Integrating Family Farming into School Feeding: A Systematic Review of Challenges and Potential Solutions

Viviany Moura Chaves, Cecília Rocha, Sávio Marcelino Gomes, Michelle Cristine Medeiros Jacob () and João Bosco Araújo da Costa
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Viviany Moura Chaves: Postgraduate Program in Social Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Av. Senador Salgado Filho, s/n, Natal 59078-970, RN, Brazil
Cecília Rocha: School of Nutrition and Centre for Studies in Food Security, Toronto Metropolitan University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada
Sávio Marcelino Gomes: Nutrition Department, Federal University of Paraiba, Street Tabelião Stanislau Eloy, s/n, João Pessoa 58050-585, PB, Brazil
Michelle Cristine Medeiros Jacob: LabNutrir, Nutrition Department, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Av. Senador Salgado Filho, s/n, Natal 59078-970, RN, Brazil
João Bosco Araújo da Costa: Social Science Department, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Av. Senador Salgado Filho, s/n, Natal 59078-970, RN, Brazil

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 4, 1-20

Abstract: Family farming is strengthening its strategic role in school nutrition, but coordinating between school feeding programs and the agricultural sector has proven to be challenging. The goal of this review was to identify the problems that school feeding programs face in acquiring food from family farms. We selected studies from Web of Science, Medline/PubMed, and Scopus and evaluated their methodological quality. Out of 338 studies identified, 37 were considered relevant. We used PRISMA to guide the review process, and we chose not to limit the year or design of the study because it was important to include the largest amount of existing evidence on the topic. We summarized the main conclusions in six categories: local food production, marketing, and logistics channels, legislation, financial costs, communication and coordination, and quality of school menus. In general, the most critical problems emerge from the most fragile point, which is family farming, particularly in the production and support of food, and are influenced by the network of actors, markets, and governments involved. The main problems stem from the lack of investment in family farming and inefficient logistics, which can negatively impact the quality of school meals. Viable solutions include strategies that promote investment in agricultural policies and the organization of family farmers.

Keywords: family farming; school feeding; local food chains; food systems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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