PHL delegation visits Brazil to study the Zero Hunger Strategy

Philippine officials visited Brazil from July 04 to 12 to study the Fome Zero (Zero Hunger) Strategy which largely reduced malnutrition and poverty in Brazil by supporting local farmers and locally-sourced consumption. The Philippine delegation was led by Rep. Ibarra Gutierrez III (Akbayan), Vice-Chairperson of the House Committee on Human Rights and author of House Bill No. 3795 or "An Act Providing a Framework for the Right to Adequate Food."

Also in the delegation were Rep. Maria Leonor Gerona-Robredo, Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Undersecretary Rosalina Bistoyong, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Assistant Secretary Camilo Gudmalin and Ms. Fely Domingo-Parcon, Legislative Committee Secretary. Ms. Aurea Miclat-Teves of FIAN and Mr. Ireneo Cerilla of PAKISAMA represented the civil society.

Brazil is widely regarded as a model in social protection programs. Bolsa Familia (Family Grant) lifted 36 million Brazilians from poverty since 2003 for which Brazil won the “Award for Outstanding Achievement in Social Security” from the International Social Security Association (ISSA) in Switzerland in October 2013. In 2014, FAO reported that the number of undernourished Brazilians fell by more than 80% in 10 years thereby removing Brazil from the World Hunger Map.

Bolsa Familia is one of the models of the Philippines’ conditional cash transfer program known as Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4P. Following the 2013 Study Visit to Brazil of DWSD Secretary Corazon Juliano Soliman and DAR Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes, the Philippines launched the Partnership Against Hunger Poverty (PAHP) which was modeled after Brazil’s Food Acquisition Program, more popularly known by its Portuguese acronym PAA. Both the PAA and Bolsa Familia are part of the Zero Hunger Strategy.

Launched in December 2013 in partnership with FAO and UN-WFP and with technical assistance from the Brazilian Government, PAHP refers to the government purchase of products from smallholder farmers and cooperatives for use in feeding programs in schools and day care centers, among others. PAHP was first implemented in the Bicol Region and would soon cover the Zamboanga Peninsula and Eastern Visayas Regions.

This year’s Study Visit aims to further improve on the implementation of PAHP by incorporating and adapting the best practices from Brazil’s experience with the end goal of making food security and nutrition as part of the national agenda in the Philippines. END

Source: http://dfa.gov.ph/ Date Accessed:  22 July 2015