Potential for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions through sustainable procurement of animal-source foods in Brazil’s National School Feeding Program
Jaqueline Lopes Pereira, Denise Miguel Teixeira Roberto, Gabriela Rigote, Beatrice Porta Guimarães, Jailson Soares Souza Filho, Dirce Maria Lobo Marchioni, Erasmus zu Ermgassen, Semiramis Martins Álvares Domene, Aline Martins de CarvalhoAbstract
Objective:
To quantify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with animal-source food procurement in Brazil’s National School Feeding Program (PNAE) and to assess the mitigation potential of alternative procurement strategies.
Design:
Retrospective analysis of federal procurement invoices (2013–2022), with identification of animal-source foods and estimation of associated GHG emissions using product-specific emission factors. Deterministic mitigation scenarios were modelled, including partial substitution of beef with lower-emission animal proteins and adoption of deforestation-free sourcing.
Setting:
PNAE, one of the world’s largest public school feeding programmes.
Participants:
All federal procurement invoices related to animalsource food purchases within the PNAE between 2013 and 2022.
Results:
Between 2013 and 2022, the PNAE purchased 815 136 tonnes of animal-source foods, predominantly beef and poultry, generating an estimated cumulative 58·1 MtCO₂e with substantial variation across regional food-system clusters. Beef was responsible for 77·8 % of total emissions despite accounting for 35·3 % of purchased volume. Scenario analyses indicated that partial substitution of beef with lower-emission animal proteins (poultry, pork, fish and eggs) could reduce emissions by up to 41 %, whereas adopting sustainable sourcing excluding deforestation-linked suppliers could reduce emissions by 31 %. Combined strategies could reduce emissions by more than 50 %.
Conclusions:
Beef procurement is the primary driver of GHG emissions in Brazil’s school feeding programme and represents the greatest opportunity for emission reductions. By quantifying the mitigation potential of alternative procurement strategies, this study provides evidence to inform discussions on the environmental implications of public food procurement within school feeding programmes.