The Ministry of Agrarian Development yesterday began the in-field phase of the ongoing course in Public Policy for Marketing Aimed at Strengthening Family Agriculture and Food Security - the Brazilian Case. The program includes representatives from 20 countries participating in visits to three projects in Bahia to observe the operation of the Food Purchase Program (PAA) in practice. Course participants will learn about the situation with regard to enterprises, as well as the associations that are the beneficiaries of the PAA. The course runs until the 14th of the month, and will also include time with representatives from national entities such as the Ministry for Agrarian Development, the Ministry for Social Development and the National Supply Company (Conab). 

The course is coordinated by the Brazilian Agency for Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (ABC/MRE) and was held by the Ministry for Agrarian Development (MDA), the Ministry for Social Development (MDS) and the National Supply Company (Conab). The course brings together representatives from Cape Verde, Cameroon, Colombia, Egypt , Ecuador, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Lebanon, Maldives, Mexico, Peru, Congo, Saint Kitts and Nevis, São Tome and Principe, Senegal, Suriname, Tanzania, Tunisia and Zimbabwe. 

The MDA representative in Bahia, Welliton Hassegawa, highlighted that the visit to the State by a foreign delegation is the result of the international relations policy developed by the MDA. "We are exchanging experiences via this South-South cooperation initiative, where we value relations with countries with similar conditions to those of Brazil", he said. "The projects being visited are supported by a set of public policies, such as access to credit, technical assistance and market guarantees. These policies have helped to strengthen and boost family farming in Bahia and across the country", he added.