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A new association of municipalities is jointly managing the food supply chain in Bolivia

Last updated: Dec 28, 2023

Summary

In Bolivia, 11 municipalities in the department of Chuquisaca joined forces to form an association to jointly manage the food supply chain, from purchasing directly from producer collectives to product storage, in order to optimise logistics, and minimise costs and losses.

Problem

The Bolivian Government is trying to meet Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger.

Solution

The Association of Municipalities for School Feeding Chuquisaca (MAECH) was established to help meet the goal of zero hunger for students, by improving the dietary diversity of school meals, increase the demand for locally grown produce, and increase income for smallholder farmers. MAECH is directly responsible for the entire logistics process, including purchasing, transportation, collection, and storage. They purchase organic food (such as rice, amaranth, corn, broad beans, peanut butter, api, and tojorí), then distribute it mostly to school boards and individual school units. Associated organic producers form part of the municipal committees of organic production, so that they can sell to the municipalities.

Outcome

Combined with the food rations from the World Food Programme, the MAECH program allowed school children to have two meals at school instead of one, and saved the school boards money on transportation costs.

This model of locally grown school meals has successfully brought together local officials, teachers, school boards, and smallholder farmers, and has inspired similar pilot programs in the departments of Oruro and Tarija.