On 21 July, the WFP Centre of Excellence against Hunger in Brazil held a webinar with representatives from 15 Bangladeshi government ministries to present the main strategies adopted by Brazil to fight hunger and promote reflection on the importance of intersectoral and sustainable public policies.
The session highlighted how family farming and school feeding can act as pillars for social development, food security and poverty reduction, based on an integrated and coordinated approach between different government sectors.
The webinar was opened by Domenico Scalpelli, Director of the WFP in Bangladesh, and Daniel Balaban, Director of the Centre of Excellence in Brazil. Both emphasised the strength of South-South cooperation and the long history of partnership between Brazil and Bangladesh.
Since 2012, the WFP Centre of Excellence and the WFP have been supporting the government of Bangladesh in building and strengthening its national school feeding programme. Throughout this trajectory, important milestones stand out, such as the study mission to Brazil in 2012, followed by the elaboration of the national school feeding strategy and the publication of the case study documenting the country’s advances in the area.
Bangladesh has also made a name for itself on the international stage by joining important initiatives to fight hunger and poverty. In 2023, the country joined the School Feeding Coalition, making ambitious commitments such as expanding the coverage of the national school feeding programme to 3.5 million students, replacing fortified biscuits with nutritious and diversified meals, and integrating school feeding into the Primary Education Development Programme by 2027.
Bangladesh is also a member of the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty and will be attending the Coalition’s next Summit, which will take place on 18 and 19 September in Fortaleza (Brazil).
The webinar is part of the Centre of Excellence’s ongoing efforts to promote knowledge exchange, strengthen institutional capacities and support partner countries in implementing effective and lasting solutions to food security.