Brasília, Brazil, November 6, 2024 – Representatives from sixteen countries in Latin America and the Caribbean will meet on November 21-22 in Panama City for the event “RAES: Strengthening Partnerships for Sustainable School Feeding for All.” This hybrid event marks the first technical meeting of all countries that have formally joined the Sustainable School Feeding Network (RAES) and provides an opportunity to define the next steps for this regional initiative.

RAES is an initiative of the Brazil-FAO International Cooperation Programme, created in 2018, promoted by the Brazilian Cooperation Agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (ABC/MRE) and the National Fund for Educational Development of the Ministry of Education (FNDE/MEC), with support from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which serves as the executive secretariat of the network.

School feeding authorities from Belize, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, and Uruguay will be present. These countries together represent a total of approximately 78 million students.

In addition to receiving official certificates of membership, the participating countries will discuss key issues to advance the sustainable school feeding agenda in the region. The future actions and priorities will be on the meeting’s agenda, as well as dialogue on the importance of strategic partnerships with various institutions to strengthen school feeding programmes.

The RAES network provides technical assistance to support countries in the implementation and improvement of their school feeding programmes, promoting the right to adequate food. The network encourages ongoing dialogue and the exchange of experiences and best practices between countries, as well as organizing training courses, events, and technical missions to produce applied knowledge on programme implementation.

The meeting will be available for both in-person and virtual attendance via Zoom. There will be two virtual participation options: one for government representatives and focal points from RAES and FAO who cannot attend in Panama, who will receive a link to join the discussions. The other option is for other professionals interested in the topic, who will be able to watch the event via Zoom, but without the ability to turn on their camera or make comments.

More information:
Event: “RAES: Strengthening Partnerships for Sustainable School Feeding for All”
Format: Hybrid, in Panama City.
Date: November 21-22, 2024.
Link: https://fao.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6ZfMj3JTQFi2a4AzB3XQnQ#/registration