Fortalecimento da agricultura familiar com a mecanização agrícola na promoção da qualidade da merenda escolar

Abstract

This study analyzes the integration between family farming and school meals, highlighting its relevance to food security, nutritional quality, and the socioeconomic development of rural communities. Family farming, which accounts for a significant share of food production in Brazil, faces challenges related to productive infrastructure, logistics, access to institutional markets, and technical assistance. In this context, school feeding programs represent a strategic market capable of generating income, encouraging productive diversification, and strengthening short food supply chains, with special emphasis on the role of the Cooperative of Production and Marketing of Agrarian Reform and Family Farming as a mediator in this process. The study aimed to identify the main challenges and potentialities of family farmers’ participation in supplying food to schools, as well as to analyze the contribution of appropriate agricultural mechanization to productive efficiency and the sustainability of rural properties. The results indicate that family farming shows high productive potential, characterized by crop diversity and the adoption of sustainable practices, although constraints related to transportation, storage, delivery regularity, and school infrastructure persist. It was found that mechanization adapted to small-scale farming can contribute to increased productivity, reduced physical workload, and improved capacity to meet the demands of school feeding programs. From the schools’ perspective, a positive evaluation of the quality of the food received was observed, along with recognition of the importance of family farming in students’ diets, despite existing administrative and operational challenges. It is concluded that strengthening the articulation among farmers, cooperatives, schools, and public policies, combined with expanded access to appropriate technologies, is essential to promote productive efficiency, diversify school menus, and advance sustainable rural development.