The federal government formalized this Wednesday (22) 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 forwarded to vulnerable populations.
In its new version, the program wants to encourage the participation of small indigenous producers and those from traditional communities, as well as women farmers. Measures foreseen under the terms of the program aim to ensure that registered women are at least 50% of the total number of suppliers.
“For us farmers, it is very important, because we can show what we can show what we can contribute, for the municipality, for the state and for the whole country. We, as women, to bring sustenance and food for 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 (PE).
The Food Acquisition Program (PAA) is back! 🌱
Created at the beginning of the first Lula government, in 2003, the PAA was instituted to encourage sustainable family farming.
Come and understand how this program works with in another video from #BrasildeFato . ⤵ pic.twitter.com/zJj2idqDGd
— Brasil de Fato (@brasildefato) March 22, 2023
The launch took place in Recife (PE), at an event that also marked the reinstallation of the National Council for Sustainable Rural Development (Condraf) and the creation of the Program for Productive and Economic Organization of Rural Women.
Lula defends Raquel Lyra from boos
During the event to launch and sign the terms of the PAA and other government programs, part of the audience booed Pernambuco governor Raquel Lyra (PSDB). When taking the microphone, at the end of the event, Lula made an incisive defense of her.
“The governor may be our political opponent, but she is the governor of the state, she was elected and I will respect her as governor of the state. I will come here as many times as necessary, to take care of the interests of the people of Pernambuco, through her hands, through her hands do João (Campos, mayor of Recife), by the hands of the other mayors”, he said.
Demonstrating dissatisfaction with the long duration of the event (which started with a delay of more than an hour and had about two hours of activities and speeches), Lula gave a shorter speech than usual. When talking about the importance of combating hunger, she recalled her own personal experiences.
“Those who have never gone hungry don’t know how much they miss eating. Those who never ate bread until they were seven years old, like me, know how much they miss a piece of bread”, he said.
Back
The PAA was launched in 2003, still in Lula’s first term in the Presidency, with the aim of contributing to ensuring the food and nutritional security of the Brazilian population and, at the same time, strengthening the production of food from family farming. During the governments of Michel Temer (MDB) and Jair Bolsonaro (PL), he was completely dehydrated.
“Today there are more than 33 million people going hungry, and the PAA comes, it seems that in a fundamental policy, so that we can overcome this scenario of hunger from the strengthening of peasant agriculture. For us to fight hunger, we need to strengthen peasant agriculture, and the PAA goes a long way in this direction”, highlighted Felipe Caetano, member of the Popular Peasant Movement (MCP) board.
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 bodies to purchase products directly from registered family farmers, with prices compatible with the Marketplace.
The food is destined directly to people in a situation of food and nutritional insecurity, as well as entities in the social assistance network, community kitchens, day care centers and public and philanthropic health, education and justice networks.
Editing: Rodrigo Durão Coelho
