On April 17, the city of Caruaru (PE) will host the launch of the Agroecological PNAE, a nationwide initiative led by the Food for Tomorrow Institute, in partnership with the Zero Hunger Institute (IFZ) and the World Food Programme (WFP) Center of Excellence against Hunger in Brazil and the Rockefeller Foundation, and in Caruaru, in partnership with the Sabiá Center and the Caruaru City Hall. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Train Station, as part of the program for the 2nd SemeAgro — Intermunicipal Fair of Family Farming in the Agreste region.

The signing of the Cooperation Agreement between the Food of Tomorrow Institute and the municipality is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. and marks a step forward in implementing strategies that connect family farming production to school feeding through the National School Feeding Program (PNAE), with a focus on agroecological practices.

The event will be attended by representatives from the Food of Tomorrow Institute and the Sabiá Center, as well as family farmers, institutional partners, municipal officials, and state and federal authorities. Among the guests are the mayor of Caruaru, Rodrigo Pinheiro; the governor of Pernambuco, Raquel Lyra; the president of the Caruaru City Council, Bruno Lambreta; the coordinator of the Landless Rural Workers’ Movement (MST) in Pernambuco, Jaime Amorim; the federal superintendent of Agrarian Development in the state, Caetano de Carli; the director-general of the Caruaru Campus of the Federal Institute of Pernambuco (IFPE), Diniz Ramos de Lima Júnior; the coordinator of social mobilization at the Sabiá Center, Carlos Magno; and the co-founder and director of the Food of Tomorrow Institute, Juliana Tângari.

The launch is part of the SemeAgro program, an event promoted by the Caruaru City Government, through the Secretariat of Rural Development, to strengthen rural production, expand marketing channels, and encourage the exchange of knowledge between farmers and partner institutions. The fair brings together producers from Caruaru and other municipalities in the region, as well as organizations working on the development of technologies and solutions for the agricultural sector.

“This launch marks more than just the start of a project; we consider it an important step in strengthening processes already underway in Caruaru and the surrounding region. We start from the recognition that there is a vibrant and organized base, with the involvement of family farmers, social movements, and local institutions that have, for years, been building pathways toward food production connected to the local reality and the knowledge of this Caatinga territory,” comments Gabriela Rodrigues, project coordinator at the Food of Tomorrow Institute.

According to Gabriela, one of the distinguishing features of this initiative is ensuring that it is led by those who live in the region, valuing local organizations, existing networks, and the accumulated experience of farming families. “We believe that it is from this foundation that we can consolidate consistent results, with the potential for scaling up and continuity, contributing to public policies that are more structuring and connected to local realities. And with the potential to create networks, expand to other municipalities in the Agreste region, and throughout the state of Pernambuco.”

About the Food of Tomorrow Institute

The Food of Tomorrow Institute is a think tank working toward the transition to healthy food systems for people and the planet, starting in cities.