[Case study: school meals' management in Santiago de Cali and Bogota].
OBJECTIVE
This research was aimed at ascertaining the state's role regarding hunger and how it manages to combat this matter; a food security program in two Colombian cities was thus assessed (i.e. school meals' provision in Cali and Bogota).


METHODS
A qualitative approach was adopted; documentary analysis, participant observation and in-depth interviews with various actors for both selected cases were used as data collection techniques.


RESULTS
It was found that several measures taken in this area were not covered by regulatory principles aimed at covering all the dimensions of food security. Serious weaknesses in school meals' management in Cali were associated with a weak environment regarding the fight against hunger. School meals' management in Bogotá was aimed at recognizing the right to food as being supported by an institutional process where the issue of reducing hunger has become a firm purpose.


CONCLUSIONS
School meals' program management was associated with the characteristics of its product, thereby affecting the program and the population's food and nutritional status; state management thus becomes another dimension of food security.
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia. mddiazb@unal.edu.co
Mónica del Pilar
Mdel P
Díaz
Iván A
IA
Montoya
Luz A
LA
Montoya
D002648:Child; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005522:Food Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005523:Food Supply / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006078:Government Programs; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D006815:Hunger; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011203:Poverty; D015995:Prevalence; D012574:Schools / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014505:Urban Population