The Ministry of Development and Social Assistance, Family and Fight against Hunger (MDS, in Portuguese) will hold a webinar on 25 of January on national guidelines for healthy eating in the school environment. In December 2023, Brazil published a Presidential Decree that sets out the principles, objectives, strategic axes and guidelines for actions to promote adequate and healthy food in the school environment of public and private basic education networks.
The Decree recommends that states, the Federal District and municipalities develop strategies and regulations capable of supporting the implementation of three strategic pillars for promoting adequate and healthy eating in the school environment, taking into account regional, cultural and socio-economic specificities and the special dietary needs of students in accordance with the standards regulated by the National Fund for Education Development (FNDE). This applies especially to the Food and Nutrition Education axis. On the other hand, the axes Donation and Commercialization of Food and Beverages and Marketing Communication of Food and Beverages must follow the law that regulates these topics, following the restrictions provided for in the Decree.
“Promoting proper nutrition in the school environment is fundamental to building a healthy life, with less risk of developing chronic non-communicable diseases such as diabetes,” said Albaneide Peixinho, Project Coordinator at the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Centre of Excellence against Hunger in Brazil. “We need to protect children and young people from exposure to ultra-processed foods and promote awareness of the importance of food for health and development,” she added.
The Centre of Excellence, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Brazilian Cooperation Agency, has been working to disseminate successful practices for promoting adequate and healthy nutrition in childhood through the Nurture the Future Project. In recent years, the project has promoted technical cooperation between Brazil, Colombia and Peru on the prevention and care of obesity and the consumption of fruit and vegetables. Find out more about the project here.