Summary:
This law provides some principles on the National School Meals Program [Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar (PNAE)]. It law amends Law No. 8.880 of 2004, Law No. 11.273 of 2006, Law No. 11.507 of 2007, and repeals Law No. 8.913 of 1994. It has been subsequently amended by Law 12.695 of 2012, Law 14.660 of 2023, and Law 14.734 of 2023.
Description:
General Overview on the National School Meals Program [Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar (PNAE)]
For FULL purposes, it is important to highlight that this law focuses on improving school meal programs in Brazil. Its main objective is to enhance nutrition and food security for students in public schools while promoting local agricultural production.
The law recognizes some general principles on school meals, including that:
- students of primary school have a right to school meals that provide them with food and nutritional security;
- the food provided shall be healthy, varied, and respect local culture as well as specific needs;
- nutrition education shall be included in the school curriculum.
Additionally, the law provides funds for the PNAE. It mandates that at least 30% of funds from the PNAE be allocated to purchasing food from family farms. (Article 14) Furthermore, this law restructures the National Fund for Education Development [Fundo Nacional de Desenvolvimento da Educação – FNDE]. The FNDE directly manages funds for school meal programs, increasing efficiency and ensuring compliance with quality and nutrition standards. (Article 5)
To ensure effective oversight, the law requires the federative states and the municipality to create a School Feeding Council [Conselho de Alimentação Escolar – CAE] (Article 18). These councils report on the implementation of PNAE guidelines, ensuring transparency and community involvement in food-related decisions.