"Nothing is impossible when you have the will," says Lula.

247 - President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed into law on Tuesday, September 30th, five bills that promote family farming and contribute to the food and nutritional security of the population.

During the signing ceremony at the Planalto Palace, Lula thanked the National Congress for approving the proposals and reaffirmed the government's commitment to guaranteeing access to healthy food for all Brazilians.

"We have land, sun, rain, we have people to work, we have people to feed, and there are countries that want to buy what we are trying to sell. Nothing is impossible when we are willing to do things," the president emphasized.

Lula also emphasized that one of the government's priorities is to improve the lives of disadvantaged people. “To combat poverty and hunger, there is no other possibility if these people are not included in the Union's budget. It's not through proselytizing that we make things happen, it's by including them in the budget,” he argued. “And you are realizing that the amount of resources we have for social inclusion is perhaps the largest in the entire republican history of our country. The only objective is to ensure that the poor are not invisible.”

One of the bills passed was PL No. 4384/2023, which formalizes the National Program for Strengthening Family Farming (Pronaf) and the Family Farming Harvest Plan as state policies. This guarantees permanence and legal security for family farmers, settlers, and quilombola communities.

The regulation also recreates the National Council for Sustainable Rural Development (Condraf), preventing its extinction by decree. Furthermore, it defines guidelines for food security, social inclusion, reduction of inequalities and agroecological transition, expands access to credit, and strengthens the strategic role of family farming in sustainable development.

The Minister of Agrarian Development and Family Farming, Paulo Teixeira, emphasized that Brazil has been breaking records in food production and that prices are falling. “We are breaking records in the Harvest Plan and in the National Program for Strengthening Family Farming (Pronaf). We have records not only in terms of value, but also in subsidies for food production. A second very important piece of data for our country is that we are experiencing food deflation. That is, the price of food is falling on supermarket shelves and in open-air markets across our country. A third very important piece of data is that we are having record exports,” he reported.

According to the Minister-Chief of the Secretariat of Institutional Relations, Gleisi Hoffmann, the enactment of the new laws demonstrates the government's effort to promote food security in all Brazilian homes. “Food is a human right recognized by the UN since the declaration in 1948. And guaranteeing this right to the population has always been an obsession of President Lula, since he assumed his first term in 2003. This set of laws represents a great contribution from the National Congress to this effort,” she said.

At the ceremony, the Minister of Human Rights and Citizenship, Macaé Evaristo, quoted the writer Carolina Maria de Jesus: "Brazil needs to be led by someone who has experienced hunger. Hunger is also a teacher." She added: "We have a president who has this sensitivity, who has gone through many difficulties, including food insecurity, and who, therefore, has learned to care for people. And he does this, he teaches us all, every day, in the construction of different public and social policies, and shows Brazil as a whole that it is possible to do politics with heart, with love, with respect, and in building dignity for each and every one of us."

CALAMITY

Another approved proposal, Bill No. 2708/2024, establishes priority for the acquisition and distribution of products from the Food Acquisition Program (PAA) to municipalities in a state of emergency or public calamity. Thus, PAA actions can minimize the impact on the income of family farmers and provide access to food for vulnerable people. The text provides legal backing to procedures already adopted by the National Supply Company (Conab) and ensures greater agility in supporting vulnerable populations.

HDI

Bill No. 800/2024 amends the Law that creates the National Food and Nutritional Security System (SISAN) to provide for food and nutritional security indicators that guide the prioritization of its activities. It includes the Human Development Index (HDI) among the criteria of the National Food and Nutritional Security Policy (PNSAN). This will prioritize resources for municipalities with lower HDI, where there is greater food and nutritional vulnerability.

SCHOOL MEALS

In turn, Bill No. 2205/2022 amends Law No. 11947/2009 to increase the minimum percentage for the purchase of food products directly from family farming and rural family entrepreneurs within the scope of the National School Feeding Program (PNAE) from 30% to 45%. This generates 50% more participation from the sector, with an additional R$ 800 million, in addition to expanding the market, income, and collective organization through cooperatives and associations. Students will benefit from fewer ultra-processed foods and more diverse and regional menus.

COMBATING WASTE

Furthermore, Bill No. 2874/2019 was enacted, establishing the National Policy to Combat Food Loss and Waste (PNCPDA) and creating the Food Donor Seal. This initiative contributes to the promotion of food and nutritional security and facilitates procedures for donating food that is at risk of being wasted, provided it is in suitable condition for consumption.