How school meals in Brazil help to reduce food waste
World Food Programme (WFP) Centre of Excellence against Hunger highlights good practice that could inspire other countries
Just like the rest of the world, Brazil wastes around 30 percent of the food it produces. In rich countries, food waste usually happens at home — consumers buy more than they can eat. In poor countries, food waste is related to production, harvesting, processing, storage and distribution. In Brazil, food is wasted at both ends of the chain.
Smallholder farmers, big food companies, retailers and governmental institutions work together to try and decrease food waste from production to distribution. Reducing food waste by consumers, however, requires a new mind set and schools play a crucial role in ensuring new generations are more conscious of it.
Every day, around 42 million children are fed in Brazil’s 160,000 public schools. It is not just a meal they receive: the Brazilian National School Feeding Programme also includes food and nutrition education activities. The way the schools buy, prepare and serve the food sets an example for the kids, and the school cooks are pivotal in building healthy and sustainable eating habits.
Luciana Aparecida Pinheiro is the cook in a primary school in the small town of São Sebastião do Paraíso, Minas Gerais state. She was one of the five winners of the second edition of the Best School Feeding Recipes contest. The contest — conducted by the Brazilian National Fund for the Development of Education in partnership with the WFP Centre of Excellence against Hunger, FAO, and local partners — awarded the best school meal of each Brazilian region. Luciana’s winning recipe was rice with chicken and parts of vegetables that are usually discarded, such as beetroot leaves and pumpkin peel.
This recipe changed the way the school kitchen works. For every preparation, the cooks now select food parts that would go to the trash bin and use them to give more nutrients and flavor to other dishes. The peel of the carrots and onions, for example, adds flavour to stocks used as basis for several dishes. Luciana works closely with the local nutritionist, and the idea is spreading to other schools in the region.
Luciana’s rice was presented to the students’ appreciation and immediately made to the school’s regular menu. “I wanted to create a colourful and nutritious dish that would draw the attention of the kids and show that using all parts of the food we have is not only good for their health and for the environment -it is also delicious,” says Luciana.
As part of the nutrition education activities, some students were involved in developing the recipe. When the kids tried the dish for the first time, a survey conducted by a group of students showed that 91 percent liked it, and 70 percent enjoyed eating all ingredients used in the preparation.
The new dish was used by school staff as an opportunity to mobilize the entire school community. The nutritionist invited parents and school staff to discuss how to use all parts of the vegetables to eliminate food waste and improve nutrition. According to Luciana, after this experience the kids are willing to try new foods, especially vegetables.
“My everyday challenge is to prepare good and healthy food for the kids. When I prepare this dish, I see the children filled with happiness. It is good for them, good for me and for the whole country,” says Luciana.
Luciana’s approach to reducing food waste was life-changing for her. She won a money prize from the school meals contest and travelled to Brasilia for the first time. “I learned new techniques, tasted different regional cuisines, met new people and received a lot of media attention. I will never forget those magical moments.”
In Brazil, the school feeding programme must buy at least 30 percent of its food from smallholder farmers, as required by law. Food produced locally has priority over food that needs to be transported through long distances to get to the schools. The meals must follow menus prepared by nutritionists to provide minimum nutrients to the kids and to take advantage of local crops and food habits.
These unique features made the Brazilian school feeding programme an inspiration for other developing countries committed to finding sustainable solutions to hunger. Based on the Brazilian experience, the WFP Centre of Excellence against Hunger is supporting over 30 countries to design or implement home-grown school meals programmes.
The WFP Centre of Excellence against Hunger makes successful Zero Hunger experiences available to developing countries for learning, sharing and adaptation through South-South and Triangular cooperation. School feeding programmes have proven to be one of the most effective, long-lasting solutions to hunger and to have multiple benefits: they improve child nutrition, act as a catalyst for educational achievement, and boost opportunities for local farmers, traders, and communities.
Learn more about WFP’s Centre of Excellence against Hunger
