Supporting a legislation to implement the right to food

In 2015, the National Strategy on Food and Nutrition Security – 2020 (ENSAN- 2020) was approved. With the support of FAO, the country prepared a conceptual framework for the National School Feeding Programme. The framework had a strong component on nutrition education and adopted specific targets (i.e. 25% of public procurement for school feeding should come from local food producers) which helped increasing linkages with local producers and the production sector (i.e. aquaculture). This greatly improved the overall capacity to produce and supply nutritious food the school feeding programmes. The formulation of a CNSAN Plan of Action 2014-2016 resulted in the creation of a Technical Commission mandated to work on the elaboration of a National Law on Food and Nutrition Security, in the context of the Right to Food. Over the course of two years, the work of the Commission led to the adoption of the Law No. 37/IX/2018 which, defines and guarantees the right to adequate food for all, while establishing the principles, norms and proceedings to guarantee its implementation as well as of the national food and nutrition security policy.