From 8 to 10 July 2025, João Pessoa (PB) hosted the II Meeting of School Feeding Councils of the Northeast Region of Brazil, bringing together experts, councillors and public managers to discuss the advances and challenges of school feeding in Brazil.
The official opening of the event was attended by the director of the WFP Centre of Excellence against Hunger in Brazil, Daniel Balaban, who was also the keynote speaker. In his speech, Balaban emphasized the importance of the role of councils in strengthening public food security policies. “This event reinforces the essential role of the School Feeding Councils in guaranteeing the right to adequate food, in line with the Brazilian agenda to combat hunger,” he said.
On the second day, the Centre of Excellence’s Project Coordinator, Albaneide Peixinho, took part on behalf of ASBRAN (the Brazilian Nutrition Association), and discussed the 70th anniversary of the National School Feeding Programme (PNAE), highlighting its historical evolution and new challenges.
The programme also included the participation of government representatives from the Ministry of Agrarian Development and control bodies, such as the Federal Court of Auditors and the Paraíba Court of Auditors, as well as themed tables on food and nutritional security, family farming, inclusion and the food culture of traditional peoples.
Held by the National Forum of School Feeding Councils, the meeting aimed to bring together councillors to continuously improve their work with the National School Feeding Programme.