Promoção da alimentação saudável no ambiente escolar: avaliação do Programa Horta Educativa em escolas estaduais de São Paulo

Abstract

the implementation of gardens in public schools and public children's centers. The school garden has proved to be an excellent strategy for food and nutrition education that enables a participatory pedagogical approach, articulating health, food and the environment. Objective-To evaluate SGP as a device for the promotion of adequate and healthy food (PAHF) in the school environment. Methodology-This is a qualitative study of evaluation by triangulation of methods, which evaluated SGP in state schools in the city of São Paulo. The documentary and structural survey of the schools and the SGP was carried out in 18 selected schools, which developed the program for at least three consecutive years. For the field research, two schools were selected, which presented the active garden and greater involvement of the school community. The study, carried out using different investigation methods, was developed in 5 stages: document analysis, contextualization of schools, field observation, interviews (with teachers, coordinators and principals) and focus groups conducted with students. Qualitative data were analyzed using the thematic content analysis technique. The evaluation of the SGP was based on the analysis of the logical model. Results-The empirical data were divided into 4 central categories: (1) The school food context, addressing the specifics of each school; (2) The development of the SGP, bringing the particularities of the project to both schools; (3) The school environment, discussing the role of the school as an agent of PAHF, the facilitators and barriers to PAHF in the school and; (4) The evaluation of the SGP, bringing the potential, the obstacles to the development of the SGP and the perceived results. Highlighting the SGP assessment categories, the main potentialities for the development of the SGP were: the school garden be considered a pleasurable activity for students, tutors engaged in the implementation of the SGP, the partnerships established with the school, the parents' involvement in the garden and the articulation of the SGP with the healthy eating project in schools. The main barriers to the development of the SGP were: shortage of human and financial resources; inadequacy of didactic material to different classes of students, noninvolvement of teachers and unavailability of time for teacher training. Among the perceived results, the following stand out: changing eating habits and increasing students' knowledge about healthy eating; increased consumption of school meals; valorization of organic means of production and promotion of environmental education among students; involvement of other disciplines enabling interdisciplinary work and greater involvement between family and school. Conclusion-SGP, despite its barriers, promoted the appreciation and increased consumption of school meals by students, contributed to awareness and reflective learning about eating practices, generating changes in food. Policies that involve the practice of school gardens should be encouraged.

Sustainability Recommendations and Practices in School Feeding: A Systematic Review

“…In Canada, the identified sustainability practices ( n = 2) involved school gardens, purchase of local and organic foods, participation in programs that promote closer ties between schools and local farmers, waste reduction, and the use of vegetarian dishes [ 24 , 71 ]. In Brazil, the only country in Latin America in which studies were identified ( n = 7), the most cited practices were related to school gardens [ 14 , 45 , 74 , 75 , 79 ] and educational activities for sustainability, including training for those involved in the operationalization of the National School Feeding Program (PNAE) [ 14 , 68 , 74 , 79 ]. However, the studies also cited activities to reduce waste [ 14 , 45 , 75 ], use of local [ 14 ] and regional [ 62 ] foods, partnerships for the development of sustainability activities (such as environmental preservation), and to encourage both the use of organic food and to value the work of those involved in all food production [ 68 ].…”

“…The involvement with school gardens and education activities for sustainability represented the most commonly reported practices, being identified in 36% ( n = 18) [ 14 , 20 , 24 , 43 , 45 , 46 , 50 , 51 , 55 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 64 , 66 , 74 , 75 , 78 , 79 ] and 28% ( n = 14) [ 14 , 20 , 35 , 44 , 51 , 53 , 56 , 57 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 69 , 74 , 79 ] of the studies, respectively. Among the studies that described the use of school gardens, 8% ( n = 4) [ 14 , 45 , 61 , 75 ] described the cultivation of organic foods and, in the context of education practices for sustainability, travel field studies [ 59 , 60 ] and cooking activities [ 14 , 20 , 44 , 69 ] were also cited.…”

Sustainability Recommendations and Practices in School Feeding: A Systematic Review

“…In Brazil, the only country in Latin America in which studies were identified (n = 7), the most cited practices were related to school gardens [14,45,74,75,79] and educational activities for sustainability, including training for those involved in the operationalization of the National School Feeding Program (PNAE) [14,68,74,79]. However, the studies also cited activities to reduce waste [14,45,75], use of local [14] and regional [62] foods, partnerships for the development of sustainability activities (such as environmental preservation), and to encourage both the use of organic food and to value the work of those involved in all food production [68].…”