The Brazilian government formalized this Wednesday the 22nd the return of the Food Acquisition Program (PAA), which consists of the purchase of fruits, vegetables, milk and other foods offered by small producers to be sent to populations in a situation of food insecurity.
In its new version, the program wants to encourage the participation of small indigenous producers and traditional communities, as well as women farmers. The measures envisaged under the program aim to ensure that registered women are at least 50% of the total number of providers.
“For us, the farmers, this is of great importance, because it allows us to show what we can contribute, for the municipality, for the state and for the whole country. As women, bringing sustenance and food to our families, this is a program that will cover a very large area for us,” said farmer Denise Alves dos Santos, from Vitória de Santo Antão (Pernambuco).
:: In Brazil, the 20th MST Agroecological Rice Harvest Festival brings together 5,000 people ::
The launch took place in Recife (northeast region of the country), in an event that also marked the reinstatement of the National Council for Sustainable Rural Development (CONDRAF) and the creation of the Rural Women’s Productive and Economic Organization Program.
Lula delivered a shorter speech than usual due to delays in the event. When talking about the importance of fighting hunger, she recalled her personal experiences.
“Those who have never been hungry do not know how necessary it is to eat. Anyone who never ate bread until they were seven years old, like me, knows how much we need a piece of bread,” he said.
Back
The PAA was launched in 2003, still during Lula’s first term as president, with the aim of helping to guarantee the food and nutritional security of the Brazilian population and, at the same time, strengthening food production from family farming. During the governments of Michel Temer (Brazilian Democratic Movement) and Jair Bolsonaro (Liberal Party), he was completely dehydrated.
“Today more than 33 million people are hungry (in Brazil), and the PAA comes, as a fundamental policy, so that we can overcome this scenario of hunger by strengthening peasant agriculture. To combat hunger we need to strengthen peasant agriculture , and the PAA is heading in that direction,” said Felipe Caetano, a member of the leadership of the Popular Peasant Movement (MCP).
Organized by the Ministries of Development and Social Assistance, Family and Fight against Hunger (MDS) and Agrarian Development and Family Agriculture (MDA), the program allows public organizations to purchase products directly from registered family farmers, with compatible prices with the market.
The food goes directly to people in a situation of food and nutritional insecurity, as well as to entities in the social assistance network, community kitchens, day care centers, and public and philanthropic networks for health, education, and justice.
Editing: Flávia Chacon and Rodrigo Durão Coelho
