Caracteristics of farmers accessing the National Program for School Feed

Abstract

This study seeks to identify the characteristics of the family farmers who sell to the National Program for School Feed (PNAE). Interviews were hold with farmers in three counties of the Brazilian state of Goias and the results were assessed based on correlation and regression tests. Results revealed that there is a positive correlation between the sale to the PNAE and the following independent variables: “Being in the farm for longer”, “Selling to the PAA”, “having access to technical assistance”, “Owning irrigation system”, “Having access to transportation vehicles”, “Higher family income” and “Taking part in the cooperative meetings”. However, only the variables “Being in the farm for longer”, “Selling to the PAA” had a causal relationship with the dependent variable “Selling to the PNAE”. Nonetheless, most brazilian family farmers do not have these characteristics, what suggests that PNAE has been restricted to the better off farmers.