The WFP Centre of Excellence against Hunger in Brazil is taking part in the 2026 Global Child Nutrition Forum (GCNF), the leading international gathering dedicated to school feeding and child nutrition, taking place from 2 to 5 November in Lusaka, Zambia. The event brings together governments, international organisations, researchers, civil society and the private sector to discuss strategies to strengthen school feeding programmes worldwide.
The Brazilian delegation comprises Leticia do Valle, Programme Officer at the World Food Programme (WFP) and representative of the Centre of Excellence against Hunger; Karine Santos, General Coordinator of the National School Feeding Programme (PNAE) at the National Fund for Education Development (FNDE); and Paola Barbieri, Project Analyst at the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC).
One of the highlights of Brazil’s participation is the workshop ‘Who should be at the table? A practical approach to the multisectoral coordination of school feeding programmes’, organised by the Centre of Excellence with support from ABC, on 4 November.
In addition to the Brazilian delegation, The Gambia – represented by Tida Jatta (Ministry of Education) – and Togo – represented by Badawi Tchekpi (Ministry of Social Development) – are taking part in the workshop to discuss multi-sectoral coordination in school feeding programmes. The aim is for participants from various countries to chart their own paths towards improving their school feeding programmes, adapting the models and tools presented to their local contexts.
Another highlight for the Brazilian delegation is their participation in the panel on sustainable financing, during which Karine Santos will present the best practices and lessons learnt from the PNAE in this area.
Integration
As the workshop facilitator, Leticia do Valle emphasises the importance of creating coordination mechanisms that enable different sectors to work together towards common objectives. “School feeding has impacts that go far beyond nutrition. When different institutions work together, we are able to extend the benefits to education, family farming, social protection and local development,” she states.
During the session, Karine Santos presents Brazil’s experience in linking school meals with family farming, one of the pillars of the PNAE. “The Brazilian model shows that coordination between different areas of government is essential to ensure healthy meals for pupils and, at the same time, create opportunities for family farmers,” she emphasises.
For Paola Barbieri, international cooperation plays a strategic role in disseminating good practices. “The exchange of experiences between countries makes it possible to accelerate solutions and adapt successful initiatives to different contexts. It is precisely this spirit of South-South cooperation that we seek to strengthen within the GCNF,” she notes.
History
Established in 1997, the GCNF has established itself as one of the most important global platforms for the exchange of knowledge on school feeding. The theme for the 2026 edition is ‘From vision to action: achieving ambitious goals for school feeding programmes’ and aims to support governments in transforming political commitments into concrete actions capable of expanding children’s access to high-quality school meals.
The relationship between the Centre of Excellence against Hunger and the forum is a long-standing one. Since its creation in 2011, the Centre has partnered with the Global Child Nutrition Foundation to promote international cooperation and the exchange of knowledge on school feeding. Over the years, experts from the Centre have regularly participated in GCNF activities, sharing Brazil’s experience and supporting governments in Africa, Asia and Latin America in establishing and improving national school feeding programmes.