School Feeding and Family Farming: Partnership for the Generation of Employment and Income

Abstract

School meals made in partnership with family farmers tend to foster local economies, driving productive diversification and increasing the income of family farmers. Through the Brazilian School Meals Program, purchases of family farming products are encouraged, under special conditions of at least 30% of the resources transferred by the Brazilian Fund for Education Development. This incentive allows better marketing alternatives and valorization of the local farmer. The municipality has a significant return on its economy when these resources are added to those spent by the municipality itself. Numerous benefits would be generated for family farmers, shop- keepers, industrialists, and local service providers, as well as the return of revenue in the form of consumption taxes. This paper describes financial and social gains in the presence of municipal policies that induce the food acquisition process.