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Objective: The objective of this article is to create a Complex Governance Network Analysis Framework between two public policies. To prove the predictions of this study, the Theoretical Framework proposed here was applied between the National School Feeding Program (PNAE) and the School Health Program (PSE) in two locations.   Theoretical Framework: To discuss the objective of this article, the approaches of Complex Governance Network (Morçöl, 2023) and Individual and Social Learning (Habermas, 1984, 1987; Lankester, 2013; Maarleveld and Dangbenonpag, 1999) were used.   Method: This research is of a qualitative-descriptive nature and abductive logic, using as a strategy a study of multiple embedded cases and collection of primary and secondary data.   Results and Discussion: By proposing a complex governance network analysis framework between two public policies, this study made a theoretical contribution by adding more dimensions to this theoretical lens. The study of learning contributes to understanding the cognitive evolution of the population, including adult learning, a responsible individual active in public policies.   Research Implications: As practical contributions, this research helps in monitoring and structuring strategies in public management. Because, by understanding the learning level of each public servant, it is possible to observe the creativity of each actor involved in solving problems.   Originality/Value: The study of learning contributes to understanding the cognitive evolution of the population, including adult learning, a responsible individual active in public policies.

Diversified farms have received considerable attention for their potential to contribute to environmentally sustainable, resilient, and socially just food systems. In response, some governments are building new forms of public support for social-ecological services through the creation of mediated markets, such as targeted public food procurement programs. Here, we examine the relationship between farmer participation in Brazil’s National School Feeding Program and farm diversification and household autonomy, as key indicators of farm household resilience. We hypothesized that two key features of the food procurement program—structured demand for diversified food products, and a price premium for certified organic and agroecological production—would increase farm-level agrobiodiversity and the use of agroecological practices. We designed a comparative study between family farmers who do, and do not, participate in Brazil’s National School Feeding Program in the plateau region of Santa Catarina in Southern Brazil. We used semi-structured surveys to collect data on farm agrobiodiversity, management practices, and farm household autonomy, and we conducted land use history assessments. Here, we suggest for the first time that the National School Feeding Program played a role in driving the following: (1) transitions on family farms from low agrobiodiversity, input-intensive farming systems to diversified farming systems (i.e., horticultural production) and (2) a significant increase in the cropped area under diversified farming systems. This transition was supported by making horticultural production an economically viable alternative to field crops typically linked to volatile, unpredictable markets. The convergence of public policies supporting mediated markets, increased farm household autonomy, and farm diversification represents an integrated mechanism with the potential to enhance food system resilience.

Purpose This study evaluates the impact of the National School Feeding Program (PNAE) on academic performance in public schools, focusing on Portuguese language and mathematics exams from the Permanent System for the Assessment of Basic Education of Ceará (SPAECE) between 2008 and 2019. Design/methodology/approach We employ the generalized propensity score (GPS) methodology combined with a dose-response function to assess the impact of the program on the average student performance in these subjects at the school level, considering all educational stages in which SPAECE is administered. Findings Overall, the results indicate that larger transfers from PNAE to schools are, on average, associated with better academic outcomes. Furthermore, the marginal effects of additional transfers are positive but diminishing. Originality/value In addition to estimating PNAE transfers at the individual school level, a key contribution of this study is the application of the GPS methodology and dose-response function, which enables the identification of the differential impact of increased school meal funding on student performance. To the best of our knowledge, this is a novel result that enhances our understanding of both the importance and limitations of this type of resource transfer.

There is a gap in knowledge regarding the school food environment in small-sized municipalities. Thus, this study aims to analyze the anthropometric status of schoolchildren and the school and community food environments in a small Brazilian municipality. This is a cross-sectional, exploratory, and ecological study conducted in elementary schools and food retail outlets in Jerônimo Monteiro, Espírito Santo, Brazil. Anthropometric indicators were assessed using the students’ weight and height. The school food environment was analyzed by evaluating the National School Feeding Program (PNAE) menu using the IQ-COSAN index, classifying foods brought in lunchboxes and sold at schools according to the Brazilian Dietary Guidelines, and auditing food retailers outside schools using the ESAO-S and ESAO-R instruments. Food establishments were categorized according to the Locais-Nova classification and scored using the Healthy Food Store Index (HFSI) and Healthy Meal Restaurant Index (HMRI). The study included 2 schools and 266 schoolchildren (5–11 years), of whom 33.1% had excess weight. The PNAE menu was classified as “needing improvement,” and 81% of schoolchildren’s lunchboxes contained processed/ultra-processed foods. In the external food environment around schools, low levels of access to healthy foods and predominance of ultra-processed food sales were observed.

The National School Feeding Program (PNAE—Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar) is a Brazilian policy that attends to 44 billion students per year, distributed in 5,568 municipalities, providing school meals to public school students. Law No. 11,947 establishes a minimum percentage of 30% to purchase foodstuffs directly from family farming. In addition to the general rules, it is possible to create specific rules for the operationalization of the program; therefore, this paper aims to characterize the dynamic process of the relationships and actions of social agents involved through the Activity System generated by Law No. 11,947 of 2009 in the municipality of Porto Velho in the state of Rondônia, located in the western Amazon. As a theoretical framework, cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) and mediated action theory (MAT) were used. To achieve the objective, qualitative research and abductive reasoning were adopted, using a unique and incorporated case study as a strategy. In all, 49 interviews were conducted and analyzed using content analysis. The extent of the influenced community and the different realities to which the actors are exposed were verified.

The present paper analyses the advances and challenges of the school feeding programme in Brazil (PNAE), as part of the Brazilian experience building up an integrated food and nutrition security national system. It explores the role of policy and regulatory frameworks in constructing quality service delivery and intersectoral integration. Review of PNAE and federal government technical documents and studies, legislation, minutes of meetings and official documents of the National Council of Food and Nutrition Security from 2003 to 2011. Food insecurity has decreased significantly in Brazil in the last decade, indicating that appropriate choices were made in terms of public policies and institutional arrangements, which other countries can learn from. Brazil food and nutrition security system; school feeding; school food. Brazil's integrated food and nutrition security policy approach promoted intersectorality in the food system, articulating actions to guarantee access to healthy food and to strengthen family farming. The quality of school meals has progressively improved; in particular, the availability of fruits and vegetables increased. However, national standards regarding menu composition have not yet been met. Regulations were an important factor, along with the policy approach linking food production, nutrition, health and education. Challenges are related to conflict of interests and to farmers' insufficient capacity to meet supply requirements and comply with technical procedures. Local food production, school meals and nutrition education can be linked through integrated programmes and policies, improving access to healthier foods. Government leadership, strong legislation, civil society participation and intersectoral decision making are determinant.

In Brazil, the National School Feeding Program (PNAE) and the Food Acquisition Program (PAA) are government procurement policies aimed at guaranteeing food security for family farmers and students. Using Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, as a case study, the purpose of this work was to explain the operation, coordination, and reorganization of these policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative research methodology was used, based on the analysis of information obtained from interviews, specialized discussion forums, and a review of relevant documents, such as local and national guidelines. The results highlight the need to include crisis management strategies that are associated with the public policies studied and new regulatory frameworks to promote PAA-PNAE synergy.

The objective of this work is to analyze the trajectory and role assumed by the collective organizations of family agriculture, Cooperatives and Associations, in the construction and supply of food for the institutional market built from the National School Feeding Program (PNAE) in the five most important municipalities in the state of Minas Gerais/Brazil. This approach is justified by the need to remedy theoretical gaps in the insertion of cooperatives, which serve as instruments to guarantee food and nutrition security and also as a crucial actor in the construction of food markets. For this, it is necessary to investigate how these organizations were constituted, how they are organized, which actors are involved, and what their role is in the implementation of the public food purchase policy. Methodologically, it is a multiple case study, with a qualitative approach and descriptive character. For data collection, semi-structured interviews were applied in the five most populous municipalities in Minas Gerais, based on two scripts aimed at representatives of family farming organizations and members of the Public Administration who work directly with the management of the PNAE. The research results corroborate the recommendation that the Brazilian State should support the collective organization of farmers and strengthen the promotion of associativism and cooperativism in family farming, providing instruments for the development of social and economic organizations as well as expanding and strengthening government food purchase programs, since they help boost social capital in the countryside and generate income for family farmers.

Food systems drive change, which can accelerate the process of ending hunger, improving diets and protecting the environment. This is the attribution given to the Brazilian National School Feeding Program (Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar—PNAE), which was created to supply 15% of the food needs of millions of children in Brazilian schools. Therefore, the purpose of this article was to create a framework to analyze learnings in the PNAE that contribute to the development of a sustainable food system in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. For this, a qualitative descriptive survey with abductive logic was chosen through a study of multiple cases and semistructured interviews as its strategy. It was noticed that individuals tended to group themselves in accordance with their learning level. A group in which instrumental learning was prevailing would tend to strictly follow the rules. Groups that already had communicative learning would be more proactive and look for improvements. However, when they would reach emancipatory learning, they would become more willing to disrupt initiatives to create new perspectives to solve problems. From that, decisions became political, and the more organized the groups became, the more power they had to allow their ideas to prevail.

This study analyzes the establishment of Local Agri-Food Systems (LAFSs) in the triple-border region between the states of Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo, by identifying and mapping potential areas of primary peasant agri-food production. An integrated analysis of data sources was treated, processed, and integrated into a common spatial support. Land use and land cover data were used from demographic and agricultural censuses, from the Rural Environmental Registry, agrarian reform settlement projects and conservation units. Our study revealed that 23.73% of the regional area has potential for peasant production, identifying four regions that stand out in terms of this potential. The area presented livestock and animal husbandry as the main agri-food chain, with potential for processing within the territory itself, in addition to extractive activities in the Atlantic Forest biome. The results indicate that there are possibilities for the establishment of LAFSs as a local development strategy associated with social inclusion and environmental responsibility, although there is a need to expand and strengthen the transportation and marketing channels for products from these short chains. The cartographies produced aim to contribute as auxiliary instruments to land use planning and management, seeking to strengthen LAFSs at different scales of governance.