Project selected under the Public Call “Amazon at School”

CONTEXTUALIZATION

The promotion of school meals based on sustainable and socio-biodiverse products from family farming — including Indigenous Peoples, Quilombola communities, and other Traditional Peoples and Communities — within public education networks in the Legal Amazon region is aligned with the National School Feeding Program (PNAE), the Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Legal Amazon (PPCDAm), and the Amazon Fund.

This strategy simultaneously contributes to the conservation and sustainable use of the “living forest,” the preservation of biodiversity, and the reduction of deforestation, while also strengthening sustainable value chains, increasing income generation, diversifying markets, valuing socio-biodiversity, and promoting social justice.

The increase in the quantity, quality, regularity, and diversity of sustainable and socio-biodiverse production — driven by public procurement programs — enhances the productive capacity, production infrastructure, short supply chains, and distribution channels of family farming among these groups. Furthermore, it ensures that students have access to nutritious, healthy, and culturally appropriate meals that respect local eating habits, support regular food intake, reduce food insecurity, and positively impact learning outcomes, even in the face of deficits in school infrastructure and educational quality, by aligning public school demand with the productive potential of local territories.

Given the potential to support sustainable school feeding in the Legal Amazon region and the convergence of the aforementioned public policies, the Public Call “Amazon at School – Healthy and Sustainable Food” is part of a partnership between BNDES, the National Fund for Education Development (FNDE), the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Family Farming (MDA), the Ministry of Social Development, Family and Fight Against Hunger (MDS), and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA) to implement joint actions that promote school meals sourced from sustainable and socio-biodiverse family farming, including Indigenous Peoples, Quilombola communities, and other Traditional Peoples and Communities.

A total of ten proposals were selected to promote integrated actions aimed at strengthening the sustainable and socio-biodiverse production of food by family farmers and traditional communities, and the procurement of such food for school meals in public education networks across the Legal Amazon. Two proposals were selected for the state of Pará, and one proposal for each of the other states in the region. The project implemented by ICV was selected under the Public Call for the territory of Mato Grosso.

THE PROJECT

The project aims to support the integrated strengthening of sustainable food production by family farmers — including those from Indigenous Peoples, Quilombola communities, and other Traditional Peoples and Communities — as well as the procurement and consumption of such foods for school meals in public education networks in the state of Mato Grosso.

The ICV will implement its project from the ANE Call for Proposals together with five partners:

• Instituto Socioambiental (ISA) and Centro de Tecnologia Alternativa (CTA) will operate in the territory alongside ICV, working directly with farmers, and will receive full financial transfers.

• Centro Colaborador em Alimentação e Nutrição Escolar (CECANE/IFMT) – scholarship holders affiliated with CECANE/IFMT are part of the project team and will carry out advisory activities related to PNAE procurement and diagnostics.

• Instituto Comida e Cultura (ICC) and Instituto Comida do Amanhã (CDA) – both will be paid as consultancies (as they had restrictions on receiving direct transfers). They will also carry out training and advisory activities.

The following is a summary table:

Deliverables (Products and Services):

• Detailed diagnostic report on PNAE and family farmers in the territory
• Mobilization, communication, stakeholder engagement, and knowledge dissemination about PNAE; Learning Report
• Strengthening governance and social oversight of PNAE at state and municipal levels
• Capacity building and technical support for family farming
• Strengthening productive infrastructure for family farming
• Capacity building and technical support for public education networks
• Strengthening infrastructure of public education networks

Expected Results:

• Increased productive capacity of family farmers, Indigenous Peoples, Quilombola communities, and other Traditional Peoples and Communities
• Strengthened local organizations
• Expanded commercialization of products
• Increased procurement of local and healthy food from family farming, improving the quality of school meals
• School networks sensitized and equipped with knowledge on the requirements and procedures for purchasing family farm products
• Strengthened synergistic environment for PNAE implementation
• Enhanced citizen and food awareness in food security and school forums
• Increased and strengthened participation of women and youth in PNAE

INTERVENTION LOGIC 

The project falls under components "Sustainable Production" (1) and "Science, Innovation, and Economic Instruments" (4) of the Amazon Fund Logical Framework.