In a significant victory for children in Brazil, the federal government announced in February a 21.8% budgetary increase for the National School Feeding Program (PNAE). With the measure, beginning with the first transfer of 2026, the program will operate with a new federal budget of R$6.7 billion (approximately US$1.29 billion)—an increase of R$1.2 billion (around US$230 million) compared to 2025.
This increase restores critical resources to one of the world’s largest and most innovative school meal programs. Over the past three years, while funding for PNAE remained stagnant, rising food prices have steadily eroded the purchasing power of school feeding funds, threatening the quality of meals served daily to approximately 40 million students in every municipality across the country. The adjustment helps restore the program’s purchasing power by accounting for the accumulated food inflation during this period. This outcome was the result of a coordinated budget advocacy effort led by partners of the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) — the School Meals Watch (ÓAÊ) and FIAN Brasil.Through rigorous evidence generation, coordinated communications and dialogue with decision-makers, the issue remained visible and actionable at key political moments.
Technical briefs, policy analyses, public statements and strategic engagement with policymakers were used to consistently demonstrate how inflation had been undermining the program’s ability to provide healthy and adequate meals. Notably, the per capita values approved by the federal government follow the methodology proposed in a technical note by ÓAÊ, which used the National Consumer Price Index (IPCA) food and beverages group, reflecting the higher rate of food inflation compared to overall inflation over the past three years. By documenting the gap between federal transfers and the real cost of food and proposing a clear correction mechanism, partners built a compelling, action-oriented case for reform.
The National School Feeding Program is a universal policy established by law that guarantees school meals to all students in Brazil’s public education system. It is one of the most robust school feeding programs in the world and is widely recognized as a global model for its rights-based approach, decentralized implementation and strong support for family farming.
However, like many public food programs globally, PNAE is vulnerable to food prices. Without periodic adjustments, inflation reduces the purchasing power of federal transfers, forcing local governments to stretch limited resources or compromise on quality. The strain is particularly acute in Brazil’s North and Northeast regions, where more than 30% of municipalities already face difficulties supplementing federal transfers with their own resources.
This budget increase comes amidst several recent policy developments to improve the program. Recent updates to PNAE raised the minimum percentage of funds allocated to food purchased from family farmers to 45% and further reduced the acquisition of processed and ultra-processed foods to 10%. Reinforcing this shift toward healthier school food environments, several jurisdictions—including the cities of Niterói and Rio de Janeiro and the state of Ceará—have passed legislation banning the sale and advertising of ultra-processed products in and around schools, also supported by GHAI partners.
Civil society has always been central to the creation, expansion and continuous improvement of PNAE. Established in 2021, ÓAÊ is the leading civil society network dedicated to the right to school meals in Brazil. Through research, monitoring, public awareness and mobilization, ÓAÊ helps ensure that the program’s implementation remains aligned with its founding principles. The network’s “Reajusta PNAE Sempre” (Automatic Annual Adjustment for PNAE) campaign has been instrumental in calling attention to inflationary losses and advocating for predictable, protected funding.
GHAI supported partners throughout this effort by advising on strategic communications, strengthening digital communications capacity and helping navigate key moments in the policymaking process—ensuring that technical evidence translated into timely and strategic advocacy impact.
While this inflation-based adjustment marks meaningful progress, advocates emphasize that a structural solution is still needed. Currently, PNAE does not have an automatic annual adjustment mechanism, leaving it exposed to political fluctuations and future inflationary losses. Establishing a permanent, legally mandated annual adjustment would provide greater predictability for states and municipalities and better protect the program’s integrity over time. For now, this announcement represents an important win, restoring vital resources to a program that serves and nourishes 40 million students.
