Yesterday, Rep. Barry arrived home from the tour bearing personal lessons about the country’s Zero Hunger Program and the Food Purchase Program wherein smallholder farmers produce and supply the needed food requirements of school children. In this effort, the right of children to adequate and nutritious food is tied up with their education. Moreover, this right is also tied up with social justice and rural development efforts given that the suppliers of food are smallholder farmers, some of whom are beneficiaries of Brazil’s land reform.
Brazil undertakes this linked effort without distorting the supply and demand for agricultural products through market-referenced pricing. Thus, Philippines has much to learn about Brazil’s mechanisms for ending hunger and reducing poverty.
These experiences could help help shape and ramp up our national efforts to push for our #ZeroHunger campaign in the country.
msamba 