EMISSÃO DE GASES DE EFEITO ESTUFA, PEGADA HÍDRICA E ECOLÓGICA DOS ALIMENTOS OFERECIDOS NA ALIMENTAÇÃO ESCOLAR DE MUNICÍPIOS LITORÂNEOS DO ESTADO DA PARAÍBA (2021-2022)

Abstract

The indiscriminate use of natural resources has led to the emergence of serious problems related to climate, air pollution, unsustainable water use, and soil degradation. These issues have highlighted the urgency and importance of promoting sustainability in decision-making at all levels, especially in food practices, bearing in mind that global food production is responsible for much of the planet's plundering of natural resources. This also includes school meals, whose PNAE (National School Meals Program), managed by the Ministry of Education, ensures daily meals to all students of basic education in Brazilian public schools, through the transfer of financial resources for the purchase, selection, and preparation of food. Thus, the objective of this study was to analyze the environmental impact of school meals offered in municipal schools of the coastal municipalities (Cabedelo, Conde, Mamanguape and Pitimbu) of the state of Paraíba in the period 2021 and 2022, from the indicators of greenhouse gas emissions, the use of water resources and soil biocapacity of food. The results obtained revealed important information about the environmental impact of school feeding in the municipalities considered. In Cabedelo, we observed a significant 75% reduction in the Carbon Footprint related to school feeding, along with decreases of 73% in the Water Footprint and 68% in the Ecological Footprint. On the other hand, in Conde, there was an 8% increase in the Carbon Footprint, as well as 12% increases in the Water Footprint and 11% increases in the Ecological Footprint. We observed the same scenario in Mamanguape, where the Carbon Footprint increased by 16%, as well as the Water Footprint (12%) and the Ecological Footprint (7%). In Pitimbu, there was a 15% increase in Carbon Footprint, along with 7% increases in Water Footprint and 27% increases in Ecological Footprint. The municipality of Cabedelo stood out as the only one that reduced its footprint considerably, thus demonstrating that it is possible to build a sustainable menu without compromising nutritional quality. The results of the analysis also showed that animal-based and ultra-processed foods have a significant impact on the environment. These findings highlight that the PNAE can promote sustainability by planning healthy meals, which value the agricultural vocation of the region, respecting the social and cultural aspects through gastronomy to improve the interaction between school meals, social, economic and environmental aspects, in order to improve the program and promote more environmentally friendly practices.