Perception of the operating agents about the Brazilian National School Feeding Program

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Identify the perception operating agents have on the Brazilian National School Feeding Program METHODS: This is an observational, cross-sectional and quali-quantitative study developed in non-probability and convenience sampling selected in an event promoted by the National Fund for Educational Development in 2015 in Rio de Janeiro. Data were collected through questions related to pre-defined categories concerning the National School Feeding Program. The questionnaire was answered by 43 nutritionists, 41 members of the School Feeding Board, and 16 school feeding administrators from 38 cities of Rio de Janeiro. The narrative analysis was based on benchmarks of cognitive analysis of public policies. The association among variables was investigated with chi-square test, being calculated the power for association testing. RESULTS: The perception of the implementation of the National School Feeding Program has been characterized by some challenges: 1) low number of nutritionists to meet the demand from schools; 2) low adhesion to the public call for the purchase of family farming products due to bureaucratic difficulties and insufficient local food production; 3) reduced coverage of food and nutritional measures due to the restriction of human, material and financial resources; and 4) limitation of the participation of the School Feeding Board due to insufficient training and transport for regular visits. The adequacy of the number of nutritionists showed statistically significant association with the purchase of family farming products (p = 0.002; power = 99%) and with the food and nutritional education activities (p = 0.021; power = 79%). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate the need for employment of nutritionist in sufficient numbers to meet the demands of the National School Feeding Program, investment in educational activities of healthy eating in schools, training of the School Feeding Board, greater availability of vehicles for school visits and assistance to family farmers in order to facilitate their participation in programs of institutional purchases and encourage the diversification of production.

Criteria adopted for school menu planning within the framework of the Brazilian School Feeding Program

“…The availability of food from family farms was highlighted as one of the major criteria in 5 of the 21 municipalities analyzed. Studies have shown that irregular supply of food, inadequate hygiene and sanitary conditions, and lack of farmers or coordination between sectors are the major factors affecting the purchase of food from family farms [34][35][36][37][38]. On the other hand, over the years, municipalities have been able to overcome such barriers and increase the acquisition of food from family farms [34,36,39,40].…”

“…The Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar recommends prioritizing the use of organic foods but this guideline was not mentioned by the interviewees [6]. The high cost and low availability of such foods probably led nutritionists to not consider organic foods during school menu planning [37,46,47]. The legislation recommends but does not establish quantitative parameters for the inclusion of organic foods in school menus.…”

“…The nutritionists interviewed in this study showed a willingness to comply with legal recommendations despite the obstacles encountered. Problems associated with nutritionists' working conditions, including work overload, short working hours, and few personnel, have been widely discussed [11,37,52,53]. Lack of support from school managers and resistance from kitchen and pedagogical staff have also been reported as barriers to menu planning [53].…”

“…Lack of support from school managers and resistance from kitchen and pedagogical staff have also been reported as barriers to menu planning [53]. Therefore, improvement of working conditions and knowledge sharing with other professionals are identified as strategies to facilitate the activities of school nutritionists [37,52].…”

TD 2656 - Panorama da Produção Acadêmica Sobre Alimentação Escolar e Agricultura Familiar no Brasil

“…Em uma amostra de 38 municípios do Rio de Janeiro, Ferreira et al (2019) identificaram uma associação estatisticamente significativa entre o quantitativo de nutricionistas com a compra de produtos da agricultura familiar e atividades de educação alimentar, o que reforça a importância desses profissionais na operacionalização do PNAE no nível das escolas. Os resultados indicaram também alguns desafios para o alcance de maior efetividade do programa: i) quantidade insuficiente de nutricionistas para atender à demanda das escolas; ii) baixa adesão à chamada pública para compra de produtos da agricultura familiar; iii) reduzida abrangência das ações de educação alimentar e nutricional pela restrição dos recursos humanos e financeiros; e iv) limitações na atuação dos CAEs.…”