specific actions to include indigenous family farmers in the PNAE.
The agreement lasts for 2 years, and can be extended by signing an addendum.
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