Brasília, Brazil, September 18, 2024 – About 50 professionals from various Cuban government institutions participated in the virtual inauguration of the training focused on the implementation of the Sustainable Schools Methodology in Cuba. The course is part of the Sustainable School Feeding Network (RAES) and will last for four weeks.

RAES is an initiative executed under the framework of the South-South Trilateral Cooperation of the Brazilian Government with international organizations, jointly developed by the National Fund for Educational Development (FNDE) and the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), with the executive secretariat of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Cuban government actors and representatives have engaged in various activities and spaces of RAES since its creation in 2018, including dialogues, experience exchanges, and technical missions. The course aims to create a dialogue space among government representatives, stakeholders related to the school feeding programme (SFP), and FAO representatives. The action is supported by RAES and seeks to strengthen school feeding initiatives and lay the groundwork for implementing the Sustainable Schools methodology.

The course is aimed at decision-makers and technicians from the ministries of education, health, agriculture, and environment, as well as local managers, particularly from Yaguajay in the Sancti Spíritus Province. Participants included professionals from family and urban agriculture, science, technology, and leaders from governmental and non-governmental institutions, as well as school community members including pedagogical advisors, teachers, and nutritionists.

During the course opening, Riffat Iqbal, project analyst at the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), emphasized that school feeding is a priority in the fight against hunger and poverty and that offering this training is crucial for presenting the Sustainable Schools methodology, which has positively impacted school feeding in over 14 countries. “Additionally, I want to underscore the role of RAES as an important strategy for promoting the advancement of school feeding in the region.”

Jorge Fernández Perón, Assistant Representative of Programmes in FAO-Cuba, welcomed participants on behalf of the national representative and thanked Brazil-FAO Cooperation and the Government of Brazil for their support in this and other initiatives, promoting “significant impact on the country’s well-being.”

Dr. Susana Suárez Tamayo, National Director of Environmental Health representing the Cuban government, noted that school feeding is a priority for the Cuban government, with many initiatives in this regard, such as the Food Sovereignty and Nutritional Education Plan. This plan outlines guidelines for managing local food systems, highlighting points like intersectoral coordination and the participation of actors involved in food production, transformation, marketing, and consumption. “This training on this topic is very important for us.”

Blanca Terry, Head of the Nutrition and Food Hygiene Center at the National Institute of Hygiene, Epidemiology, and Microbiology of the Ministry of Public Health, pointed out the alignment between the principles of RAES work and how they fit the Cuban context. She presented the course content, emphasizing topics such as the human right to adequate food, the school garden as a pedagogical resource, good practices with gardens in regional countries, the importance of healthy and sustainable school feeding, and the collective construction of implementing the components of Sustainable Schools adapted and viable for Cuba.

At the event’s close, Miriam Oliveira, assistant for the project Regional Agenda for Sustainable School Feeding in Latin America and the Caribbean, thanked the institutions and participants, mentioning the importance of fostering dialogue spaces and strengthening professionals’ capacities. “We reinforce the relevance of the Sustainable Schools methodology in our region, which has promoted learning and practices that value and enhance school feeding programmes and sustainable development. Sustainable Schools have made a difference in Latin America and the Caribbean,” highlighted the technical assistant.