The global discourse on food sovereignty suggests several mechanisms for improving food
security and agricultural livelihoods, including redistributive land reform and restructuring
of markets to improve food distribution and access. In Brazil, the Fome Zero (Zero
Hunger) social welfare programme has created innovative links between public nutrition
and food security programmes and rural development initiatives through mediated market
support for the family farm sector.We report on a participatory assessment of the experience
of land reform beneficiaries in seven municipalities in Mato Grosso, Brazil, who were
contracted to produce food for the Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos (Food Procurement
Programme, PAA) and the Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar
(National School Feeding Programme, PNAE) under the umbrella of Fome Zero. This
analysis offers insight into the opportunities and challenges related to participation in
mediated ‘farm-to-institution’ food procurement programmes, and assesses their influence on
key food sovereignty principles, including agro-ecological transition, increased market stability
and farmer autonomy.