Resumo:
In recent years, family farming has emerged as a significant model of agricultural production, gaining prominence in important government policies. From a new perspective, family farming in Brazil has moved from being viewed as a marginalized segment of the population to a representative community before the government. As a result of this shift in perception, the Brazilian government has implemented programs to strengthen this family group, such as the National School Feeding Program (PNAE) and the Food Acquisition Program (PAA). These programs provide food to specific segments of society by purchasing products from family farms, thus promoting economic and social development and encouraging food production by family farms. Given this new approach to family farming, this research aims to analyze the food initiatives of the National Student Assistance Program (PNAES) as a source of income for family farming, through the university cafeteria, particularly at the Federal University of Itajubá (UNIFEI), Itajubá/MG campus. The results reveal that a larger portion of the National Student Assistance Program (PNAES) resources, allocated by the Ministry of Education (MEC) to federal universities, are allocated to food services. Of these funds, the study found that 90% is allocated directly to university restaurants, with the aim of subsidizing meals offered to students. However, it was found that approximately 40% of universities do not use these resources to promote family farming through their university restaurants, highlighting a gap in the implementation of this public policy as a potential promoter of family farming. The research will be conducted through a literature review, document analysis, and questionnaires, characterizing it as qualitative research with an exploratory/descriptive and applied approach. An analysis of organizational activities will be conducted to obtain information on the use of PNAES food assistance, highlighting the importance of this support as a relevant opportunity to contribute to supporting family farming.
