Public policies for food security and rural development in a Brazilian cooperative

Abstract

PAA (Food Purchase Program) and PNAE (National School Feeding Program) are known worldwide as pioneers public policies on fighting food insecurity and rural poverty. We have analyzed the participation of a family farmers’ Cooperative on such programs as a supplier of organic products. Both programs revealed to be economically relevant and promote local governance if well executed, depending on the level of commitment from local administrations, beneficiaries and farmers. However, both are yet highly sensible to governmental changes as we’ve identified municipalities that explore their fully potential and others which do not engage, even though Brazilian law requires them so.