School feeding in Latin America and the Caribbean is the theme of event in Brasilia

School Feeding in Latin America and the Caribbean

The Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), under the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE), the National Fund for Education Development (FNDE), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will hold, on November 13^th and 14^th, an international event titled “School Feeding in Latin America and the Caribbean: Trajectory and Perspectives”, to share the results and impacts of international cooperation on this matter.

The meeting will be held at the Nereu Ramos auditorium, in the House of Federal Representatives, in Brasilia, and will be attended by representatives of governments from 21 countries in the region, including directors of school feeding programs, deputy ministers of education, and technical staff.

At the occasion, an assessment of activities implemented and achievements made under the joint action of international partners will be presented; additionally, there will also be an opportunity for establishing a dialogue about the next steps for the region, in view of the increased number of activities and countries that are part of the Sustainable School Feeding Network (RAES).

RAES NETWORK

The network, established in 2018 by the government of Brazil with the support of FAO, aims to support Latin American and Caribbean countries in their efforts to implement and reformulate their school feeding programs, with a view to providing access to and guaranteeing the human right to adequate food.

School feeding is a public policy that plays a strategic role in the fight against food and nutritional insecurity in the world. School feeding programs improve the nutrition and health of millions of children, adolescents and young people; reduce school absenteeism, which is frequent in children coming from more vulnerable families; and ensure better conditions for cognitive development.

GLOBAL COALITION

In 2023, Brazil is co-chairing the Global School Meals Coalition, alongside France and Finland. The announcement was made at the first School Meals Coalition Global Meeting on October 18 and 19, in Paris, France.

For 14 years, Brazilian international cooperation in school feeding has been a Brazil-FAO partnership priority. Through this initiative, more than 20 countries in the region have had the opportunity to increase knowledge and exchange experiences on the topic.