Representatives from the Sistema Nacional para o Desenvolvimento Integral da Família visited the Centre. Whilst Mexico already has a comprehensive school feeding programme in place, the delegation was interested in learning of Brazil´s experience with the Zero Hunger Strategy and its multi-sectoral framework that connects school feeding to local purchase initiatives. Joanna Cristo Aguirre, Director General of Food and Community Development, Ministry of Health, says: “I think Mexico could benefit a lot from Brazil´s school feeding experiences, in particular from monitoring and evaluation tools. On the other hand, Mexico was the first country in Latin America to develop a multidimensional poverty measure, and that could be of Brazil´s policymakers´ interest”.

Mexico delegation exchange views on school feeding, 6th-10th August

Mexican delegation on visit to family farm in Brazlandia

Rwanda to implement school feeding after study visit to Brazil, 13th-17th August

WFP Centre visited Rwanda to follow-up on April´s study visit. The government of Rwanda and the visiting delegation agreed on a number of proposed next steps to implement the national school feeding programme. Abdoulaye Balde, WFP Rwanda Country Director, says: “The Government of Rwanda has stated its desire to develop a nationally owned home-grown school feeding programme with a high degree of community ownership and gradually reduce its current reliance on external support.” See report on the mission in The New Times Daily.

Ghana spends 2 weeks in Brazil for “eye opening” study visit, 20th-30th August

The high level delegation began with a field trip to Natal, northeast Brazil, that allowed them to receive firsthand experience of schools, farmers’ cooperatives and smallholder farmer properties. This was followed by an official agenda of discussions with representatives from ministries and organisations involved in coordinating and supervising the school feeding and local purchase programmes. The action plan presented by Ghana in the concluding session outlined aspirations to adapt best practices such as Brazil´s rights-based approach to access to food. Seidu Paakuna Adamu, coordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Programme says: “We have really appreciated the serious approach that Brazil has taken to fighting hunger and malnutrition. Ghana is buying into this strategy.”

Malawi hails follow-up mission an “inspiring” experience , 10th-15th September

Hosting Malawi for the second time after their first visit to the Centre in March, the Centre received a high-level delegation that included the Minister of Education and Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security. The aim of Malawi is to scale up its national school feeding capabilities whilst also strengthening the links with agricultural production. The delegation received a comprehensive overview of the institutional mechanics that link farmers´ organisations, Government-contracted suppliers and social beneficiaries. Meetings were help with government actors and field visits were arranged to farms, cooperatives, associations and a school. Eunice Kazembe, Honourable Minister of Education and Science and Technology, says: “This has gone a long way in helping us consolidate our school meals programme in Malawi”.

Senegal and Haiti complete study visit to Brasilia and Salvador, 12th-21st September

The delegations began with a overview in of Brazil´s food programmes in Brasilia and in the second week travelled to Salvador, in northeast Brazil, to meet many of the key stakeholders along the food procurement supply chain. The outcome was the drafting of a country-specific action plan by both of the delegations, each pledging to promote the importance of school feeding in their own countries. Alix Raymond, National Programme of School Canteens, Haiti, says: “This visit is going to allow us to improve Haiti´s school feeding programme”. Ibrahima Sall, Minister of Education, Senegal says: “This is a very important system. Senegal is working towards the idea of having school feeding really rooted in the school space”.

For more information on the study visit please follow this link

Centre´s director Daniel Balaban met with Prime Minister Pierre

Habumuremyi

For more information on the study visit please follow this link

For more information on the study visit please follow this link

For more information on the study visit please follow this link

For more information on the study visit please follow this link

Ghana delegation on visit to a school in Natal

Charles Mazinga, Deputy Director for School Health and Nutrition in the

Ministry of Education, tucks in to a school meal.

The mixed delegation enjoyed the opportunity to exchange

views with one another

Upcoming study visit, events and PAA Africa update

From 3rd-12th October the Centre will be hosting a delegation from Bangladesh. The delegation composed of representatives from the ministries of education and finance, including the Minister of Primary & Mass Education, WFP CO and HQ, will also take part in the “International Seminar on Social Policies” organised jointly with the Brazilian Ministry of Social Development and Fight against Hunger (MDS) on October 8-11.

The Centre is pleased to announce that will host the next Global Child Nutrition Forum in 2013 in Brasilia. The event will be organised in partnership with the Global Child Nutrition Foundation and will gather academics, experts, government officials, UN representatives and civil society around food and nutrition security police dialogue. Stay tuned for more updates!

The Purchase from Africans for Africa PAA Africa initiative was launched this year by the Brazilian government inspired by its food purchase programme (PAA) and is being implemented by WFP and FAO with the support of the UK´s DfID. It is designed to facilitate market access for African smallholder farmers by ensuring that the part of the food distributed in food assistance programmes is sourced locally from each country. So far consultants have been deployed to the 5 countries involved, Ethiopia, Niger, Malawi, Mozambique and Senegal, and related knowledge is being gradually built up.

Go to http://www.wfp.org/centre-of-excellence-hunger for more information