Between 24 October and 6 November, the World Food Programme (WFP) Centre of Excellence against Hunger in Brazil, in partnership with the WFP office in São Tomé and Príncipe, carried out a technical mission aimed at strengthening school feeding in the African country. The action was attended by Brazilian consultants Luderlândio de Andrade Silva and Ricardo Pereira de Farias, specialists in agronomy and climate-resilient social technologies.
The mission included representatives from the National School Food and Health Programme of São Tomé and Príncipe, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development, as well as farmers who are members of the Association for Agricultural Development and Environmental Protection (ADAPPA).
During the mission, several solutions adapted to the local context were implemented, with a focus on sustainability and food security. At the Praia Rei Primary School in Água Izé, a 16,000-litre plate cistern was built to collect and store rainwater for drinking.
At the Angra Toldo, Almeirin and Agua-Izé schools, eco-friendly stoves were built, significantly reducing smoke emissions and firewood consumption. The model allows the use of materials such as sticks, dry leaves and twigs, promoting a more efficient and less polluting way of cooking, especially suitable for school environments.
At the headquarters of the National School Food and Health Programme (PNASE), a fish tank was built, accompanied by a production plan that aims to integrate fish farming into school meals. The proposal seeks to diversify the protein supply in students’ meals, while encouraging local production practices.
With a view to promoting the supply of animal protein in schools, training was provided on the production of alternative feed for pigs and chickens, considering locally produced foods such as cassava bark and leaves, gliricidia, cowrie shells and moringa leaves. This approach aims to reduce animal feed costs and make use of locally available resources.
Also at the PNASE headquarters, in addition to the physical facilities, the mission promoted theoretical and practical training on biofertilisers and bioinsecticides, made from native plants and local ingredients. One of these was the production of alternative feed for small animals, using unconventional ingredients and agro-industrial by-products.
All activities were conducted using the Training of Trainers (ToT) methodology, empowering local agents to replicate the technologies in their communities. The mission reinforces WFP’s commitment to promoting, through technical cooperation, innovative and sustainable solutions to combat hunger, strengthening public policies and local practices in São Tomé and Príncipe.