EXPERIENCES

Created in 2003, the Food Acquisition Programme (PAA) is an action of the Federal Government to contribute to the fight against hunger and poverty in Brazil and, at the same time, to strengthen family farming. To this end, the programme uses marketing mechanisms that favour the direct purchase of products from family farmers or their organisations, stimulating the processes of adding value to production.

How does it work?

Part of the food is acquired by the government directly from farmers in agrarian reform settlements, indigenous communities and other traditional peoples and communities. It is used to create strategic stocks and distribute them to the more vulnerable sectors of the population.

The products destined for donation are offered to social assistance network entities, grassroots restaurants, food banks, food kitchens and food baskets that are distributed by the federal government.

Another part of the food is purchased by the family farming organisations themselves to build up their own stocks. In this way it is possible to market them at the most appropriate time, in public or private markets, allowing greater value addition to the products.

The purchase can be made without a call to tenders. Each farmer can be granted access to an annual threshold value and prices must not exceed the value of prices on local markets.

Who has access to the programme: Family farmers, agrarian reform settlers, indigenous communities and other traditional peoples and communities, or rural family projects that have the PRONAF Declaration of Aptitude.

Who runs this: The PAA is run with resources from the Special Secretariat for Family Agriculture and Agrarian Development and the Ministry of Social and Agrarian Development, in collaboration with states, municipalities and the National Supply Company (Conab).

This programme is threatened by the policies of the Bolsonaro government, whose priority is to benefit agribusiness.