OBJECTIVE This study aims to verify the adequacy profile of the cities of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in relation to the purchase of products of family farming by the Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar (PNAE - National Program of School Meals).METHODS This is a quantitative descriptive study, with secondary data analysis (public calls-to-bid). The sample consisted of approximately 10% (n = 52) of the cities in the State, establishing a representation by mesoregion and size of the population. We have assessed the percentage of food purchased from family farming, as well as the type of product, requirements of frequency, delivery points, and presence of prices in 114 notices of public calls-to-bid, in 2013.RESULTS Of the cities analyzed, 71.2% (n = 37) reached 30% of food purchased from family farming. Most public calls-to-bid demanded both products of plant (90.4%; n = 103) and animal origin (79.8%; n = 91). Regarding the degree of processing, fresh products appeared in 92.1% (n = 105) of the public calls-to-bid. In relation to the delivery of products, centralized (49.1%; n = 56) and weekly deliveries (47.4%; n = 54) were the most described. Only 60% (n = 68) of the public calls-to-bid contained the price of products.CONCLUSIONS Most of the cities analyzed have fulfilled what is determined by the legislation of the PNAE. We have found in the public calls-to-bid a wide variety of food, both of plant and animal origin, and most of it is fresh. In relation to the delivery of the products, the centralized and weekly options prevailed.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar as dificuldades e os fatores que condicionam a aquisição de produtos da agricultura familiar para a alimentação escolar pela ótica dos atores sociais em municípios do Paraná. Para tanto, foi utilizada pesquisa qualitativa com entrevistas semiestruturadas com agricultores familiares, gestores, profissionais de extensão rural, membros do Conselho de Alimentação Escolar em oito municípios, com diferentes tamanhos populacionais e de diferentes macrorregiões. Os dados foram avaliados por categorização temática, para posterior análise de conteúdo. Barreiras como planejamento da produção, burocracia, logística, falta de comunicação, entre outras, foram referenciadas diferentemente pelos grupos de municípios e atores como dificuldades no cumprimento da legislação. Nos municípios onde existe maior participação, diálogo e parcerias entre gestores, agricultores, conselheiros e extensão rural há melhor aproveitamento dos recursos do Programa e esse entrosamento é mais evidente em municípios de médio e pequeno porte. Nesse sentido, evidencia-se a importância da existência de políticas públicas para a viabilização de mercados para a agricultura familiar, mas esta só se efetiva com a participação dos atores sociais.

Initiatives to foster a transition toward organic agriculture have drawn policy-makers' interest worldwide. However, research studies evaluating the effectiveness of policies intended to promote ‘scaling-out’ organic production systems to more farms and larger production areas are still rare. To better understand the role that public procurement and price incentive policies have in scaling-out organic transitions, we assessed the effects of the Brazilian Food Acquisition Program (PAA) in a group of municipalities. PAA offers both markets for family farmers and price incentives for certified organic products. However, our findings suggest that farmers who establish organic production systems and become certified also gain access to other markets; ones that they find more attractive than those created by the PAA. Thus, we find that the PAA offers insufficient incentives for adopting organic practices among peasant and family farmers and supports the argument that scaling-out organic production is a multilevel process that depends on different, but interrelated drivers.

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