Abstract
This study aims to explore and compare Brazilian public institutional food services’ characteristics concerning the implementation of the government policy for the procurement of food from family farming (FF) and the opinions of food service managers on the benefits and difficulties of its implementation. We conducted a cross-sectional study employing an online questionnaire. The results were stratified by purchase. The Chi-square and Fisher’s Exact tests were applied. Five hundred forty-one food services’ managers participated in the study. Most claimed to buy food from FF, and this acquisition was more frequent among those working in institutions of municipalities <50,000 inhabitants, and educational and self-managed institutions. Those buying from FF developed more actions to promote healthy and sustainable food. Most recognized that the purchase could boost local farming and the economy and improve the institution’s food. However, the managers believe that the productive capacity of FF, the lack of technical assistance to farmers, production seasonality, and the bureaucratic procurement process hinder this type of purchase. The self-management of food services and the small size of the municipality might be associated with implementing the direct purchase policy from FF, which can contribute to building healthier and more sustainable food systems. However, the lack of public management support and the weak productive fabric may pose an obstacle to its maintenance or dissemination. The strengthening and consolidation of these policies require more significant government investments in productive infrastructure for family farming.
Highlights
IntroductionWe face a global syndemic setting, where obesity, malnutrition, and climate change coexist and represent the main current challenge to human health, the environment, and the planet [1]
Managers of school food and university restaurants from almost every state in the country participated in the study
This study explored and compared Brazilian public institutional food services’ characteristics concerning the implementation of the government policy for the procurement of food from family farming and the opinions of food service managers on the benefits and difficulties of its implementation
Summary
We face a global syndemic setting, where obesity, malnutrition, and climate change coexist and represent the main current challenge to human health, the environment, and the planet [1]. An increase in adverse impacts on the environment and society results from modern agricultural activities and the increasing distance between production and consumption [4,5]. Building healthier and more sustainable food systems is one of the objectives of the international political agenda [6]. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), within the framework of the Second International Conference on Nutrition (2014), urge countries to develop strategies for building more sustainable and healthier food systems. The main recommendations are strengthening food production and processing by small farmers and family farmers and promoting the availability of healthy diets in public facilities, such as educational institutions, hospitals, and prisons [7,8]
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