The first two weeks of July were marked by two events, which were attended by the WFP Centre of Excellence against Hunger in Brazil, with a strong call for participation and social control: the 17th National Health Conference, which took place in Brasilia, between July 2 and 5; and the 2nd National Meeting of School Feeding Councils, held in Rio de Janeiro, on July 12 and 13.
The 17th National Health Conference brought together about 4,000 people, including managers, health workers and users of the Brazilian national health system, known as SUS, to discuss propositions and guidelines for public health policies in Brazil. The Centre of Excellence was an participant and was represented by nutritionist Eliene Sousa, who participated in the discussions in the working groups and in the plenary sessions. The event, which is organized by the National Health Council and the Ministry of Health, approved motions of appeal and support, with more than 400 signatures, regarding the taxation of sugary drinks and the Food Guide for the Brazilian Population, respectively.
The Brazilian Ministry of Health, together with the Brazilian Cooperation Agency, has an important partnership with the Centre of Excellence focused on the care of multiple burden of malnutrition, especially in children, caused by the consumption of ultra-processed foods, such as sugary drinks. The Food Guide for the Brazilian Population and the Food Guide for Poor People under 2 years of age, for example, are important inspirations for the publications and materials of the Nurture the Future project, run by the Centre of Excellence in partnership with the Brazilian government.
2nd National Meeting of School Feeding Councils
Another great example of participation and social control in public food security policies is the School Feeding Council as a tool for monitoring National School Feeding Programmes. In the experience of Brazil in the execution of the National School Feeding Programme (PNAE) has as one of its principles the participation and social control, which materialise in School Feeding Council (CAE), present in all states and municipalities.
The 2nd National Meeting of School Feeding Councils aimed to provide a space for dialogue between school feeding counsellors from all over the country. The Centre of Excellence against Hunger participated in the debates bringing a vision of school feeding around the world and how the office has worked, through South-South cooperation, in developing capacities for the implementation of national school feeding programmes. One of the tools presented was the Virtual Exchange methodology that has already had the participation of several countries since 2020. Learn more here.