Legislation strengthens organic consumption

Scheduled for March, the regulation of law passed last year and that defines the adoption of organic food by the São Paulo City Hall must stimulate the production of thread. Municipal legislation follows trend established by federal law, 2009 11,947, which requires at least 30% of the value passed on to States, municipalities and the Federal District by the National Education Development Fund (FNDE) for the National School Feeding Program (PNAE) must be employed in the purchase of foodstuff from directly from family agriculture, with priority to agrarian reform settlements , traditional communities and agro-ecological and organic products.
In 2015, the PNAE answered 42.6 million students, with budget of 3.8 billion, of which R$ R$ 1.14 billion directed to direct purchase of small farming products.
Sao Paulo began the first trials to suit the law in 2012. The size of the city, with a network of almost 3 1000 educational units and 1 million students, challenges such as the need to organize the producers, establish your buyer confidence and resolve the issue. In 2013, the city reached 7% of the target set by federal law. The following year came to 17% and, last year, 27% of food served in the snack came from family agriculture.
Organic products were being introduced in the same step. One of the first items was rice, with 930 tonnes in 2013. Last year, 80% of the rice offered on direct and mixed network was organic in origin, 1.5 1000 tons. "Most organized cooperatives are concentrated in the South of the country, so we start with the rice", justifies Erika Fisher, Director of the Department of school feeding of Board of education of the city.
Today there are 26 groups representing family farmers in the State of São Paulo, able to deal with details as reports confirming product characteristics in accordance with the call, delivery times, packaging and logistics complex. Organics suffer difficulties extras such as the lack of laboratories for reports and information about the production to help support the establishment of the shopping list. "Our volumes are very large," says Erika. Last year, the organic rice consumed 5% of R$ 100 million transferred by the federal Government. For 2016 the goal is to reach $ 8 million for organics.
The studies for the new legislation surrounding the organized civil society, legislature and departments such as health, green and Work. The idea is that, in addition to the acquisition of Organics, are established mechanisms for training and capacity building of farmers in the city-about 500 in Parelheiros, on the South side, and another in São Mateus, on the East side.
According to Marcio Stanziano, Executive Secretary of the Association of organic farming (AAO), São Paulo''s law reverses the federal law to define the school feeding in municipal public network in Sao Paulo will be organic, with priority given to family agriculture, ensuring payment of up to 30 percent more for products-the margin is set by federal law, but applied at the discretion of municipalities and the external transfers. "The laws are, inducing the demand to stimulate production," says Stanziano.
One of the first municipalities in the country to approve municipal law to inclusion of organic school lunches of 20 1000 students from 32 schools, was Pouso Alegre (MG), in 2014. But the regulation is not out yet, although products such as vegetables, legumes, fruits, vegetables and milk are purchased the family farm. "It''s an incentive to family producers. They are guaranteed to sell their crop, "says the municipal Secretary of education, Alakesh modest.
Victory already, in the Holy Spirit, even before the federal legislation, passed the benefit of policy implemented since 2007 for strengthening family agriculture and solidary marketing spaces performed by the State''s Institute of research, technical assistance and Rural extension (Incaper) that, this year, received certification of Bank of Brazil Foundation of social technology. Today the city buys something between 32% and 35% of family farming, which gets close to 1.8 million R$ of the R$ of 5.3 million.
The organic, however, were left with something between 8% and 12% of the transfer in past three years. "There are few suppliers investing in Organics," says Márcia Cristina Moreira Pinto, Coordinator of food and nutrition of the City Department of education. This year, will be acquired and dwarf banana and organic lettuce.