Alimentação escolar no Distrito Federal: uma análise socioambiental das refeições oferecidas nas escolas públicas

Abstract

Introduction: School feeding in Brazil is guided by the National School Feeding Programme (PNAE), which establishes directives for providing healthy, balanced, and culturally appropriate meals that promote beneficial and sustainable eating habits. The Program also aims to foster local economic and social development by supporting family farming and contributing to environmental and social sustainability. In the Federal District, the PNAE is implemented by the State Department of Education (SEEDF), which serves multiple educational modalities and provides approximately 97 million meals per year to more than 400,000 students. In 2024, school menus showed a substantial presence of animal-based foods, raising concerns about the socioenvironmental impacts associated with their production and consumption. Consequently, there is a clear need to promote food offerings in schools that are both healthy and environmentally sustainable, in alignment with national and international recommendations advocating for reduced consumption of animal-derived products to safeguard human and environmental health. Objective: To evaluate the environmental impact and nutritional quality of school meals provided to students in the public education system of the Federal District. Methodology: The research was structured in two stages, beginning with the analysis of a sample comprising 130 daily menus provided by the School Feeding Programme of the Federal District in 2024, considering both nutritional quality and environmental impact through the assessment of water and carbon footprints. Subsequently, a theoretical model of a strict vegetarian menu was developed with the aim of comparing it to the current menu, enabling an analysis of the nutritional and environmental implications of both. Results: The 2024 public school meals demonstrated adequate nutritional composition in most assessed aspects, with a variety of food groups and low levels of ultra-processed products. Nutritional inadequacies identified included excessive levels of saturated fat and protein, both surpassing recommended values. Moreover, animal-based foods were found to have the highest environmental impact, accounting for more than 86% of the water and carbon footprints despite contributing less than 30% of the diet’s total caloric content. To mitigate these impacts, the implementation of the “Meatless Monday” campaign is proposed, consisting of the introduction of a strictly vegetarian menu once per week. This measure has the potential to generate numerous benefits, particularly by increasing dietary fiber, reducing saturated fat intake, and significantly lowering environmental footprints compared with those observed in the analyzed sample. Conclusion: The findings highlight the need to invest in strategies that reduce the environmental impacts of public-school meals while simultaneously improving student health outcomes. The primary recommendation is the adoption of the “Meatless Monday” initiative. Finally, food and nutrition education initiatives are essential for raising awareness within the school community, improving student acceptance of legume-based dishes, and training school food service staff.