School cafeterias in Villa Regina, Río Negro: an expression of the fragmentation between the farms and the city

Abstract

The area of the Alto Valle de Río Negro presents a great diversity of food production, although we do not know how much of it reaches the plates of the boys and girls who attend schools. This becomes relevant if we consider that the problem of excess weight in childhood is a priority. The objective of the work was to inquire about the characteristics of the School Canteens Program in the town of Villa Regina and to describe the conceptions and experiences of different actors regarding the service management model, modalities of purchase and distribution of food, definition of the menus and meal preparation and the impact of the health emergency. Interviews were conducted with management teams and teachers from urban and rural educational institutions, municipal officials and representatives of the Alto Valle School Council. Content analysis technique was deployed to analyze the information. The school food service is decentralized, however, we found that the purchase and distribution of food to educational institutions is carried out by a single provider, as well as situations of indifference to local food traditions in pursuit of the discourse of "healthy eating”. The general guidelines for the menus are established at the provincial level and the school cooks display their knowledge and skills to offer a nutritious and varied meal. We observe that there is no link with local food producers and a concern about the return of hunger during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is necessary to recover the articulation between the farms and the city, between local food production and school feeding to promote the social economy, the generation of community networks and family farming, as well as to bring the producer and the child diner closer, revaluing the regional food culture and local production.